IDP has hit the ground running in 2020!
It's been a busy start to 2020 at the Immigrant Defense Project. In just the first six weeks of this new year, we've already: welcomed new staff members, responded to aggressive ICE tactics targeting New York City and New York State, pushed back against right-wing criticism of a piece of critical immigration reform legislation, and been a constant presence in Albany to advance our ICE Out of Courts campaign. It's shaping up to be quite the year. You'll get to read all about our work below, but first, we want to express our gratitude for everyone that was able to support our End of Year Appeal in 2019! Look out for a more in-depth note in the coming weeks on how your generous contributions will be used in the fight for fairness and justice for all immigrants!
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A #NewWayForward for Immigrants
 On December 10, IDP joined grassroots partners and national groups in Washington, DC to celebrate the introduction of the New Way Forward Act, a bill that pushes back against the criminalization of immigration and limits many of the harsh and unfair consequences of criminal contact. Along with out Immigrant Justice Network Partners and other allies, IDP has helped to lead the New Way Forward campaign. We were thrilled to see this legislation become a reality, and witness testimony from partners and friends who continue to fight for their lives here in the U.S.
Last week, Tucker Carlson engaged in textbook fear-mongering and declared the New Way Forward Act the most radical piece of legislation he's seen  yet. To instill fear about the visionary bill, the host spewed a false, harmful, and racist narrative about our immigrant communities. Trump echoed his segment, saying that the bill is never going to happen. With Trump digging in his heels, we know we're onto something...
New Way Forward would roll back harmful immigration laws that have led to racial profiling and disproportionately resulted in the incarceration, deportation, and destruction of families of color and immigrant communities. To learn more, check out backgrounder with more info here.
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IDP Continues to Fight to Get #ICEOutofCourts in NY
 On January 14, 2020, IDP led the ICE Out of Courts Coalition on its first Day of Advocacy for the Protect Our Courts Act (POCA) in Albany. The day started with an early bus ride with advocates from New York City to the state capitol. There, supporters from across the state joined us for a rally and press conference; a sea of orange covered the Million Dollar Staircase as advocates wore orange hats in solidarity with the cause.
Senators Gianaris and Hoylman, Assembly Members Solages, Epstein, Simotas, Cruz, and others all spoke on the urgent need to pass POCA (S425/A2176) this legislative session. Along with the elected officials, representatives from IDP, Make the Road NY, the New York Immigration Coalition, Columbia County Sanctuary Movement, the Hispanic Federation, Worker Justice Center of NY, and Sanctuary for Families made remarks.
In the afternoon, advocates made the rounds in the state capitol, meeting with legislators and state officials. The NYS Legislative Session runs from January 8 to June 2. If you live in NYS and would like to get involved with the ICE Out of Courts Coalition, check out our website for more information!
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IDP Mobilizes Against ICE Attacks on NYC
Since January 2017, the Trump administration has made a practice of undermining policies that protect the rights of immigrants who come into contact with local police, such as NYC’s detainer laws (so-called “Sanctuary” policies). This January, the Trump Administration and ICE set their sights on New York City, with Trump notably employing elementary fear-mongering tactics in his State of the Union Address. In response, IDP quickly jumped into action and mobilized widespread support for the detainer law, culminating in a letter to Mayor de Blasio in support of NYC policies, signed by over 120 organizations.
IDP has also continued to monitor ICE raids in New York State, noting an uptick in raids since early January, clearly pointing to a coordinated push by ICE to target NYC. Since January 1, 2020, IDP has received 66 reports of raids in New York City alone; which represents a six-fold increase as compared to the previous reporting period. In late January, IDP issued a letter to the Mayor and City Council, in conjunction with City Councilmember Carlos Menchaca, highlighting the recent trends in ICE arrests and arrest tactics.
As we continue to monitor ICE’s policing activity in New York City, stay tuned for updated ICE home raids resources coming soon. If you haven’t already—check out IDP’s recently-released resources common ways ICE misleads people into believing they are local police.
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An Update from IDP's Litigation Unit
Immigrant Defense Project appeared with allies in an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in Nasrallah v. Barr, to highlight the importance of meaningful judicial review of denials of critical immigration relief under the Convention Against Torture, which prohibits the removal of individuals who would face torture if returned to their country of origin.
