Preconsidered Res. No. 1321

Resolution affirming that despite president-elect Donald Trump’s senseless threats, New York City will remain a Sanctuary City for immigrant residents.

By The Speaker (Council Member Mark-Viverito) and Council Members Lander, Menchaca, Kallos, Cumbo, Reynoso, Levin, Williams, Espinal, Rosenthal, Ferreras-Copeland, Chin, Lancman, Rose, Miller, Rodriguez, Levine, Treyger, Garodnick, Mendez, Constantinides and Koo

                     Whereas, The City of New York serves as a global symbol of hope and opportunity for all; and

Whereas, New York City was built by immigrants and draws its economic and cultural vibrancy from the extraordinary and diverse mix of individuals who call the City home; and

Whereas, Immigrant families have deep roots in our communities and deserve to be welcomed, support and protected; and

Whereas, a thriving immigrant population that participates fully in our community makes our City safer; and

Whereas, President-elect Trump’s irresponsible rhetoric regarding immigrants is an affront to New Yorkers and does not reflect our core values, including a commitment to inclusion, compassion and the rule of law; and

Whereas, The City will not abandon immigrant New Yorkers and we will support and defend their rights; and

Whereas, The City’s commitment to the rule of law and the protection of immigrant New Yorkers is deep and strong; and    

Whereas, Executive Order No. 34 of 2003 ensures that City services are available to all residents regardless of immigration status to the maximum extent of the law; and

                      Whereas, Executive Order No. 41 of 2003 mandates that no City officer or employee may disclose confidential information, including immigration status; and

Whereas, The policies embodied in Executive Orders 34 and 41 are designed to foster and preserve confidence in law enforcement and help keep the City and all its residents safe and secure; and

Whereas, The Council has passed multiple local laws to limit the City’s cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and shield immigrant communities from draconian immigration enforcement actions that needlessly tear families apart and undermine confidence in law enforcement agencies; and

                     Whereas, These laws have thwarted thousands of needless deportations, protecting the constitutional rights of immigrant New Yorkers while strengthening public safety; and

Whereas, The Council will continue to closely monitor the implementation of these laws and expand on them if necessary; and

Whereas, In 2013 the Council launched the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), the nation’s first publicly funded legal services program for immigrants facing deportation; and

Whereas, Today, NYIFUP provides lawyers to every detained immigrant facing deportation in New York who cannot afford private counsel and has had a dramatic impact; improving immigrants’ chance of success in immigration court by as much as 1000%; and

Whereas, As a result, countless New York families have been spared the devastation of losing a loved one to deportation and families have been preserved; and

                     Whereas, In response to the humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied Central American children seeking refuge here after fleeing terrible violence in their home countries, the Council created the Unaccompanied Minors and Families Initiative, a public-private partnership that provides free legal services to refugee unaccompanied minors and families facing expedited deportation proceedings; and

Whereas, The Unaccompanied Minors and Families Initiative also provides comprehensive social services to ensure critical access to education, health and mental health services; and

Whereas, To date the Unaccompanied Minors and Families Initiative has provided valuable immigration legal services to hundreds of immigrant children and families; and

                     Whereas, The Council’s Immigrant Opportunities Initiative supports programs that strengthen immigrant families and communities, facilitate immigrant workers in their access to justice and equal workplace standards and build and strengthen partnerships between community groups and legal services agencies; and  

                     Whereas, The Council’s Day Laborer Workforce Initiative supports day laborer centers across the City that serve as meeting places and resource centers to provide workforce training and access to legal services; and

                     Whereas, The Council is committed to bridging the education gap and has made significant investments to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to quality adult literacy programming, including civics and English as a Second Language classes; and

                     Whereas, The Council’s Immigrant Health Initiative provides access to quality healthcare for immigrants; and

                     Whereas, In 2014, the Council passed a law creating IDNYC, the largest municipal identification card in the nation, to facilitate access to City services and other benefits for all New Yorkers including immigrants; and                     

                     Whereas, The Council stands firmly behind these programs and will continue to support and provide sanctuary for our immigrant community; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That despite president-elect Donald Trump’s senseless threats, New York City will remain a Sanctuary City for immigrant residents.

LS# 9714, 9725

11/28/2016

LR/IP