State Lawmakers Call for Passage of Full New York For All Act
As Trump’s deportation dragnet grows, New York lawmakers demand comprehensive immigrant protections that meet the moment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 1, 2026
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New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Karines Reyes, R.N. joined fellow lawmakers this morning to call for the passage of the full New York For All Act (S.2235B/A.3506B).
As New York’s immigrant communities come under ever-greater threat and negotiations on New York’s legislative response reach their most urgent moment, legislators stood together to demand comprehensive legislation that prevents local collusion with ICE, pushes back against President Trump’s authoritarianism and ensures real public safety for all New Yorkers.
The New York For All Act, sponsored by Sen. Gounardes and AM Reyes, prohibits local law enforcement and state agencies from conspiring with ICE or participating in their cruelty. Under the law, ICE wouldn’t be able to use state or local resources for civil immigration enforcement, enter non-public areas of state and local property, or access sensitive information without a judicial warrant.
“Our communities and our country are looking to us to meet this moment: to stand up for our immigrant neighbors, for democracy and for real public safety. My New York For All Act is how we do that,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “Half-measures are simply not enough when lives are at stake. We’re fighting for comprehensive legislation that prevents collusion with ICE, pushes back against President Trump’s authoritarianism and ensures true public safety for all New Yorkers. We need—and deserve—nothing less.”
"For far too long, ICE has relied on the collusion of law enforcement to scrutinize our essential hard-working immigrant communities of color,” said Assembly Member Karines Reyes, Chair of the NYS Puerto Rican / Hispanic Task Force. “We must pass the New York for All Act to prevent ICE from using our local resources to wrongfully place people into their custody, separate families, and deport fellow New Yorkers. Our immigrant communities are over-policed and racially profiled to continue having a predatory federal agency prowling the streets. It's long over due to pass this bill. New Yorkers can't afford to wait any longer. New York for All must pass now."
“New York’s identity is inseparable from the immigrant experience and that has been to the benefit of all residents of our state,” said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. “We must be particularly uncompromising in defending our immigrant neighbors during this time of unprecedented hostility from the federal government.”
"Make no mistake, New Yorkers are facing an unprecedented assault by this federal government,” said State Senator Zellnor Myrie. “Our state was built by immigrants from every corner of the globe. We must use every tool at our disposal to protect our communities, ensure real public safety and preserve our civil rights."
“New Yorkers deserve to live, work, and raise their families without fear,” said State Senator Jessica Ramos. “When people are afraid, communities are less safe and workers are more vulnerable to exploitation. This legislation is about making sure our state reflects our values of dignity, safety, and fairness for all.”
“ICE's continued reign of terror in our streets across the country underscores one thing; the Constitutional rights afforded to every person on American soil are under attack from this federal government," said State Senator Patricia Fahy. "New York State has an opportunity to meet this critical moment, protect its immigrant communities, and limit ICE's overreach by passing the New York For All Act this session. As we seek to restore the rule of law on our streets, it's key that New York use every tool in its arsenal to reign in an out of control and increasingly authoritarian Trump administration."
"Representing one of the most diverse districts in the state, I hear every day from New Yorkers who simply want to live their lives without fear,” said State Senator Erik Bottcher. “The New York for All Act will ensure that our laws reflect that basic promise by protecting families, strengthening trust, and making clear that New York stands firmly on the side of dignity and justice.”
“I am proud to join my colleagues today in standing unequivocally with our immigrant neighbors and with all those whose freedom is threatened by unchecked power,” said State Senator Shelley Mayer. “For many in our community, this is a holy week. As we observe Passover, we are reminded that the call to welcome the stranger is a tenet of Jewish faith. We are called to care for the stranger, because we know the experience of being strangers ourselves. We must meet this moment with compassion, with courage, and with a firm commitment to justice. We must stand together, protect one another, and ensure that our communities remain places of dignity and safety for all.”
“At a time when the federal government has turned to authoritarianism, flagrantly violating people’s constitutional rights to push their harmful agenda, New York has a responsibility to lead,” said Assembly Member Gabriella A. Romero. “New York for All is the exact type of bold, meaningful legislation we need to meet the moment we’re in. This is about permanently protecting the rights of each and every person in this state, and creating real public safety to ensure all New Yorkers can live freely and without fear.”
“For too long, immigrant New Yorkers have been forced to live in fear that everyday interactions, going to school, seeking healthcare, or showing up for work, could lead to detention or deportation,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas. “As the representative of an immigrant-rich district in Queens, I see every day how this fear erodes trust, separates families, and makes our communities less safe for everyone. The New York for All Act is a critical step to establish clear limits between our state and local agencies and federal immigration enforcement, ensuring that public resources are used to serve our communities, not to advance a cruel and politicized federal agenda. At a time of escalating attacks on immigrant communities, we cannot rely on temporary or incomplete measures. New York must act now to pass NY4All and deliver the permanent protections immigrant families deserve so that everyone, regardless of immigration status, can live with dignity, safety, and without fear.”
“No New Yorker should be forced to live in the shadow of fear or depend on protections that fade with political winds. A just state does not turn its power, its agencies, or its public resources toward exclusion,” said State Senator Robert Jackson. “The New York for All Act is more than legislation — it is a reflection of our values. I remain committed to advancing this work with my colleagues so that dignity, safety, and belonging are not privileges, but rights secured for all.”
“ICE has continuously escalated its violence over the past year. This is an agency that has gunned down and killed people on the street in broad daylight. Yet the State of New York is still shamefully helping ICE with its cruel operations,” said State Senator Julia Salazar. “We must pass New York for All, in addition to bills like Dignity Not Detention, to prohibit our local and state government from supporting ICE's deadly efforts. New York has no business helping ICE as it tears families apart and murders people.”
