Senator Hoylman-Sigal’s Statement on Department of Justice Challenge to New York’s Protect our Courts Act

Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Chair of the New York State Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit regarding the Protect our Courts Act, which prohibits federal officers from making arrests at courthouses in New York State without a warrant signed by a judge.

“This lawsuit is baseless and frivolous, and is part and parcel of the Trump administration's ongoing assault on the rule of law in New York. The Protect our Courts Act, written in partnership with New York State Attorney General Tish James, enacted protections against civil arrest with respect to New York state courthouses - well within the established purview of state law. To avoid any conflict with federal law or the federal government's immigration authority, the law does not apply to federal courts or immigration courts, and allows for arrests when ICE has actual, valid judicial warrants. At a time when masked ICE officials are roaming the state and lawlessly detaining New Yorkers without any due process, the law preserves access to justice and participation in the judicial process. I am confident that this lawsuit will be summarily dismissed but I continue to be appalled at the Trump administration's increasingly-brazen attempts to undermine the protections of the rule of law in New York.”