Category: In the News
Sanctuary Cities in Name Only
“It’s not enough for cities like New York to declare themselves ‘sanctuaries,’ which simply means that the local police won’t detain noncitizens on the federal government’s behalf. If cities really want to protect immigrants, they must also end the quota-driven style of policing that makes immigrants the victims of unnecessary arrests and disproportionate punishment…” Op-ed […]
New York Police Dept. Agrees to Curb Stop-and-Frisk Tactics
“We’re talking about stops and frisks and arrests in the sanctity of people’s homes that have had an incredible human toll on the relationship between the community and the police,” said Johanna Steinberg, director of the Impact Litigation Practice at The Bronx Defenders, which was also part of the lawsuit. “This will create accountability and […]
New legal office in North Tulsa offers holistic approach to defending women in court
“TULSA — A week into the job, Robin Steinberg and her staff are already paying house calls. It’s not typical for attorneys, but Steinberg’s team doesn’t practice a typical approach. Rather, the Still She Rises team is one of the only nonprofit law offices in the country — if not the only — that is […]
City-Funded Lawyers Help More Detained Immigrants Win Cases
“Since its launch in 2013, the project has provided lawyers for 2,000 immigrants through a partnership with three public defender organizations: Bronx Defenders, the Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services.” WNYC story on the impact of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), the first public defender program in the country for people in […]
NYC public defenders urge Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to allow vote on the Right to Know Act
“Public defenders are pushing City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito as she enters her last year in office to finally allow a vote on two controversial police reform bills. In a letter to Mark-Viverito, nine lawyers’ groups said that the bills known as the Right to Know Act — which the speaker has blocked from the […]
To protect their immigrant residents under Trump, some cities are arming them with lawyers
“No one knows for certain what President-elect Donald Trump will do to keep his pledge to deport millions of unauthorized immigrants when he takes office. There is, however, a general consensus that removals will rise sharply under his administration. Some states and local governments have made it clear that they won’t wait and see. Whether […]
Case Challenging Delays in Bronx Court Can Proceed with New Plaintiffs
“The Bronx Defenders won a partial victory in its suit challenging notoriously long delays for misdemeanor trials in the Bronx. But it will have to proceed with new plaintiffs. The public defender organization filed its federal lawsuit in the spring, claiming the delays violate the U.S. Constitution’s right to a speedy trial…” Listen to the […]
How Segregation Enables Over-Policing of Communities of Color
“An hour ride on most NYC subway lines should be enough to see how New York City, for all its diversity, is an economically and racially segregated city. A few stops along that same ride can also illustrate how policing in communities varies depending on the neighborhood. Take the D train from 59th-Columbus Circle to […]
In New York City, lawyers make all the difference for immigrant detainees facing deportation
“While it’s hard enough for the working poor to find qualified representation, doing so as an immigrant in detention is almost impossible. Just 37 percent of people facing deportation have an attorney with them. For people in immigration detention, that number falls to 14 percent, according to a study published in the University of Pennsylvania […]
NYPD needs to come clean on seized property data
“Whether through litigation or legislation, New Yorkers must have access to full information regarding these practices. It’s time for the NYPD to open its books.” Adam Shoop, attorney in the Civil Action Practice at The Bronx Defenders, writes for amNew York on the need for transparency regarding NYPD property seizure practices. Read his op-ed here. For more […]