“As Chair of the Task Force on New Americans, I understand how critical it is for our state to take action to mitigate the ability for ICE to terrorize our communities and the fear and devastation this has caused,” said Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest. “We have an obligation to pass New York For All. It shields vulnerable residents from unsafe partnerships between ICE and state agencies, and it guarantees that every person in New York has access to the critical services they are entitled to, no matter their immigration status. We must stand up for all New Yorkers."
"We need New York For All because safety and justice go hand in hand,” said Assembly Member Dana Levenberg. “By passing this legislation, we are simply demanding the federal government behave lawfully and produce judicial warrants if they want to conduct immigration enforcement in our state, and use federal resources to enforce federal law. New York for All would not hinder their ability to deal with serious criminals, and would enhance our local law enforcement's ability to stop crime in our communities by ensuring that all complainants, regardless of immigration status, feel safe coming forward to report crimes. As a state, we can and must stand for safety and justice by passing New York for All."
“Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington are using ICE to wage a campaign of fear that is tearing families apart and destabilizing our communities,” said Assembly Member Grace Lee. “We can’t allow our state to be complicit in this harm. The New York for All Act will ensure that our state resources are never used to collaborate with ICE, and that our immigrant neighbors are protected, not targeted. We must stand up for our values, keep families together, and make clear that New York will always be a place of dignity, safety, and opportunity for all.”
“As a New York State Senator, I firmly believe that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, deserve to live with dignity, safety, and without fear. The New York for All Act reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that state and local resources are not used to separate families or advance inhumane deportation efforts,” said State Senator Luis Sepúlveda. “I stand with advocates and community members who are calling for stronger protections for immigrant families. That is why I continue to support policies that reinforce these principles and strengthen trust between our communities and government institutions. Our collective goal is clear: to protect our neighbors, uphold civil rights, and ensure that New York remains a place where every family can thrive.”
“New York’s strength lies in our unity and our refusal to be complicit in the separation of families,” said State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey. “The New York For All Act is a common-sense measure to ensure that state and local resources are used to serve our communities, not to assist in federal deportation efforts. I thank State Senator Andrew Gounardes, Assembly Member Karines Reyes, and my colleagues in government for their continued work to ensure public safety for all New Yorkers and for using their voices to advocate for the most vulnerable.”
“New York must be clear about who we are and what we stand for at this moment," says Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes. "Our immigrant neighbors are part of the fabric of our communities, and they deserve to live with dignity, safety, and without fear. The New York For All Act draws a firm line: our state resources should serve and protect our communities, not be used to fuel a harmful and unjust federal deportation agenda. At a time of escalating attacks, we cannot settle for half-measures—we must pass the full New York For All Act and ensure New York remains a place where all families can thrive.”
"New York is the crossroads of the world where all people can live, work, and raise their families without fear, no matter where they were born,” said State Senator John Liu. “As immigrant families face continuing fear and uncertainty, the New York for All Act will ensure our state and local resources are used to protect New Yorkers, not to carry out a cruel federal deportation agenda that separates families without due process."
“I stand in support of the New York For All Act as a co-sponsor and as someone who cherishes human dignity. It has been well-documented that ICE detention is far too often a death sentence,” said Assembly Member Latrice Walker. “Thirty-two people died in ICE detention last year and at least eight have died this year. There have been reports of beatings and medical neglect during ICE detention. No one should die or be brutalized in this country and certainly not in New York State as a result of their immigration status. And I firmly believe that New York State tax dollars should not be spent in support of this campaign of cruelty against our neighbors and families – especially in cases that are a matter of civil enforcement. We must uphold due process for all.”
“We need to enact legal protections to protect all New Yorkers from the unconstitutional excesses and unprofessional conduct currently on display by ICE and other agencies,” said Assembly Member Steve Otis. “The conduct of federal agents in New York and across the country has violated procedural standards that our local police follow. Racial profiling, indiscriminate violence, and taking actions without court authorization have all been well documented. The use of ICE and other federal agencies to interfere with voting, harass and hold individuals going to school, going to court, attending church, or while at work is unacceptable. We need to pass New York for All and other proposals aimed at protecting New Yorkers from these unacceptable practices.”
“The New York for All Act is essential to protecting our immigrant communities and upholding the values that define Our Great State. This legislation sends a clear message: New York will remain a place where people of every background can live, work, and thrive,” said Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar. “For me, this fight is deeply personal. I am the proud daughter of immigrants who came to this country believing in the American Dream. Through sacrifice and hard work, they built a future for our family and taught me that opportunity must be protected. We have a responsibility to keep that promise alive for the next generation. As New York State’s former Director of Immigration Affairs, I worked with immigrant families across our state and fought to remove the barriers standing in their way. I know their courage and I know their value to New York. New York for All will help ensure that every New Yorker can live with dignity and security. Together, we will pass this legislation and keep New York a place where opportunity belongs to all.”
“The winds blowing from Washington are chilly and chilling. New Yorkers deserve to live, work, and access services without fear that state and local resources will be used to aid lawless and unaccountable ICE agents,” said Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon. “The New York for All Act will create clear boundaries between our communities and federal immigration agents, restoring trust in local law enforcement so they can focus on protecting and serving the people. I am grateful to the advocates who continue to raise their voices. Constitutionally and morally, New York For All must become law.”
Press Contact:
Billy Richling
Communications Director
State Senator Andrew Gounardes
917-342-2499
Jasmine Elrafei
Communications Coordinator
Assembly Member Karines Reyes, R.N.
917-822-0094
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