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Redefining public defense.

The Bronx Defenders In the News

New York Daily News: ‘I just want to hug my family and be able to grieve;’ ‘I have so much that I need to catch up on;’ ‘I miss the old normal.’ New Yorkers look ahead to end of coronavirus quarantine

“When this is over, I’ll go to Lupita’s Restaurant around the corner from The Bronx Defenders, order one of every taco, then bring it back to a conference room where I’ll brainstorm with my team and relish the banter that’s impossible on a screen.” Read the full article here

Law360: ‘No Release’ Injunction In NY Could Be A Blueprint Elsewhere

“A court decision blocking the New York field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using its so-called “no release” policy for certain people detained before a hearing is being hailed by immigrant advocates as a key victory that could set an important standard for other parts of the country. U.S. District Judge Judge…

Law360: New York’s About-Face On Bail Reform Wins Few Fans

“The deal that passed the Senate on Thursday night and the Assembly on Friday morning makes crimes like second-degree burglary, promoting child pornography, vehicular manslaughter and several others bail-eligible once again. In a statement Friday, a coalition of New York City public defender groups that includes the Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn…

Slate: Cuomo’s Bail Reform Reversal Risks Explosive Coronavirus Spread in Jails

“The governor’s proposal also permits pretrial detention for a much wider range of offenses and allows judges to make guesses about the future “dangerousness” of a defendant (the likelihood that they will commit a new violent crime) based on the “weight of the evidence,” which flouts the presumption of innocence before a case goes to…

Law360: ICE Blocked From Enforcing NY Detention Policy

“Law360, New York (March 30, 2020, 9:52 PM EDT) — A New York federal judge on Monday blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in New York from carrying out what immigrant advocates claim is a blanket no-release policy for certain detainees accused of civil immigration offenses. During an afternoon teleconference, U.S. District Judge Alvin…

Buzzfeed: An ICE Detainee Who Was Released After Getting The Coronavirus Fears What’s Next: “This Has Hit My Whole Body”

“For weeks, immigrant advocates have pushed ICE to release certain immigrants with underlying medical issues from the facilities and to scale back arrests, saying detention facilities were ripe for mass infections and casualties. There are currently more than 38,000 immigrants in ICE custody within private and local jails. So far, the agency has not changed…

Quartz: Why ICE’s coronavirus response is so dangerous

“These recent events make me think of people like Ousman Darboe, a longtime Bronx, New York resident, husband, and father, currently jailed at Bergen County Jail, whom ICE has kept locked up in civil immigration confinement since 2017. ICE claims he’s a public safety risk, even after governor Andrew Cuomo granted a pardon of his sole criminal conviction,…

LexBlog: NYC Public Defenders Issue Statement Condemning ICE Inaction on Coronavirus Threat at Detention Centers

(NEW YORK, NY) – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders – New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal in representation to detained immigrants through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) – today released the following statement in response to news of the first ICE detainee testing positive for…

The Appeal: ‘Is My Life Not As Valuable As Yours?’ Immigration Judges Want All Courts Shut Down As Coronavirus Cases Soar

“The Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies are intersecting with a highly contagious disease at a time when New York State leads the nation with at least 20,875 confirmed coronavirus cases. In New York on Friday, Attorney General Letitia James joined Bitta Mostofi, New York City’s commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, in calling for a shutdown of…

Gay City News: Advocates Demand Help for Vulnerable Prisoners, Homeless Folks

“There is also attention on the plight of individuals in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was already tied to poor living conditions before the coronavirus outbreak. The Bronx Defenders and the Legal Aid Society on March 23 filed for a temporary restraining order intended to bring about the release of ICE clients who…

Patch: Stuck In Jail During A Pandemic: Coronavirus Hits NJ Prisons

“According to the groups – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and The Bronx Defenders – the inmates are rallying against “egregious conditions” and inaction by ICE to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Among reports of egregious conditions, we have heard that ICE is not responding to medical sick calls and that there are…

Vice: 2 Coronavirus Cases Confirmed in New Jersey Prison with ICE Detainees

“The news comes amid reports of a growing number of COVID-19 cases inside correctional facilities in the New York City area. At least 38 people on Rikers Island — both inmates and employees — have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. ICE detainees at the Hudson County jail and two other…