Press Releases

New York State Legislators and Advocates Unveil Justice Roadmap for 2023

Justice Roadmap 2023 Paves the Way to Long Overdue Changes to New York’s Criminal Legal and Immigration Systems – The Time is Now! January 17, 2023 NEW YORK – Today, state legislators and more than 120 advocacy groups unveiled the Justice Roadmap 2023 – a legislative agenda to address the interconnected harms of the criminal legal and immigration systems and … Read more »

NY Immigrant Justice Organizations Oppose LaSalle Nomination

January 10, 2023 NEW YORK– Over thirty immigrant rights community-based and legal advocacy organizations called on New York Governor Kathy Hochul to withdraw the nomination of Judge LaSalle as Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, and on the New York Senate to reject the nomination. The organizations stand with the many others who have stood up against … Read more »

Governor Hochul Pardons 9 New Yorkers Facing Harsh Immigration Consequences and Grants 4 Commutations

The time is now for the Governor to make good on her promise to exercise a historically underused executive power December 21, 2022 ALBANY, NY – Today, Governor Kathy Hochul granted 9 pardons to immigrants who have made significant contributions to New York, yet face severe immigration consequences because of their convictions. While we applaud the Governor’s announcements to grant … Read more »

Advocates Condemn Governor Hochul’s Veto of Court Notification Bill to Protect Immigrants’ Constitutional Rights

The Bill, Which Passed in June, Requires Judges to Notify Immigrant New Yorkers of Possible Immigration Consequences of Pleas in Criminal Court December 12, 2022 NEW YORK – Advocates today condemned Governor Hochul’s veto of the Court Notification Bill (S2903A/A9877A), which would have taken a critical step toward protecting the rights of immigrants facing criminal charges and ensuring a meaningful … Read more »

New Report: “DHS Open for Business: How Tech Corporations Bring the War on Terror to Our Neighborhoods”

Over the last 20 years, the Department of Homeland Security has turned the surveillance and policing of our cities into a $28 billion project, pouring federal “counterterrorism” grant funds into policing and surveillance technologies that militarize our communities while enriching some of the biggest tech companies, a new report DHS Open for Business: How Tech Corporations Bring the War on … Read more »

Immigrant Defense Project Calls on Biden to Extend Marijuana Pardon Protections to Immigrants

October 6, 2022 The Immigrant Defense Project has issued the following statement from Jane Shim, Senior Policy Attorney, in response to President Biden’s proclamation granting pardons to thousands of people convicted of simple possession of marijuana: “Marijuana prohibition has devastated poor communities and communities of color for too long, and President Biden’s decision to pardon some federal marijuana possession convictions … Read more »

New York Legislature Fails to Protect Immigrant Families with New York for All

The New York For All Coalition issues the following statement June 7, 2022 ALBANY, NY – The New York state legislative session concluded last week without lawmakers voting on the New York for All Act (S.03076/A.02328), key immigrants’ rights legislation that has wide support from elected officials, advocates, legal service providers, public health experts, and faith leaders throughout New York … Read more »

IDP & Partners Cheer the Passage of Court Notification Bill

When signed by Gov. Hochul, the bill will strengthen immigrants’ constitutional right to receive legal advice in Criminal Court June 1, 2022 ALBANY, NY – New York is poised to strengthen much-needed constitutional protections for immigrants facing criminal charges after the State Assembly passed a bill mandating New Yorkers get notified of the possibility of immigration consequences. Advocates applauded the … Read more »

Advocates Call for Passage of Court Notification Bill after It Clears Assembly Codes Committee

Court Notifications Bill Would Strengthen Immigrants’ Constitutional Right to Receive Legal Advice in Criminal Court May 17, 2022 ALBANY, NY— Advocates applauded the advancement today of a critical bill in Albany that will ensure New Yorkers get accurate legal advice about immigration consequences if they are facing criminal charges. The New York State Assembly Codes Committee today passed the Court … Read more »

