We led a press conference outside City Hall to reject the executive order together with immigrant justice advocates, organizers seeking to shut down Rikers, the Speaker of the City Council and elected leaders.
We also worked with the Chair of the Immigration and Criminal Justice Committees in the Council to publish a letter to the Mayor rejecting his order and standing with our sanctuary laws. The letter was signed by thirty City Council members, as well as the Public Advocate, the Comptroller, and the Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn Borough Presidents. And we advocated for the City Council to pass a resolution which greenlit legal action.
On Tuesday April 15, the Speaker and City Council brought suit against the Mayor and his administration, challenging their plan. We applauded this action to stand up for everyone in our community and resist dangerous fear-mongering and scapegoating. Less than a week later, a New York judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the administration from taking any steps towards installing ICE at Rikers Island at least until a scheduled hearing this Friday April 25. The case is not yet over, but for now, our city remains a sanctuary.
Protecting and expanding sanctuary is a key priority of the Immigrant Defense Project. Your support ensures we can advocate for policies that ensure local resources are used to support communities in need, instead of perpetuating the double punishment of Black immigrants and other immigrants of color who are move likely to be targeted by police. Thank you for standing with us!
