The Legal Aid Society filed this  amicus brief in coalition with other legal service providers and member-based community organizations in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Our brief supports New York City’s motion to dismiss the Trump administration’s lawsuit challenging New York City’s “sanctuary laws,” which limit the City’s involvement in immigration enforcement and safeguard information regarding City residents from being shared with immigration officials. The brief draws on the experiences of our immigrant clients and members to underline the importance of the sanctuary laws. 

New York City’s sanctuary laws provide critical protections to the more than three million immigrant residents living in the City, allowing them to fully participate in and engage with their communities. Removing these protections, the brief warns, would subject noncitizen City residents to constitutional deprivations, impede noncitizens’ ability to secure justice in criminal cases, and cause a chilling effect that would dissuade immigrants from interacting with city officials and agencies for fear of their immigration status being shared with federal immigration authorities.  

In the brief, we argue that the challenged City laws and policies fall squarely within New York City’s authority to govern its own institutions, to promote public health and safety, and to ensure access to justice for all residents. The sanctuary laws ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, have access to essential government services including food assistance, housing programs, public health services, domestic violence shelters, and more. The laws enhance public safety and promote fairness within New York City's criminal legal system by ensuring immigrants can meaningfully participate in the criminal legal process without fear of being funneled by local authorities into immigration detention and deportation.  

Particularly given the current federal administration’s recent efforts to dramatically increase immigration-related arrests, detentions, and removals, City officials must not be required to alter City laws in service of federal action that is wholly incompatible with the City's own policy priorities.