The New York State Senate Democratic Majority today passed legislation to ban Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents from making arrests in New York courthouses. The bill S.425A, sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman, protects New Yorkers from civil arrests while going to court and conducting or returning from a court proceeding.

 

“No New Yorker should fear participating in the justice system, regardless of their documentation,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. “The Protect Our Courts Act will give undocumented New Yorkers the peace of mind and sense of safety they deserve while visiting a court, and I commend Senator Hoylman for sponsoring this legislation. By advancing this good bill, the Senate Majority is continuing our efforts to support immigrant communities and ensure New York is a more welcoming place for new Americans.”

 

Meanwhile, Bill Sponsor, Senator Brad Hoylman, said, “Donald Trump’s heartless immigration policy is a cruel perversion of justice. We cannot allow our courthouses to become a hunting ground for federal agents attempting to round up immigrant New Yorkers. Already, ICE arrests in or around courthouses in New York have spiked by 1,700% since Donald Trump took office”.

 

He added, “The Protect Our Courts Act will get ICE out of our courthouses and make our justice system more just. It will allow all New Yorkers to attend judicial proceedings, whether as a litigant, witness or family member. I’m grateful to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly sponsor Michaelle Solages for working with us to pass this crucial legislation, and thankful to the immigrant New Yorkers who made a clear, compelling moral case for why New York must pass this bill”.

 

This legislation will ban ICE agents from arresting people attending or conducting court business in New York State. The purpose of this legislation is to ensure continued access to the State courts by all people in New York without fear of arrest or deportation.