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The Legal Aid Society and immigration advocates are pressing Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign into law the Protect Our Courts Act – new legislation barring ICE agents from conducting surprise arrests at New York courthouses without a warrant. The bill was passed by the Democratically-controlled Assembly and Senate on Wednesday.
The bill has gathered support after innumerable incidents of ICE agents apprehending undocumented immigrants at New York courts – including 225 arrests in New York City alone – leading to calls from public defenders to protect New Yorkers’ right to their day in court regardless of immigration status, reports Gothamist.
“At a moment of national reckoning around law enforcement’s abuse of power and role in society, this historic passage of the Protect Our Courts Act sends a clear message that New York State will not tolerate fear-inducing tactics,” said Hasan Shafiqullah, Attorney-in-Charge of the Immigration Law Unit at The Legal Aid Society.