On Thursday January 16th, the NYC Council's - Committee on Immigration will hold a public oversight hearing on "protections for immigrant communities". New York City has a rich legislative history of limiting the interactions between federal immigration enforcement and immigrant New Yorkers. In the last decade alone, local laws were passed by the Council prohibiting New York City agencies from facilitating federal immigration enforcement actions - ensuring that immigrants are not unfairly subjected to ICE deportation and detention, maintain their right to due process, and are not fearful of interacting with city agencies. However, the result of the November election has come with growing anti-immigrant sentiment in our city, often being fueled by mischaracterizations of these protections.

We know all too well what is coming based on the harms our communities experienced during the first Trump administration, as well as the emerging threats:

• ICE abruptly detaining NY'ers at and around their homes and workplaces, outside schools and other public facilities, and at their immigration appointments; 

• NY'ers being afraid to go to places of worship, hospitals, and schools as ICE becomes emboldened with community raids; 

• Detained NY'ers being transferred far away from their homes and access to legal services; 

• An expansion of avenues to expel immigrant communities without access to due process as well as an expansion of prolonged detention; and

• “Shock and awe” enforcement tactics, including the use of military personnel to conduct widespread raids that rely on racial profiling.