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Albany, N.Y. – Hundreds of union members, faith leaders, civil rights and legal advocates and community members across New York State marched at the Capitol today for New Yorkers disappeared by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), calling out ICE’s brutal tactics and demanding leaders in Albany pass the New York for All Act to end state resources and localities from colluding with this mass separation of families. 

ICE is abducting immigrant New Yorkers and committing horrible abuses. Nine local governments across the state and counting have signed “287g” agreements with ICE, directly using our tax dollars to separate thousands of families. New York state resources are funding mass deportations. To stop this, we must pass The New York for All Act! 

Elected leaders joined New Yorkers marching for every family that now has an empty space at the dinner table. For every New Yorker ripped from their family. For every family afraid that a traffic stop could lead to permanent separation from their loved ones. 

New Yorkers are calling on leaders in Albany to pass The New York for All Act (S2235- Gounardes / A3506-Reyes) to ensure tax dollars and state and local agencies are not used to help the Trump administration separate families and deport our neighbors. This urgently needed bill will prohibit state and local resources from being used to carry out a cruel and inhumane federal deportation agenda.

More info on the New York for All Act here.  

“Trump is using ICE as his personal gestapo—and here in New York, we want no part of it,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “Republicans claim this unhinged immigration crackdown is about public safety. But what we saw in Minnesota is the inevitable result: less safety, more anxiety, more fear. Now, it’s costing people their lives. My ‘New York for All’ Act is the best way to not just stand up to Trump, but to protect the immigrant families that form the backbone of our city and state. It’s how we make all New Yorkers safer.”

“For the sake of communities like mine in the Bronx, we must pass New York For All. Our state and local authorities should not act as federal immigration officers. We cannot allow New York to be complicit in the Trump administration’s lawless deportation squad that is kidnapping and murdering people without mercy. We deserve safety and justice as enshrined in our Constitution regardless of immigration status. New York For All is our way to prevent our local law enforcement from being used for ICE’s horrific operations and shield New Yorkers from this vile administration’s unlawful, racist actions,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. 

“The Trump administration will stop at nothing to effectuate its barbaric immigration agenda, as evidenced by the brutal killing of Renee Nicole Good by ICE last week in Minnesota,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal. “The depravity of Donald Trump and his federal agents knows no bounds, making it all the more critical that we pass the New York for All Act. Too many immigrant New Yorkers have already been abducted and separated from their families, leaving their communities shaken. By passing New York for All, we will send a message that not only are these actions not welcome here, New York State’s tax dollars, government agencies and law enforcement officials will play no role in this cruelty.”

“As chair of the New Americans Task Force, and the daughter of Haitian Immigrants, it is essential that we prohibit officers from questioning individuals about their immigration statuses, or the presumption thereof. People are disappearing on our streets, and families are in mourning. New York is home to people all across the globe, and our commitment to a safe and welcoming state must be more than symbolic. We need to pass the New York for All Act,” said Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest.

“ICE’s continued reign of terror in our streets across the country and the killing of Renee Nicole Good underscores one thing that is becoming increasingly obvious; the Constitutional rights afforded to every person on American soil are under attack from this federal government,” said State Senator Patricia Fahy. “New York has an opportunity to protect its immigrant communities, uphold trust in local law enforcement, and limit ICE’s overreach here in New York State by passing the New York For All Act this session. As we seek to restore the rule of law on our streets, it’s key that New York use every tool in its arsenal to reign in an out of control and increasingly authoritarian Trump Administration.” 

“New York cannot stand by while our neighbors are disappearing at the hands of ICE and families are torn apart by an inhumane political agenda. No one should live in fear that a traffic stop or routine interaction could lead to permanent separation from their loved ones. The New York for All Act is about drawing a clear line: state and local resources should never be used to advance a cruel and unethical deportation agenda. We have a moral responsibility to uphold due process, protect immigrant families, and ensure New York remains a place of dignity, safety, and opportunity,” said Assemblymember Demond Meeks.

