News

Resisting Authoritarianism: Our Collective Struggle Against Trump’s Escalating Attacks on Immigrant Communities.

In his first few weeks in office, Donald Trump rolled out many anti-immigrant executive orders and policy shifts, including attacks on birthright citizenship, expansion of ICE-police collaborations and immigration detention, and the termination of protected status for multiple groups. Following this initial flood of actions, the Trump administration escalated its targeting of immigrant communities in an increasingly lawless manner, signaling … Read more »

Community Legal Resource: How Can I Learn What Happened in My Criminal Court Case in New York State? (English and Spanish)

There are many types of documents related to a criminal case in New York State. Each document provides different information about a case and not every document is always needed to understand what happened. IDP expanded our resource that previously focused only on New York City courts to guide people who need to request documents from a criminal court throughout New York … Read more »

Updated Immigration Consequences of Convictions Checklist (2025)

IDP has updated our two-page checklist which summarizes the criminal bars to removability (inadmissibility and deportability) as well as criminal bars to citizenship and applications such as Asylum/Withholding of Removal, 212(H) waivers, Cancellation of Removal for LPRs and Non-LPRs, VAWA cancellation, DACA renewal, and TPS. This is a national resource and has INA cites and relevant case cites hyperlinked throughout … Read more »

Trump Day 1 Orders: Focus on Criminalization and Detention

On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump issued more than a dozen Executive Orders (EOs) that seek to sow fear in immigrant communities. These orders seek to militarize our borders and immigration enforcement more broadly, massively expand the existing deportation and detention machinery, punish organizations that care for immigrants as well as local governments that prioritize protecting their residents, and misinterpret … Read more »

The Immigrant Defense Project Celebrates Ravi Ragbir’s Presidential Pardon

January 19, 2025 This morning our hearts skipped a beat upon hearing the incredible news that Ravi was granted a presidential pardon! We are beyond grateful for this news to come just 24 hours before Trump begins to enact his plans of further supercharging mass deportation. This moment would not have been possible without first and foremost, Ravi and his … Read more »

IDP and partners release briefing guide on ICE’s secretive “Citizen Academy” programs, with documents uncovered through FOIA litigation

ICE Recruits Journalists, Pols, Business Execs to Roleplay Agents at “Citizens Academy” Programs, Documents Show PR initiative trains attendees in guns and deadly tactics; cultivates vigilantism and xenophobia, rights groups say October 1, 2024, New York and Chicago – Internal documents shed light on the “Citizens Academy” programs, a controversial public relations initiative run by the Department of Homeland Security’s … Read more »

IDP Condemns Legislature’s Failure to Pass New York For All

June 10, 2024 ALBANY– The Immigrant Defense Project today condemned the New York State Legislature’s failure to pass the New York for All Act (A.5686 / S.987) during the legislative session, which would have protected immigrant communities and all New Yorkers by prohibiting local law enforcement and state agencies from conspiring with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border … Read more »

The Immigrant Defense Project Applauds the Governor’s Granting of Clemency for New Yorkers and Calls for Year-Round Clemency and Greater Transparency

June 3, 2024 On May 24 , Governor Kathy Hochul granted eleven pardons, some of those to immigrants who are deeply rooted in their communities in New York yet face immigration consequences because of their convictions. We applaud the Governor’s announcements to grant these pardons and to commute the sentences of two people incarcerated in New York.  One of the … Read more »

NY Advocates, Legislators Launch Justice Agenda to Provide Real Community Safety and Rights for All New Yorkers

January 18, 2024 ALBANY, NY –  New York State legislators joined over 120 human rights and social justice advocates, directly impacted community members, legal service providers, and faith leaders across New York State to launch the Justice Roadmap, a legislative agenda designed to address the deeply interconnected harms caused by the criminal legal and immigration systems and build community safety … Read more »

Walking in a Minter Wonderland: New York State “Narcotic Drug” convictions and Motions to Reopen or Reconsider after U.S. v. Minter

CLE Training: December 14, 2023, 2:00pm – 3:30pm (ET) On September 6, 2023, the Second Circuit issued a landmark decision in U.S. v. Minter, No. 21-3102, 2023 WL 5730084 (2d Cir. Sept. 6, 2023), which held that certain New York “Narcotic Drug” Convictions are not Aggravated Felonies or Offenses Relating to a Controlled Substance. The decision in Minter opens up exciting … Read more »

Advocates for Immigrant Survivors of Violence Urge Governor Hochul to Sign Fair Courts for Immigrant New Yorkers Bill Into Law

August 18, 2023 ALBANY, N.Y.— Over two dozen national and New York-based advocates for immigrant survivors of violence today called on Governor Hochul to sign the Fair Courts for Immigrant New Yorkers Act into law to offer critical protections for immigrant survivors of gender based violence in the criminal legal system. The bill is sponsored by Senator Kavanagh and Assemblymember … Read more »

On International Workers’ Day, Unions and Worker Justice Groups Call for Passage of New York For All Act!

May 1, 2023 New York – Unions and worker justice organizations are joining the call for lawmakers in Albany to pass the New York for All Act, which would broadly prohibit local and state agencies from assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) in searching for, arresting and deporting immigrant New Yorkers. Twenty-five labor unions … Read more »

U.S. v. Gibson: Sample Motion to Reconsider and Reopen

NEW DEVELOPMENT! September 2023 The Second Circuit has now decided in U.S. v. Minter that certain “narcotic drug” and “cocaine” convictions from 1978-present are categorically overbroad relative to the federal Controlled Substances Act. IDP has provided resources about the Minter decision here. These resources are up-to-date and in many cases replace the below resources about the U.S. v. Gibson decision. February 2023 IDP … Read more »

The Immigrant Defense Project and Black Alliance for Just Immigration Release Emails Showing Clear Collusion Between the Department of Corrections and ICE

February 22, 2023 It has been over 8 years since passage of local laws limiting New York City from working as an extension of ICE. Yet, our city has fallen behind as a leader of strong immigrant protective laws. We have tracked for years how city agencies have flouted our existing laws and continued to funnel people into the hands … Read more »