A coalition of New York City public defender offices, immigrant and civil rights organizations, other advocacy groups, and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams hailed a court ruling today issuing a preliminary injunction that continues to block U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) return to Rikers Island, as sought under the Adams Administration’s Executive Order 50.

Last month, the groups, led by The Legal Aid Society, submitted a joint amicus brief in support of the New York City Council’s lawsuit, urging the court to block the order and warning that it would cause immediate and irreparable harm to incarcerated immigrants, their families, and entire communities across New York City.

The groups argue that Executive Order 50 dangerously undermines New York City’s sanctuary laws and facilitates collusion between city agencies and federal immigration enforcement. The organizations draw on extensive evidence — from past abuses by ICE on Rikers to the federal government’s current pattern of unconstitutional mass deportations — to demonstrate the grave risk of renewed harm.

“This preliminary injunction is a critical victory for all New Yorkers amidst an unprecedented, nationwide assault on immigrant families and their communities, and it is a strong rebuke of the Adams Administration’s unlawful and dangerous Executive Order 50,” said Meghna Philip, Director of the Criminal Defense Practice’s Special Litigation Unit at Legal Aid.

“The Executive Order is a clear violation of New York City’s sanctuary protections and would have opened the door to racial profiling, wrongful deportations, and constitutional violations on Rikers Island,” she continued. “The court’s decision helps ensure that ICE stays out of our city jails and that the rights and dignity of all New Yorkers are upheld.”