On June 10, 2020, Judge Rakoff ruled that ICE’s dangerous practice of conducting courthouse arrests is illegal.

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** Federal Ruling is a Victory for Immigrants in State Courthouses: Next Step, NY Must Pass the #ProtectOurCourts Act to codify protections for immigrant NY'ers!
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In the first permanent injunction in the nation barring ICE courthouse arrests, won by the New York State Attorney General Leticia James and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, a federal court declared ICE's courthouse arrest policy illegal. In his ruling ([link removed]) , Judge Rakoff cited the Amicus Brief authored by IDP and signed by 45 organizations, as further proof of ICE’s illegitimate use of force against individuals in and around courthouses.

We applaud this decision, and it sends a clear signal to the NYS legislature to pass the Protect Our Courts Act, a bill with majority support in the New York State Assembly and Senate, to enshrine these protections into state law and hold ICE accountable.
The bill would codify the privilege from civil arrest and enact a permanent solution for protecting immigrants’ right to access courts.

With the expected return of Albany legislators in the coming weeks, we will continue to advocate for the passage of POCA and encourage all New Yorkers to call, email, or tweet at their state legislators in support of its passage. For sample content, including social media posts and a call-in script, read on!


** Amplify our call to pass the #ProtectOurCourts Act on Social Media and to sign the petition!
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Support the campaign to get #ICEOutofCourts in New York State by sharing the following sample content and petition on social media:
* Twitter
+ Thanks to a legal victory this week, ICE cannot make arrests at New York State courthouses! Next, @AndreaSCousins and @CarlHeastie need to call the #ProtectOurCourts Act to a vote and get #ICEOutofCourts in New York State TODAY! Sign our petition at [link removed]

* Facebook
+ Thanks to a huge legal victory earlier this week, ICE cannot make arrests at New York State courthouses!
Next, the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate need to call the #ProtectOurCourts Act for a vote & get #ICEOutofCourts for good TODAY! @andrea.stewartcousins @nysassemblymajority
Learn more about the Protect Our Courts Act and sign our petition at [link removed]

For more sample content to support the #ICEOutofCourts Campaign online, check out this living Social Media Toolkit ([link removed]) . We'll continue to update the toolkit over the course of the next few weeks, so be sure to check back for updates (we'll remind you, too, of course)!


** Call on the Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the New York State Assembly to act!
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If possible, reach out Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie. Find the contact information for their district offices, as well as a sample call-in script, below!
* Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins District Office: (914) 423-4031
* Speaker Heastie District Office: (718) 654-6539

Sample call-in script:
Hello, my name is XXXX, and I have a message for Senator Stewart-Cousins/Speaker Heastie. I urge them to bring the Protect Our Courts Act (Senate Bill 425/Assembly Bill 2176) to the floor for a vote. New York has the responsibility to protect our immigrants and ensure that there are lasting protections so everyone has equal access to the courts!

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