NY State Senate Bill 2025-S8539

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Oct 22, 2025	referred to rules

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §170-k, Exec L

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the New York state ICE-free zones act to prohibit the use of state or municipal property for civil immigration enforcement activity; requires signage to be posted at the entrance to state or municipal property or other areas that are accessible to the public stating that civil immigration enforcement activity is not allowed; provides an exception that civil immigration activity may be conducted on such property pursuant to a valid judicial warrant specifying that such activity may be conducted on such property for a specified purpose.

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8539

SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the use of state or
municipal property for civil immigration enforcement activity and
providing protections for persons on such property

 
PURPOSE:

To prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using any
state or local property in New York to carry out civil immigration
enforcement, unless a valid judicial warrant is present.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Establishes the short title of the bill as the "New York
State ICE-free zones act".  Section 2. Adds a new section 170-k in the
executive law which limits immigration enforcement on state and local
property.

*1. Sets definitions for State or municipal property, civil immigration
enforcement activity, immigration enforcement officer, judicial warrant,
designated signage, responsible official.

*2. It is illegal to use, lease, or make any state or municipal property
for immigration enforcement activity, un;ess the activity is conducted
with a valid judicial warrant that specifically authorizes the activity
at that particular property.

*3. Within 30 days of the law taking effect, officials must post desig-
nated signs at entrances and public areas of all state and municipal
properties. The signs must state that the property is publicly owned and
may not be used for civil immigration enforcement without a valid judi-
cial warrant.

*4. No person present on state or municipal property shall be subject to
questioning, detention, or arrest by an immigration officer unless the
officer presents a valid judicial warrant applicable to such person or
location.

*5. If an office becomes aware of a violation of this law, they must
notify the state Attorney General.

*6. Clarification that this law only regulates the use of state and
local property and is not intended to regulate federal agencies in
federal territories like federal buildings. Section 3 Establishes the
effective date

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Federal Administration has ramped up their attacks on residents'
constitutional rights across the country. As they set their eyes on New
York State, it is important that we increase protections in ways that
make New York a proper sanctuary state. After the incredibly dangerous
change to the Federal "protective areas" policy, New York State has the
duty to act swiftly and designate state and local property in New York
as protected public property.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
should not be able to carry out their predatory attacks based on fear
mongering and terror on state and local grounds. New Yorkers should have
the right to use their state and local buildings/resources without the
fear of being hunted on by ICE.

This bill addresses the concerns of New Yorkers who fear that they will
not be able to participate in society without the threat of being
abducted. It is only right that New York steps up and provides safety
for all New Yorkers, across the state regardless of legal status.

 
FISCAL IMPACT:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 90 days after it becomes law.

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8539
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             October 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RAMOS  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the use  of  state  or
   municipal  property  for  civil  immigration  enforcement activity and
   providing protections for persons on such property

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short title.  This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "New York state ICE-free zones act".
   § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new subdivision 170-k to
 read as follows:
   § 170-K. CIVIL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY ON STATE OR  MUNICIPAL
 PROPERTY. 1. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
   (A)  "STATE OR MUNICIPAL PROPERTY" MEANS ANY REAL PROPERTY OR FACILITY
 OWNED, LEASED, CONTROLLED, OR MANAGED BY  THE  STATE  OR  ANY  MUNICIPAL
 SUBDIVISION  THEREOF  OR  BY  ANY DEPARTMENT, BUREAU, BOARD, COMMISSION,
 AUTHORITY OR ANY OTHER AGENCY OR INSTRUMENTALITY OF  THE  STATE  OR  ANY
 MUNICIPAL SUBDIVISION THEREOF.
   (B)  "CIVIL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY" MEANS DETENTION, ARREST,
 QUESTIONING, PROCESSING, TRANSPORTATION, OR  SURVEILLANCE  CONDUCTED  BY
 UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT OR ANY FEDERAL OFFICER
 OR  EMPLOYEE  WHO  IS  RESPONSIBLE  FOR ENFORCEMENT OF THE FEDERAL IMMI-
 GRATION  AND  NATIONALITY  ACT,  IN  CONNECTION   WITH   CIVIL   REMOVAL
 PROCEEDINGS;  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT  "CIVIL  IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
 ACTIVITY" DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY SUCH ACTION CONDUCTED WITH A VALID  JUDI-
 CIAL WARRANT.
   (C)  "IMMIGRATION  ENFORCEMENT  OFFICER"  MEANS ANY FEDERAL OFFICER OR
 EMPLOYEE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCEMENT OF THE  FEDERAL  IMMIGRATION
 AND  NATIONALITY  ACT, IN CONNECTION WITH CIVIL REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS, AND
 SHALL INCLUDE ANY EMPLOYEE OF THE UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION AND  CUSTOMS
 ENFORCEMENT.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13944-01-5

