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!
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, 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!
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