“New Yorkers will not stand by while our own tax dollars are used to tear families apart. The New York for All Act is about drawing a firm line between our state and the fear-driven tactics of ICE that are disappearing our neighbors and destabilizing entire communities,” said Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera. “When local governments sign 287(g) agreements, they turn public servants into immigration agents and force families to live in constant fear of separation. That is not who we are as New Yorkers. We have a moral and legal responsibility to ensure state and local resources are used to keep our communities safe, healthy, and whole. They are not to be used to aid a federal agenda of mass deportation. I stand with the union members, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and families who marched today, and I urge my colleagues in Albany to pass the New York for All Act without delay.”

“New York State must say with one voice that our tax dollars will not be used to help fund the campaign of cruelty being carried out here and across the country by ICE agents,” said Assemblymember Latrice Walker. “Not only are our neighbors living in fear of being snatched off the street or pulled from schools or their jobs and deported without due process, but there is a very real danger of federal agents using deadly force in support of the White House’s agenda. I proudly co-sponsor the New York for All Act, a measure that will prohibit the use of our state’s resources to tear families apart. I stand firmly with labor leaders, clergy, advocates, and fellow lawmakers, as we fight to get this critical bill passed. ”

“What is happening to immigrant New Yorkers is not abstract or theoretical; it is families torn apart, children left without parents, and entire communities forced to live in fear. No one should worry that a traffic stop or call for help could lead to detention or deportation. This violence is unacceptable. Masked federal agents operating without accountability are putting lives at risk and terrorizing our communities, and accountability, transparency, and justice cannot wait. New York cannot claim to be a safe haven while our own tax dollars are used to fuel this cruelty. The New York for All Act is about protecting families, restoring trust in our institutions, and ensuring state and local resources are never used to advance a federal deportation agenda rooted in fear and racial profiling. Albany must act now and pass New York for All to uphold the dignity, safety, and due process every New Yorker deserves,” said Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas.

State Senator Julia Salazar said, “ICE has been rapidly escalating its violence over the past year. It was just last week that ICE agents shot and killed a woman on the street in broad daylight. That same week, agents gunned down multiple people in Oregon and fled the scene before local police arrived. Yet the State of New York is still shamefully helping ICE with its cruel operations. We must pass New York for All, in addition to bills like Dignity Not Detention, to prohibit our local and state government from supporting ICE’s deadly efforts. New York has no business helping ICE as it tears families apart and murders people.” 

“Donald Trump’s ICE is intent on destroying lives and ripping apart families,” said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. “We must be uncompromising in defending New Yorkers against the heinous and abusive actions of the federal government. For every person who has had their life permanently altered by the inhumane actions of ICE, we will fight back.”

State Senator Jessica Ramos said, “We cannot allow communities to live in fear while federal enforcement operates without restraint or accountability. What happened in Minneapolis is a stark and tragic reminder of how deadly federal overreach can be when left unchecked. New York has a responsibility to protect families, uphold due process, and ensure that state and local resources are never used to advance a federal agenda rooted in fear, separation, and discrimination. Every New Yorker deserves to live with dignity and the full protections of our Constitution. Passing the New York for All Act is a critical step toward that goal.”

“New York must never be an accomplice to fear. When our tax dollars, public servants, and local agencies are used to tear parents from children and neighbors from their homes, we cross a moral line. The New York for All Act is how we draw that line—and how we restore the soul of our state. This bill protects families from being disappeared in silence. It says our schools are not surveillance hubs, our traffic stops are not traps, and our communities are not extensions of ICE. Justice is not abstract—it lives at the dinner table, in the classroom, and on every block where families deserve to live without fear. Our state must act—not as an echo of federal cruelty, but as a shield against it. The time is now. We must pass the New York for All Act,” said State Senator Robert Jackson.

State Senator Shelley Mayer said, “I join my colleagues, advocates, neighbors, and friends in standing unequivocally with our immigrant neighbors and with all those whose freedom is threatened by unchecked federal power. The actions of the masked, unidentifiable ICE agents and the aggressive tactics they use, undermine public trust, jeopardize public safety, and threaten the civil liberties that are fundamental to our democracy. In New York, we believe in transparency, accountability, and the rule of law. I stand in solidarity with immigrant families and demand accountability and transparency. It is time for New York to take real action to ensure safety and security of those in New York. Our state, country, and democracy are strongest when we are united, without fear.” 

