Regardless of the frigid chilly, dozens of immigrant advocates confirmed as much as rally assist for 4 metropolis council sanctuary legal guidelines, and hopefully finish metropolis companies’ cooperation with federal regulation enforcement. This comes because the Trump administration ramps up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations throughout New York Metropolis and pauses immigration processing nationwide.
President Donald Trump not too long ago issued an indefinite “maintain” on all processing of immigration paperwork for folks from 19 nations, together with Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela, due to the taking pictures of two Nationwide Guard members in D.C. The maintain stops inexperienced card functions, U.S. citizenship requests, prevents refugees and a few others from getting or renewing work authorization, asylum functions, and delays ceremonies for naturalized Americans.
“The Trump administration is utilizing the current taking pictures in D.C. as a pretext for a harmful escalation of its assaults on immigrants which might be rooted in racism and xenophobia,” stated New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) President and CEO Murad Awawdeh in a press release. “Most of the immigrants affected by these coverage modifications have already undergone intensive vetting, typically taking years, after having arrived in America searching for safety, stability, and the chance to rebuild their lives.”
In the meantime, a number of folks had been arrested in an unwarranted ICE raid on Canal Avenue in Manhattan on November 30. This led to protests and fights with native NYPD officers. Advocate teams have additionally reported ICE raids this December in Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island by which immigrant New Yorkers –– particularly Black, Latino, and folks of shade — had been focused and detained by federal officers.
“We’ve seen New Yorkers violently kidnapped within the tons of at common courtroom proceedings. We’ve seen folks ripped from their houses, exterior their faculties, on streets, and past. Households have been torn aside. College students and youngsters have disappeared from their school rooms,” stated Avilés, who chairs the immigration committee, on the rally on the steps of Metropolis Corridor on Monday, December 8, 2025. “We’re standing collectively in solidarity, and we are going to proceed to do all the things in our energy, not solely to reject this fascist authorities, however to guard New York.”
Avilés was joined by fellow Councilmembers Tiffany Cabán, Shahana Hanif, Chi Ossé, Crystal Hudson, Carmen De La Rosa, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Advocate teams current included NYIC, Make the Street New York, ICE Out! NYC coalition, Shut Rikers Coalition, Frequent Trigger, Immigrant Protection Challenge, Afghans For a Higher Tomorrow, La Colmena, Bronx Defenders, African Communities Collectively, and Mixteca, amongst others.
“Regardless of the chilly climate, I’m right here immediately as a result of I’m deeply troubled by the hurt that’s being carried out by ICE in our immigrant group,” stated Make The Street Motion’s Manuel Ordonez, who spoke in Spanish on the rally. “It pains me to see how a lot xenophobia has created false narratives about immigrants. We carry a lot to this metropolis. We carry our tradition, our meals, our desires, our inspiration, and make New York Metropolis what it’s.”
Their 4 payments included Int. 214 (or the NYC Belief Act), which makes it simpler to file a lawsuit when a metropolis company illegally shares knowledge with ICE; Int. 1268, which mandates signage on metropolis property telling folks about their sanctuary rights when participating with federal authorities; Int. 1272 (or the PEMDAS Act), which goals to maintain work authorization and E-Confirm data protected from unhealthy religion employers; and Int.1412 (or the Safer Sanctuary Act), which prevents a federal company from organising an workplace on NYC Division of Corrections property.
“I’m a proud youngster of immigrants. A proud grandchild of immigrants. My household got here to the US for a possibility like so many others,” stated Hudson, who helps the payments.
“Please know that Trump’s ICE isn’t just going to cease at disappearing and kidnapping immigrants. They’re coming for each single American who sees themselves as a risk to Donald Trump,” stated Ossé.
On the council listening to of the Committee on Immigration later that day, Avilés, Cabán, and Hanif railed towards Mayor Eric Adams and his administration’s violation of town’s sanctuary legal guidelines. A number of public defenders testified how the NYPD, the Division of Correction (DOC), and the Division of Probation (DOP) steadily collaborate with ICE in its deportation agenda.
“NYPD has labored with ICE on residence raids, claiming they’re a part of joint job forces however leading to folks being arrested solely for civil immigration enforcement,” stated Rosa Cohen Cruz, director of immigration coverage for the Bronx Defenders. “The Division of Corrections permits ICE to stroll into cells to take custody with out a judicial warrant…We’ve typically testified about the truth that DOC does what we name a ‘sluggish stroll’ of our purchasers, the place they delay administrative processes with the intention to purchase time for ICE to reach.”
In addition they slammed the Mayor’s officers that refused to testify on the listening to and didn’t ship representatives though they had been current within the constructing. Cabán confronted the Mayor’s Workplace for Immigrant Development (MOIA) Commissioner Manny Castro within the foyer of Metropolis Corridor and demanded he testify on his personal. About two and a half hours into the listening to, Castro determined to observe by means of with an affidavit in assist of the payments. He had been instructed to not by the Mayor’s workplace, he stated.
“As you understand, it’s as much as Metropolis Corridor as to who’s to testify on their behalf at this listening to. That is why I select to testify in my private capability as a longtime immigrants’ rights advocate, as somebody who got here to this nation as a five-year-old, grew up undocumented on this metropolis,” stated Castro on the listening to. “It is crucial for me to be on the report in assist of all these payments, and in assist of all of you, in ensuring that the Metropolis Council lastly passes these legal guidelines that I lengthy championed.”
The council members had been collectively disillusioned, however appreciated that Castro confirmed as much as face their ire in particular person.
“You could have chosen to work with an administration that has thrown our communities beneath the bus over, and over once more,” stated Avilés, in response to Castro. “And it took braveness so that you can come up right here, as a result of we’ve been speaking about you, a hundred percent. And this mayor, who we each know, has allowed our communities to sit down with insufficient companies, with insufficient funding, and with an workplace — the Mayor’s Workplace of Immigrant Affairs — that’s muzzled, and isn’t going full tilt to guard our communities, and work in collaboration with this council. This Workplace has been an utter disappointment throughout this tough time.”