IDP also jointly filed an amicus brief in Barton v. Barr, a Supreme Court case concerning an eligibility requirement for cancellation of removal that affects certain green card holders who have criminal convictions. The brief urges the Court to consider the harsh impact that its decision will have on immigrants who face removal from the United States despite their longstanding ties to this country.
Additionally, we continue to fight to protect the due process rights of individuals in immigration detention. This month, we joined other legal service providers as amici in Fremont v. Barr (Second Circuit) and Santos v. Warden of the Pike County Correctional Facility (Third Circuit) and presented the courts with real-life stories that demonstrate the devastating and unjust impact of prolonged detention.
IDP also welcomes Leila Kang as Supervising Litigation Attorney. Read more about Leila below!
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IDP's New York Quick Reference Chart, 2020 Edition
The 2020 edition of IDP's widely-used New York Quick Reference Chart is now available for purchase! This resource is a critical tool for attorneys to assess the impact New York state convictions can have on immigrants. The structure is a user-friendly chart organized by statute number that facilitates the representation of immigrants accused or convicted of crimes at every stage--during plea negotiations, criminal appeals, affirmative immigration applications like citizenship, proceedings in immigration court, and appeals of negative decisions by an immigration judge. Given the heavy demands on criminal defenders and immigration lawyers, this chart goes a long way in ensuring lawyers are well-equipped to defend their immigrant clients. Purchase here.
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New IDP Fundraiser, feat. Mission Chinese & Jing Fong
Since early December, IDP has been working in collaboration with the Care of Chan, a food culture agency, to coordinate a fundraiser in celebration of the Lunar New Year. That collaboration launched earlier this month! Below, read an excerpt from the Care of Chan release, then go to check out the collaboration, which has been featured in both The New York Times and Vogue!
 "In celebration of Lunar New Year, Care of Chan introduces a collection of original and curated goods inspired by New York City’s Chinatown. We've collaborated with community-defining restaurants (old and new), shops and Asian-American artists, to create a collection that highlights Chinatown as a timeless destination for food, conviviality, and play."
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IDP Welcomes 3 New Staff Members!
 Leila Kang joins IDP as a Supervising Litigation Attorney to focus on federal litigation matters that aim to advance the rights of immigrants facing unjust enforcement, detention, and removal practices. Previously, Leila worked in various capacities at the Northwest Immigrant Right Project; in recent years, she focused on developing and litigating individual and class actions designed to promote the rights of noncitizens. Leila earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she was a member of the Immigrant Rights Clinic and a fellow of the Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties program. Leila holds an undergraduate degree in Development Studies from Brown University.
 Em Puhl joins IDP as a Senior Staff Attorney works as part of IDP’s Padilla Support Center, advising attorneys on the immigration consequences of family and criminal court proceedings. Em also provides support to community members seeking legal information and advice through the IDP hotline. Prior to joining IDP, Em worked at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Em also provided direct representation to immigrants as an Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow at Legal Services NYC and worked as an Attorney Advisor at the San Francisco Immigration Court. Em earned their J.D. from U.C. Berkeley School of Law, an M.A. in Latin American Studies from U.C. San Diego, and a B.A. from Iowa State University.
 Jorge Guerreiro comes to IDP from the Bronx Defenders (BXD) where he advised attorneys in criminal and family court on immigration consequences for clients in those contexts. He also provided assistance to clients in affirmative applications, and in non-detained removal defense. He also joins IDP's Padilla Support Center, where he will advise attorneys on the immigration consequences of criminal cases as a Staff Attorney. Jorge is originally from Los Angeles. He received his law degree from the University of California Los Angeles and his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California.
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Long-time friend of IDP becomes a U.S. citizen!
 In March 2015, Jose came to IDP for help with a case after five other organizations turned him away. IDP jumped in and pulled together a team to pursue a creative legal defense and community mobilization strategy. Working with Bronx Defenders, Appellate Advocates, Davis Wright Tremaine, DC37, NYIC, the NYC Parks Department, and other allies, Jose was granted post-conviction relief, released from detention, and recently became a U.S. citizen!
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