“Across New York, ICE is arresting immigrants at unprecedented rates — leaving so many New Yorkers without their parents, children, neighbors, coworkers, and loved ones,” said Zach Ahmad, Senior Policy Counsel at the NYCLU. “Immigrant families and communities deserve to stay together, free from ICE’s cruelty. New York lawmakers must take a stand and protect immigrant communities by passing New York For All immediately.”

“A full year has passed since Trump took office, and New York State has yet to take real action to protect our immigrant communities,” said Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Director of Immigration Policy at the Bronx Defenders.  “We’ve watched our neighbors, our friends, our loved ones be brutally targeted and taken by ICE. People are afraid to go to work, send their kids to school, or participate in civic life. And it has emboldened local officials to increase their cooperation with this cruelty, as the number of 287g agreements has exploded more than tenfold. The New York For All Act would end such collusion, and create clear guidance for how state and local agencies should interact with federal immigration enforcement. This is a moment for the State to show leadership. Passing New York For All is the only way.”

“After a Minneapolis resident was horrifically shot and killed by a federal agent, it is clearer than ever that the Trump administration’s cruel anti-immigrant agenda puts lives at risk. Using New York State resources to assist in this indiscriminate enforcement is a gross misuse of critical funds. It tears families apart, destabilizes communities, and makes everyone less safe. The urgency of the moment demands bold action,” said Kelsey Pirnak, advocacy manager for the Vera Institute of Justice’s Advancing Universal Representation initiative. “New York must urgently pass The New York For All Act to keep families together, protect public safety, and safeguard the state’s economic future.” 

“It is unconscionable that we are back in Albany one year after we stood here calling on our leadership to take action in the face of unprecedented federal attacks against our immigrant neighbors – with no action having been taken to protect immigrant communities,” said Linda Flor Brito, Senior Policy and Campaigns Organizer with the Immigrant Defense Project. “The consequences have been dire –  an explosion of 287(g) agreements across the state, rampant collusion between local and state agencies with ICE, and irreparable harm to our neighbors who’ve been racially profiled and funneled into the deportation machine. New York should be ashamed in comparison to other states with large immigrant communities whose leadership has prioritized the safety of all. Instead, our state continues to be complicit to a cruel deportation agenda. We call on our leadership to remedy their betrayal by passing the New York for All Act now to protect the rights, safety, and dignity of all New Yorkers.”  

“Broome County is one of a handful of counties with formal 287(g) agreements, authorizing jail guards and police officers to work on behalf of ICE,” said Adam Flint, Coordinator of Concerned Residents of Greater Binghamton.  “And the results have been as expected: community members are terrified, the Sheriff’s Department seeks out immigrants to arrest, the county throws away scarce dollars on incarcerating immigrants, and ICE operates with impunity. We also know that a booking into any jail alerts immigrant authorities and a police stop can quickly turn into an immigrant check. New York For All will void 287(g) agreements and prohibit local police from working with ICE. We’ve seen how these agreements hurt ICE cooperation and hurt our community in Broome. ICE out of Broome. ICE out of New York!”

Jax, Make the Road New York youth member and Long Island resident, said, “Young people in my community live with constant fear and anxiety. In Brentwood, on the first day of school, ICE agents arrested people near the high school. Living in Suffolk County, even the sight of a police car nearby is scary. Right next door to us, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department and the Nassau County Police Department both have 287g agreements stating they will collaborate with ICE. New York for All would put an end to 287g agreements across the state and would prohibit state and local officers from enforcing federal immigration laws, funneling people into ICE custody, and sharing information with ICE. This is why we need New York for All to pass now.  From Long Island to Buffalo to Albany, New York needs a consistent, statewide policy to protect all New Yorkers.”

“Local law enforcement have arrested our members for rolling stops, driving without a license, and loud exhausts solely to hold them for ICE,” said Bryan MacCormack, Co-Executive Director of Columbia County Sanctuary Movement. “This discriminatory practice and collusion with ICE must end. New York for All will prohibit this long-standing practice and provide an avenue to accountability for law enforcement and government agencies who continue to use their authority and our local resources to support this regime’s ethnic cleansing campaign.”

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