Immigrants Rights Advocates and Allies Demand NYS Legislature Keep NY Families Together After Passage of NYC Council Resolution

April 28, 2022 New York, NY-Today, the New York for All Coalition, allies, and immigrant New Yorkers celebrated the passage of a City Council resolution in support of the New York for All Act. The New York for All Act, currently pending in the New York State Legislature, would prohibit local law enforcement and state agencies from conspiring with Immigration … Read more »

IDP Statement: 170 Organizations Send Letter to DHS Secretary Defending Local Policies that Protect Immigrant Communities

March 29, 2022 Washington, D.C. – Scores of immigrant rights, community-based and legal advocacy organizations today sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on him to reverse course on his attempts to undermine local policies that protect immigrant communities and urging him to follow through on promises to end existing programs that entangle localities with … Read more »

IDP Statement: NY Immigrant Rights Advocates Tell Gov Hochul: Don’t Roll Back Bail Reform

March 28, 2022 NEW YORK– Thirty immigrant rights community-based and legal advocacy organizations called on New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin not to proceed with their plan to rollback bail reform and warned that expanding criminalization and incarceration will increase harm to Black, Latinx and immigrant New Yorkers. The letter highlights the positive impacts that the … Read more »

The Power of Collaboration

On December 31, 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo granted two pardons, affirming that people should not have to bear the consequences of a criminal conviction for life. Alvaro “Khalil” Cumberbatch, one of the pardon recipients, is a long-time legal permanent resident who spent half of 2014 in immigration detention. While, the Obama Administration has publicly acknowledged the need to remove federal … Read more »

IDP Fights for Noncitizens’ Right to Challenge Unconstitutional Convictions

Several NY trial courts have held that a noncitizen must wait to bring a Padilla challenge to an unconstitutional conviction until the federal government has initiated removal proceedings. However, in that scenario, the noncitizen may be deported before the court decides whether the conviction is valid. Also, once removal proceedings commence, the noncitizen may suffer other harms such as prolonged … Read more »

Immigrant Justice Network new website on federal immigration reform

Immigrant Justice Network (IJN) recently launched a new website at www.immigrantjusticenetwork.org. This site includes resources on the immigration reform bills pending in Congress, including IJN’s analysis, talking points, fact sheets, action alerts, and stories of people impacted by our harsh immigration laws. IJN is a collaboration between the Immigrant Defense Project, the National Immigration Project and the Immigrant Legal Resource … Read more »

Press Release: Senate “Gang of 8” Immigration Bill Needs More Work to Ensure Fundamental Fairness for All Immigrants

For Immediate Release – April 18, 2013 Contact: Alisa Wellek, awellek[at]immigrantdefenseproject[dot]org 212.725.6421 917-727-8444 Senate “Gang of 8” Immigration Bill Needs More Work to Ensure Fundamental Fairness for All Immigrants Immigrant Justice Network applauds start of immigration debate PDF available here WASHINGTON, DC — The long-delayed congressional debate over vital immigration reform begins this week following the filing of a bipartisan … Read more »

IDP and Partner Groups Issue Statement of Principles for Immigration Reforms

As the White House and Congress considers reforms to the federal immigration system, the nation has an opportunity to address some of the system’s most unfair aspects and simultaneously resist new harmful provisions that immigrants and advocates would have to fight for decades to come. To help guide advocacy for a more humane immigration system toward fairness for all immigrants, … Read more »

IDP Joins NIP in Submitting Brief Arguing Against Retroactive Application of Deportation Relief Bar

On December 21, 2012, the IDP joined the National Immigration Project in submitting an amici “friend of the court” brief arguing that the federal government is wrong to apply retroactively the cancellation of removal eligibility “clock-stop” rule – enacted by Congress in 1996 – to pre-1996 criminal conduct.  Under the clock-stop rule, an applicant for cancellation of removal must show that he … Read more »