NYC Democrats Propose Bill to Halt ICE Arrests at Immigration Courts

New Bill to Protect Immigrants at Court Appearances

• 🏛️ Three New York congressmen, Dan Goldman, Adriano Espaillat, and Nidia Velázquez, have introduced a bill to prevent ICE agents from arresting immigrants during routine court appearances.
• 🚫 The proposed legislation aims to stop ICE agents, who sometimes wear masks while patrolling outside immigration courtrooms, from arresting individuals unless they possess a specific warrant for that person's arrest.
• ⚖️ This initiative is a response to concerns that such arrests create fear, deterring immigrants from attending their legally required court dates.

Study Highlights ICE Arrests of Non-Criminal Individuals

• 📊 A recent study by the University of California, Berkeley's Deportation Data Project revealed that out of approximately 220,000 people arrested by ICE between January 20th and October 15th of the first year of the Trump administration, nearly 75,000 had no criminal records.
• ⚠️ The study also indicated that this broad approach to arrests has led to the apprehension of US citizens, who are sometimes not believed when they assert their citizenship.

"Know Your Rights" Campaign and Protests

• 📢 Mayor Alexa Ramdani has released a "know your rights" video, emphasizing that ICE agents need an official judicial warrant to enter a home.
• 🚪 If ICE lacks a warrant signed by a judge, individuals have the right to refuse entry and keep their doors closed.
• ✊ The mayor's statement follows recent clashes between protesters and ICE agents, and he has pledged to uphold New Yorkers' right to protest ICE arrests upon taking office.