Meeting Member Catalina Cruz unveils legislative package deal to guard immigrant New Yorkers. Picture: Catalina Cruz for NY on Fb
March 12, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
Meeting Member Catalina Cruz has unveiled a legislative package deal aiming to guard immigrant New Yorkers from “escalating attacks” on their rights from the Trump Administration.
Cruz introduced her “Protect Immigrants, Defend NY” legislative package deal on Monday, March 10, which incorporates three payments aiming to guard New Yorkers from ICE raids in colleges, “fraudulent legal scams” and “unjust” court docket proceedings brought on by authorized boundaries.
Cruz represents New York’s thirty ninth Meeting District, which incorporates Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights. A former DREAMer and the primary former undocumented immigrant elected to the New York State Meeting, Cruz has been a fierce advocate for immigrant rights, tenant protections, and staff’ justice.
Her district is house to a big Latino and Asian immigrant inhabitants, lots of whom are susceptible to deportation, authorized fraud and language boundaries within the justice system—points her legislative package deal straight addresses.
Unveiling the legislative package deal, Cruz accused Mayor Eric Adams of rolling again crucial sanctuary metropolis protections and making it simpler for ICE to function within the metropolis. Final month, Adams introduced that he would signal an govt order permitting ICE brokers into the Rikers Island jail advanced, marking a big shift in New York’s sanctuary metropolis insurance policies.
The Mayor has additionally confronted calls to resign after the Division of Justice directed the southern District of New York to drop federal corruption fees in opposition to him, with critics contending that the Mayor would now be beholden to the Trump Administration.
Cruz has referred to as on the state legislature to make sure that immigrant New Yorkers are protected whatever the relationship between Metropolis Corridor and the White Home.
“We cannot wait for leadership from City Hall—we must take action at the state level to ensure that New York remains a place of protection and justice,” Cruz stated in an announcement.
Cruz’s Defend Our Faculties Act (A5373/S4735) goals to make sure that “schools remain safe environments for students and their families” by prohibiting civil immigration arrests on faculty grounds with out a judicial warrant.
If handed, the invoice would additionally require faculty officers to take motion in opposition to unauthorized legislation enforcement exercise and prohibit faculty useful resource officers from aiding ICE in detaining college students. The legislation would additionally mandate that oldsters or guardians be notified if legislation enforcement seeks to detain a scholar and would additionally require faculty to publicly put up protocols informing college students, workers and oldsters of their rights concerning legislation enforcement on faculty grounds.
Moreover, the invoice would limit entry to scholar information containing immigration standing, aiming to make sure that legislation enforcement can’t use faculty assets to focus on undocumented college students.
In the meantime, the Immigration Authorized Malpractice Act (A5366/S4741) goals to assist immigrants going through authorized challenges, creating new felony penalties for anybody who engages in systemic fraud in opposition to immigrant shoppers. Cruz acknowledged that immigrants going through authorized challenges are “too often” focused by unhealthy actors who exploit their desperation, charging exorbitant charges, providing fraudulent authorized recommendation or failing to comply with by way of on illustration.
Cruz stated the Immigration Authorized Malpractice Act would give legislation enforcement extra instruments to take down large-scale authorized scammers by permitting for multi-county authorized fraud instances to be prosecuted as a single offense. She added that the invoice would modernize larceny statutes to make sure that funds stolen from a number of shoppers could be aggregated right into a single cost, making it simpler to carry fraudulent attorneys and authorized service suppliers accountable.
Lastly, Cruz’s Correct Interpretations for Deponents With Restricted English Proficiency Act (A1422/S4525) would mandate that authorized statements made by non-English-speaking deponents be precisely translated and verified for accuracy earlier than being utilized in court docket.
Cruz contended that incorrect or unreliable translations given throughout interactions with legislation enforcement officers may end up in misinterpretation and misrepresentation throughout authorized proceedings, probably creating opposed immigration penalties.
The invoice would require correct certification for interpreters and make sure that they supply sworn affidavits affirming their {qualifications} and the accuracy of their translations.
Cruz acknowledged that the legislation would assist forestall instances the place an immigrant’s future is jeopardized due to a misinterpretation or an unqualified interpreter.
She added that the legislative package deal would offer “crucial safeguards” guaranteeing that immigrant New Yorkers are shielded from wrongful arrests, fraud and misrepresentation.
“While we’ve expanded legal services, the need continues to outpace resources, and we must invest in the legal infrastructure to prevent unjust deportations. New York has always been a place of refuge, and we must uphold that promise by ensuring every immigrant has the protections they deserve,” Cruz stated.
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