The City Council on June 30 passed three pieces of legislation aimed at protecting immigrants in the face of federal policies that have left many fearful and anxious.
Two of those measures — a resolution and a bill — were introduced by Brooklyn politicians Sandy Nurse and Shahana Hanif, respectively.
Nurse’s Res. 931 formally denounces the Trump administration’s deportation of immigrants without due process. Its passage comes on the heels of a Supreme Court decision allowing the administration to deport immigrants to “third-party countries” not listed in their removal orders. The resolution is part of several City Council actions pushing back against violations of the city’s sanctuary laws.
The resolution, the first of its kind nationwide, highlights the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was illegally deported on March 15 and sent to El Salvador’s mega-prison CECOT without due process and despite a court order barring his deportation.
“Today, the City Council once again rejects a politics of fear, xenophobia, and the blatant violations of our sanctuary city laws by the Federal government,” Nurse sais. “No New Yorker should live in fear of an unlawful deportation, especially not to a foreign prison without due process as guaranteed by our Constitution. Today we reaffirmed that when we stand up for our immigrant communities, we fight for the rights of all New Yorkers.”
The City Council also passed Intro 205-A, sponsored by Hanif, which addresses immigration legal services fraud, also known as “notario fraud.”
Many immigrants are uncertain about their legal options to avoid detention and deportation. Unscrupulous crooks exploit that fear and anxiety by posing as immigration lawyers, often referred to as “notarios públicos” in Spanish-speaking communities. Desperate victims not only lose thousands of dollars to these illegal services but also remain in limbo regarding their legal status or end up worsening their immigration cases.
Hanif’s legislation requires the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media, among others, to educate the public about fraud schemes and reputable immigration legal service providers through a widely published multilingual outreach campaign.
Hanif, co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, said her legislation, alongside Intro 980-A, introduced by Council Member Julie Won (D-Queens), was the boldest municipal legislation in the country addressing a longstanding, serious issue.
“The Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies have generated anxiety and confusion among immigrant communities,” Hanif said. “Bad actors often exploit these vulnerabilities through fraudulent practices, charging high fees and sometimes even sabotaging ongoing immigration cases.”
Fellow politicians and community activists applauded the nation’s most expansive new legislation protecting immigrant New Yorkers.
Lorena Kourousias, executive director of Mixteca, a nonprofit community center that provides free health and education programs to New York City’s Mexican immigrant community, said the group has seen firsthand how legal fraud has devastated immigrant families.
“In this political climate, where fear and uncertainty are high, the City Council’s commitment to combat immigration legal fraud is both urgent and necessary,” Kourousias said. “This investment is a powerful step toward protecting our community and ensuring that immigrant New Yorkers have access to trustworthy, culturally and linguistically appropriate legal support. We are proud to continue working alongside our city leaders, Hanif and Won, to defend the rights and dignity of those we serve.”
