New York City and the state of New York filed suit against the U.S. Department of Justice on July 18, 2018, citing attempts on the part of the federal government to force compliance with immigration laws by withholding funding for public safety. It is estimated that the Justice Department has refused to release grant money...Read More

Concerns about targeting based on New York City identification cards have been reinforced after two grandparents were apprehended and detained at Fort Drum on July 4, 2018. The IDNYC cards both carried could have prompted inquiries into their immigration status and might have been the trigger for negative actions by border patrol agents at the...Read More

Recent controversies surrounding the separation of immigrant parents from their children have spurred many local agencies to cut ties with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to terminate their contracts to assist in detention and management of families taken into custody by federal officials. Despite the financial resources represented by these contracts, cities and counties...Read More

A local deliveryman who had applied to receive a green card was detained upon his arrival to deliver pizza to military personnel at Fort Hamilton. Witnesses reported that Pablo Villavicencio showed his IDNYC card when he was asked for identification. Members of the military allowed him to deliver the pizza before taking him into custody....Read More

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently released a report that indicates that the sanctuary policies in place in New York could be having a negative effect on public safety. According to the report, 440 undocumented immigrants were released from jail in New York during the months of January through April 2018. ICE reported that of...Read More

Data released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and analyzed by the New York Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) show that ICE arrested more undocumented immigrants in New York City during the year after President Trump took office than in the year immediately preceding. This marks a real change in the way ICE approaches...Read More

Once again demonstrating his contempt for immigrants to the U.S., President Donald Trump used harsh language when describing undocumented workers, stating “These aren’t people, these are animals.” The comments were made during a May 16, 2018, White House meeting to discuss California’s controversial sanctuary laws. The Trump administration has opposed these measures, citing their chilling...Read More

Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an ultimatum to officials of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in response to repeated raids by the agency in the state of New York. Cuomo sent a cease-and-desist letter on April 25, 2018, warning ICE that its practice of conducting raids on state property will require a full judicial warrant...Read More

Attorneys from Queens Law Associates and the Legal Aid Society of New York walked out of court on April 9 and 10, 2018, in response to actions taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the courtroom setting. These protests were intended to draw attention to the plight of those who attend court proceedings in...Read More

New York is living up to its reputation as a haven for immigrants and a sanctuary state. A report compiled by researchers at Syracuse University indicates that immigrants in the state have an extremely high rate of representation by a qualified New York immigration attorney and the lowest incidence of deportation among states that have...Read More