Council Member Menchaca and the Legal Aid Society held a rally today defending asylum protections for individuals trying to escape domestic or gang-related violence, which are currently under review in federal court.

Council Member Menchaca has introduced a resolution for the City Council to support the amicus brief submitted by New York State and 19 other states, as well as the District of Columbia. The rally called on the U.S. government to maintain asylum protections for survivors of domestic or gang-related violence. The brief comes in response to a series of moves by the Trump administration which attempt to circumvent those protections.

“Despite the callous and unethical attempts by the Trump Administration to rewrite longstanding law, domestic violence survivors have the right to seek and receive refuge in the U.S., and in New York City we will not stop fighting until we secure justice for this vulnerable population,” said Amy Pont, Staff Attorney in the Immigration Law Unit at The Legal Aid Society. “We commend Council Member Menchaca for introducing this resolution and taking a stand for the safety and dignity of immigrant survivors of domestic violence.”