Faith Leaders Urge NY Governor to Pass Legislation to Rein in Immigration Agents

NEW YORK, New York – More than 100 faith leaders and faith-based organizations have  sent a letter to New York Governor, Kathy Hochul, and members of the New York State Legislature demanding passage of the New York for All Act immediately.

The New York for All Act prohibits state and local resources from being used for  federal immigration enforcement, aiming to stop collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE/CBP.  The  bill ensures local agencies do not question, detain, or share information about individuals’ immigration status, creating safer communities.

“As people of faith, we believe in sanctuary. This is not abstract theology—it is a living mandate. And right now, it demands that we act,” they said in the letter as New York State legislators consider proposals to defend Caribbean and other immigrants from the Donald Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda,

“We cannot claim to be a state that protects all New Yorkers while ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is allowed to roam our schools and hospitals unchecked, or while local officials deputize themselves as immigration enforcers.”

According to the immigrant advocacy group, Make the Road New York (MRNY), New York for All is “the most comprehensive piece of legislation before lawmakers this session and the only one that would fully protect New Yorkers from federal overreach”.

MRNY told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the measure would prohibit state and local officers from enforcing federal immigration laws, ensure that no local or state tax dollars or resources are used to assist in the federal government’s “tearing apart of immigrant families”, and prohibit ICE and US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agency from entering non-public areas of state and local property without a judicial warrant, such as schools and places of worship.

MRNY said the letter comes at a time when the New York State Legislature and the governor continue to work on a package of immigration bills, and the momentum in support of New York for All “as the solution to stop the federal government’s inhumane and out-of-control ICE agency, continues to grow statewide”.

In the letter, addressed to Governor Hochul, Majority Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Carl Heastie, the faith leaders wrote “We have witnessed firsthand the harm caused when immigrant communities are forced to live in fear of detention, separation, or deportation simply for trying to access schools, hospitals, or other basic services That is not the New York we believe in.

“Other states like California, Illinois, and New Jersey have already taken this critical step to protect immigrant residents. It is time that New York catches up.

“With the rise in 287(g) agreements across the state, and billions in federal funds flowing to ICE, our communities are under threat like never before. New York must respond with clarity, courage, and compassion. We call on you, our elected leaders, to protect immigrant New Yorkers and pass the New York for All Act. Our faith compels us to speak out, and our communities are depending on you to lead,”thhe letter added.

Co-coordinator, Albany Presbytery Immigration Network, Terry Diggory, said the great prophets of all faiths spoke out against misguided rule that is based on fear and denies to some human beings the essential dignity that belongs to all.

He said Jesus proclaimed a peaceful kingdom where all of God’s children could live free from fear.

“In the spirit of that vision, we support NewYork4All and pray that state legislators recognize the moral responsibility that comes with the power that has been entrusted to the. The abuse of power in federal immigration enforcement must be called out and collectively resisted.”

Rev. Paul Fleck, executive director, Immigration Law & Justice New York, said, “fear is the antithesis of faith, and our communities are afraid to participate in activities ranging from attending court hearings to participating in worship.

“We need to restore faith in our community institutions by passing New York for All,” he urged, while Rabbi Stephanie Kolin of the Brooklyn-based, Congregation Beth Elohim, said, “Jewish tradition calls on us to never oppress the stranger, for we know the soul of the stranger, having ourselves been strangers many times over throughout history.

“We express this empathic love for our immigrant sisters and brothers by ensuring that they feel welcome in this state, which they strengthen every day with their presence,” he added. The Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer, executive director, the Interfaith Center of New York, also said that while New York’s diverse faith communities do not agree on everything, “one shared teaching, however, is the Golden Rule that fundamentally, we treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated.

“Passing New York 4 All will restore trust in our community institutions and strengthen our civil society by making sure our basic rights are protected. Who among us does not deserve access to emergency rooms, courts, schools and the right to worship without fear of unlawful detention, deportation, and family separation?”

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) has also reiterated its call for passage of the New York For All legislation that would prohibit state and local resources from being used to carry out Trump’s “cruel and inhumane” deportation agenda.

“It will stop state and local police and government agencies in New York State from colluding with ICE, Customs and Border Protection and all federal agencies conducting civil immigration enforcement,” Murad Awawdeh, NYIC’s president and chiefexecutive officer, told CMC.

NYIC is an umbrella advocacy organization representing over 200 immigrant and refugee groups in New York State.