Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NY State Passes Legislation Barring ICE From Making Warrantless Courthouse Arrests
By
David Cruz
Published Jul 23, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Sai Mokhtari / Gothamist
By
David Cruz
Published Jul 23, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Legal Aid Society and other advocates are pressing Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign a bill passed by the State Legislature that bars ICE agents from making surprise civil arrests of undocumented immigrants in and around courthouses unless they have a warrant.
On Wednesday, the Democratically-controlled Assembly and Senate passed the Protect Our Courts Act that bars such a practice. This follows years of aggressive arrests made at courthouses by ICE agents targeting undocumented New Yorkers appearing in court for matters unrelated to their immigration status. The legislation, sponsored State Senator Brad Hoylman and co-sponsored by Assembly Members Marcos Crespo, Victor Pichardo, Joseph Lentol, and Crystal People-Stokes, complements a ruling by a federal judge ordering ICE to obtain a warrant signed by a judge to carry out an arrest of an undocumented immigrant inside a courthouse.
"At a moment of national reckoning around law enforcement's abuse of power and role in society, this historic passage of the Protect Our Courts Act sends a clear message that New York State will not tolerate fear-inducing tactics," said Hasan Shafiqullah, attorney-in-charge of the Immigration Law Unit at the Legal Aid Society.
In a statement to NY1, Mizue Aizeki, the deputy director of the Immigrant Defense Project, said the passage sends a "loud and clear" message to the Trump administration that "ICE is the threat and harmful practices must stop."
Aizeki added, “Over the past few years, ICE has repeatedly sent a clear message that it would stop at nothing to achieve its cruel, dehumanizing and destructive criminalizing and deportation agenda. In response to our coalition’s work documenting and illustrating the devastating impacts of ICE’s activities, New York’s courts and legislature have taken decisive action to protect our rights,” said Mizue Aizeki, Deputy Director of the Immigrant Defense Project.
The Legal Aid Society is now urging Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign the measure immediately. Under Albany's legislative rules, if a bill is not signed 30 days after it's sent to the Governor it is automatically vetoed and sent back to the Assembly and Senate.
It might seem that Cuomo would immediately sign the bill--given his past comments criticizing the Trump administration's immigration policies--but he's not yet said whether he'll sign it.
Last year, as the Trump administration threatened a roundup of immigrants in NYC, Cuomo called Trump's decision a "constant assault on the civil rights and dignity of individuals and families." At the time, Cuomo had offered families of detained immigrants free legal assistance through the Legal Defense Project.
And in April 2018, after ICE arrested 225 people alleged to be undocumented immigrants in New York City, Cuomo sent a letter to Trump calling the raids "un-American."
A spokesperson for Cuomo did not return a call seeking comment.
Tagged
immigration
David Cruz
David is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani launches emergency grants for home-based childcare providers
The micro-grants will range from $1,000-$10,000.
By
Karen Yi
Published Aug 7, 2026 at 12:01 p.m. ET
Advertising revenue is boon for MTA, but some subway riders lament ‘ad creep’
Even turnstiles are now wrapped with ads.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
and
Stephen Nessen
News
Advertising revenue is boon for MTA, but some subway riders lament ‘ad creep’
Even turnstiles are now wrapped with ads.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
and
Stephen Nessen
What to know about 'rabbit fever,' ticks and cases in New York state
By
Catalina Gonella
Yes, affordability is still the key issue for NJ voters ahead of fall midterms
By
Mike Hayes
Early Addition: Phil Murphy's expensive gubernatorial portrait better be good
By
James Ramsay
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .