IDP Condemns Governor Hochul's Veto of Court Notification Bill

Today, IDP and its allies condemned Governor Hochul’s veto of the Court Notification Bill (S2903A/A9877A), which would have taken a critical step toward strengthening the constitutional rights of immigrants facing criminal charges.

The Court Notification Bill, which was sponsored by Assembly Member Catalina Cruz and Senator Brian Kavanagh, passed in June after a hard-fought campaign led by IDP and its allies. The bill would have enacted important protections by requiring judges to correctly notify immigrants in all cases of the possible immigration consequences of their pleas. It would have also created accountability mechanisms when immigrants’ rights are violated.

Fifteen other jurisdictions - including Ohio, Nebraska, Washington and Massachusetts - have already enacted similar laws to ensure that immigrants have a remedy when their rights are violated and they are put at risk of deportation.

Yasmine Farhang, Director of Advocacy at IDP, said: “Immigrant New Yorkers are often unaware that a plea in criminal court can cause devastating consequences - including detention, deportation and ineligibility for citizenship. Yet, many New Yorkers do not receive an accurate notification of this risk. We fought for this bill and celebrated passage in the legislature last June. The Governor’s veto shows a blatant disdain for immigrants’ constitutional rights and a disregard for the legislative process.”

We are deeply grateful for the solidarity from African Communities Together, Appellate Advocates, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, Center for Appellate Litigation, Chief Defenders Association of New York, Envision Freedom Fund, The Legal Aid Society, Make the Road New York, New York County Defender Services, New York Immigration Coalition, NYC Action Lab, Office of the Appellate Defender, and Queens Defenders who joined us in this condemnation.

To see the full press release from IDP and its allies, click here.
To learn more about the Court Notification Bill, click here.