The following was published in Issue #26 of dcDIGEST on March 3, 2026. Since then, the DCDC voted on April 15, 2026 to endorse the NY For All Act. We have added a diagram comparing the act with legislation proposed by Governor Hochul. The NYCLU supports the New York for All Act. (Subscribers, remember to check your inbox on the first Tuesday of each month at 10am.)
New York can protect immigrants from ICE.
Since Donald Trump has taken office, ICE, the most well-funded federal law enforcement agency, has been wreaking havoc on immigrant communities in this country. Families are ripped apart; people are deported back to the countries they fled for their lives from. Immigrant communities are terrorized, people are arrested, and without due process, sent to overcrowded, unhealthy detention centers. People are even being arrested when they appear at immigration courts for their hearings. And all this is being paid for with taxpayer money. In other words, people are being denied their civil and human rights.
Many immigrants are afraid to go out of their houses. That means they are not going to work, sending their kids to school or even going shopping for groceries.
In New York, there are two legislative solutions that would allow our state to stand up for immigrants: Governor Hochul’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Bill and the New York for All Act (S2235/A3506).
Governor Hochul’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Bill ends 287g contracts between state and local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration agents. 287g allows local law enforcement, with training, to cooperate with ICE, detain suspected undocumented immigrants and rent out jail space to ICE. We are fortunate that Delaware County Sheriff DuMond did not sign onto 287g. However, many local sheriffs throughout the state did.
Governor Hochul’s bill would bar ICE from entering sensitive nonpublic areas like schools and hospitals without a judicial warrant. The Governor’s bill expires in three years.
The New York for All Act does all these things as well. It also prohibits ICE from entering nonpublic areas of all government-run offices. State and local agencies (schools, hospitals, and shelters) are prohibited from sharing information with ICE. Local law enforcement agents cannot ask about immigration status, and people in custody must be told of their rights. There is no expiration date for this act.
The NY ACLU’s fact sheet provides a comparison of the two bills.
The NY For All bill has been championed by Democratic legislators and immigrant rights groups for several years. In addition, several members of New York’s congressional delegation, including AOC, Dan Goldman and Jerry Nadler have publicly supported the bill. Governor Hochul has not yet indicated her support for the bill. She has said that she will consider any bill that passes both houses of the legislature.
The Local Cops, Local Crime bill was introduced by Hochul in January and has the support of the NYPD Commissioner, several district attorneys and sheriffs.
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