REMARKS
Council member expresses concerns about mixed messaging on immigrant protections
1:51:46
ยท
137 sec
Council Member Shekar Krishan raises concerns about mixed messaging from City Hall regarding cooperation with the Trump administration and compliance with sanctuary laws. He emphasizes the need for clear communication to address fears in immigrant communities.
- Krishan highlights the contradiction between the hearing's message and public statements from City Hall
- He stresses the heightened burden on the administration to reaffirm commitment to existing protections
- The council member asks about MOIA's plans to counter negative narratives and perceptions
Shekar Krishan
1:51:46
But that also being said too, with this administration right now at city hall, and the administration coming in, in a matter of days, to Washington, it has been very concerning, alarming to hear the amount of rhetoric coming from the mayor and city hall, about, cooperation, with the Trump administration, a lot of things that are, provoking fear and deep concern for many immigrant communities.
1:52:16
And we haven't even gotten to the point where the new administration is in yet.
1:52:20
It raises serious concerns among legal advocates, immigration advocates about this city hall's willingness to comply with the strong detainer laws, noncooperation laws that are in place.
1:52:34
And because of that mixed messaging, and I think that's a very light way of putting it, compared to the contradiction between what we're hearing today and what city hall is saying publicly, given that glaring contradiction, I think the burden on this administration and on Moya to do far more to rebut any concerns and questions about whether New York City will comply with the laws that it's had in place and those strong protections on the books and defend the rights of immigrants.
1:53:03
I think the burden to put forward affirmative messaging to rebut any concerns and address them is even heightened now, not just because the Trump administration, but because of what mayor Adams has done to suggest, whether saying it overtly or hinting at it, that there will be revisions or reviewing or even undermining of the laws we have in place.
1:53:26
So given that higher burden now, my questions have to do more with what MOIA is going to do, is doing right now, to rebut that kind of narrative because the facts speak for themselves.
1:53:38
No matter what we hear today too, there's a different perception out there in New York City right now when it comes to city hall's intentions.
1:53:46
And so my first question is I know there's testimony before about the trainings with agencies.
1:53:52
How many trainings are being done?
1:53:54
How have those trainings been going?
1:53:55
What are the kinds of questions you're getting from agencies about complying, with the laws that we have in place in New York City when it comes to protecting immigrants' rights?