 S. 8539                             2
 
   (D)  "JUDICIAL  WARRANT"  MEANS A WARRANT OR ORDER THAT IS SIGNED BY A
 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE OR FEDERAL MAGISTRATE JUDGE AND THAT DEMON-
 STRATES PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE AN INDIVIDUAL HAS COMMITTED A CRIME OR
 OFFENSE.
   (E)   "DESIGNATED   SIGNAGE"  MEANS  SIGNAGE,  POSTED  IN  CONSPICUOUS
 LOCATIONS, STATING THAT PROPERTY MAY NOT BE USED FOR  CIVIL  IMMIGRATION
 ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY.
   (F) "RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL" MEANS THE PERSON OR OFFICE, OR THE DESIGNEE
 OF  SUCH PERSON OR OFFICE, WITH OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE STATE
 OR MUNICIPAL PROPERTY. "RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL" SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT  BE
 LIMITED TO, FACILITY MANAGERS AND SUPERINTENDENTS OF SUCH PROPERTY.
   2.  NO  STATE  OR  MUNICIPAL  PROPERTY  MAY BE USED, OCCUPIED, LEASED,
 LOANED, OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE, WHETHER TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY,
 FOR CIVIL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY UNLESS SUCH CIVIL IMMIGRATION
 ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY IS CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO A VALID  JUDICIAL  WARRANT
 WHICH  SPECIFIES  THAT  SUCH  ACTIVITY  MAY BE CONDUCTED AT A PARTICULAR
 PROPERTY FOR A SPECIFIED CIVIL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY.
   3. (A) WITHIN THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE  OF  THIS  SECTION,
 THE  RESPONSIBLE  OFFICIAL  OF  EACH  STATE  OR MUNICIPAL PROPERTY SHALL
 PROVIDE DESIGNATED SIGNAGE AT ENTRANCES OF SUCH PROPERTY OR NEAR STAGING
 AREAS, PARKING LOTS, OR OTHER AREAS OF SUCH PROPERTY THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE
 TO THE PUBLIC OR FEDERAL PERSONNEL STATING THAT SUCH PROPERTY IS PUBLIC-
 LY OWNED AND MAY NOT BE USED FOR CIVIL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT  ACTIVITY
 BY IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WITHOUT A VALID JUDICIAL WARRANT.
   (B)  IN  ADDITION TO THE SIGNAGE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OF
 THIS SUBDIVISION, THE  RESPONSIBLE  OFFICIAL  MAY  ALSO  PLACE  PHYSICAL
 BARRIERS  AS APPROPRIATE TO RESTRICT ACCESS TO PARTS OF STATE OR MUNICI-
 PAL PROPERTY THAT ARE NOT INTENDED FOR PUBLIC ACCESS; PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
 THAT SUCH PHYSICAL BARRIERS SHALL NOT UNREASONABLY  INTERFERE  WITH  THE
 NORMAL PUBLIC USE OF SUCH STATE OR MUNICIPAL PROPERTY.
   4.  NO  PERSON PRESENT ON STATE OR MUNICIPAL PROPERTY SHALL BE SUBJECT
 TO QUESTIONING, DETENTION, OR ARREST BY AN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT OFFI-
 CER UNLESS THE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT OFFICER PRESENTS A VALID JUDICIAL
 WARRANT APPLICABLE TO SUCH PERSON OR LOCATION.
   5. ANY RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL WHO BECOMES AWARE OF AN ATTEMPTED OR ACTU-
 AL VIOLATION OF SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOTIFY THE ATTOR-
 NEY GENERAL WHO MAY INVESTIGATE AND BRING AN ACTION IN THE STATE SUPREME
 COURT AND MAY RECOVER ANY REASONABLE  COSTS  INCURRED  AS  A  RESULT  OF
 INVESTIGATION.
   6.  THIS SECTION IS INTENDED TO REGULATE THE USE OF STATE OR MUNICIPAL
 PROPERTY AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED TO REGULATE THE CONDUCT  OF  FEDERAL
 AGENCIES IN FEDERAL TERRITORIES.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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Senate Bill S8539

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Actions

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Jessica Ramos

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Actions

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8539 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments