Senator Julia Salazar, who is the sponsor of Dignity Not Detention, said “Time is running out for us to act in the state legislature.  The state legislative session is scheduled to finish at the end of next week. That means we have days left to pass New York For All and Dignity Not Detention this session and make sure they are enacted to protect our neighbors.  Both of these bills would prohibit state and local agencies from needlessly collaborating with ICE. We have discussed and discussed and discussed enough – it is time to take action. History will judge us collectively for what we do or fail to do in this moment.” 

Assemblymember Emily Gallagher said, "New York's immigrant community is under attack, and we have an urgent responsibility to pass legislation to protect them. The federal government is only getting bolder and more lawless in its efforts to round up and detain or deport immigrants and their allies. By ambushing people on their campuses and in the courts, as people comply with legal requirements, the administration is sending a deliberate message that no one and nowhere is safe. It's not enough to speak about the importance of solidarity; we must pass these essential bills to protect our people. Failing to do so is complicity." 

Chair of the Assembly Task Force on New Americans Assemblymember Phara Forrest said "As Chair of the Assembly Task Force on New Americans and the daughter of Haitian immigrants, I take this fight personally. We cannot claim to value immigrant communities while simultaneously empowering ICE to terrorize them. New York is not a sanctuary if our state, our city, and our police are colluding with federal agents to disappear our neighbors. These are not violent criminals. These are workers, parents, and community members: people who contribute to this city every single day. We have just 10 days left in Albany to pass New York for All and Dignity Not Detention and I am proud to stand with Senator Salazar, Assemblymember Reyes, my colleagues in Albany, and advocates to call for immediate action. No one should have to live in fear that the same government that’s supposed to protect them is handing them over to ICE. We owe our immigrant neighbors safety, dignity, and a state that refuses to cooperate with cruelty.” 

“I’m heartbroken by the detention of Dylan, a New York City public school student who was arrested by ICE after unknowingly giving up his rights during a routine check-in,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif, Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus. “This is family separation happening right before our eyes, instilling fear among immigrant families who are doing everything right. Dylan should be in school, not in detention. His case underscores the urgent need to fortify our sanctuary laws and ensure that no city agency enables this unjust deportation agenda. That’s why I’m fighting to pass the NYC Trust Act in the Council, which would bring real accountability for city agencies that violate our sanctuary policies. New York must be a true sanctuary, not just in name, but in practice.” 
 

Luba Cortés, Civil Rights and Immigration Lead Organizer at Make the Road New York, said, “We are in a moment of tremendous uncertainty. Families are being torn apart, constitutional rights are being violated, and the country that many of us call home is becoming unrecognizable. This is why we need to come together and use our collective power to tell the New York legislature that we need to pass the New York For All and Dignity Not Detention bills. ICE is outside of our schools, in our workplaces, and in our neighborhoods. Our people are scared. They do not want to attend medical appointments, go to church, take their little ones to school, and are even afraid to go to work. Immigrants contribute over $168 billion in taxes. We need to ensure those contributions go to schools and infrastructure, and not be funneled into the mass detention and deportation agenda of this administration.” 

We must pass the Dignity Not Detention Act and the New York for All Act before the end of session, to end the cruel collaboration between our state and local governments and ICE," said Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Director of Immigration Policy from The Bronx Defenders. "No one should live in fear of being torn from their family simply because of where they were born. These bills would ensure New York stops profiting from immigrant detention and becomes a true sanctuary for all. Our state must lead with compassion, not cages. Justice, safety, and dignity belong to every New Yorker—no exceptions." 

“Every New Yorker deserves to live in safety, together with their family. Additionally, our economy depends on the full participation of our immigrant workers. But right now in New York, we are seeing families being ripped apart by ICE’s increasingly aggressive and legally questionable practices. New York State must stand up and fight back against the terror Trump is unleashing in our communities. We are quickly seeing our collective rights – and our sense of humanity – dissolve before our eyes. If there was ever a time to take a stand for immigrants and our shared values, it’s now.  Before the end of this legislative session, Albany must pass the New York For All Act to protect our immigrant neighbors and keep our families together,” said Murad Awawdeh, President & CEO, New York Immigration Coalition.