REMARKS
Council Member Shahana K. Hanif speaks on Resolution 2970 and immigrant protections
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Council Member Shahana K. Hanif delivers remarks on Resolution 2970, urging the state legislature to pass the New York for All Act, which would prohibit state and local resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement. She also discusses the importance of sanctuary policies and the need for stronger enforcement mechanisms in New York City.
- Hanif emphasizes the benefits of curtailing city agency collaboration with ICE
- She introduces her bill, Intro 214, which would create a private right of action for sanctuary law violations
- Hanif expresses concern about Mayor Adams' stance on immigrant protections and encourages colleagues to support her legislation
Shahana K. Hanif
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Thank you, chair Avila.
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Good morning, everyone.
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I'm council member Shahana Hanif.
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I'm the proud daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants who made Brooklyn their home.
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I'm here today to speak on my preconsidered resolution, t 252970, which urges the state legislature to pass and the governor to sign the New York for all act.
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If passed, the New York for all act would prohibit state and local resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement purposes.
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Thank you to chair Aviles for being a cosponsor of this resolution, adding to today's agenda and leading this important hearing.
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Our communities in New York City have been made safer by policies that curtail city agency collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE.
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These protections have enabled immigrant New Yorkers to perform critical functions without the fear of deportation.
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This could look like a survivor of domestic violence accessing life saving support services.
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It could be a worker or tenant reporting unsafe conditions at their job site or residence, or it could be a community member notifying a first responder about a neighbor who is in danger.
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The state would strongly benefit from adopting similar policies, especially given the incoming presidential administration's mass deportation agenda.
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On the city level, we have also more to do to ensure our sanctuary policies serve their intended purpose.
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While city agencies are legally limited from coordinating with ICE, the lack of enforcement mechanisms for these policies undermine their impact.
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Previous hearings of the committee have shined a light on prohibited communications between ICE and city agencies like the New York, police department, department of corrections, and ACS.
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Currently, victims of illegal information sharing, have no path for remedy or recourse.
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Additionally, the administration has no incentive to comply with our local laws, which is deeply concerning given mayor Adams' stated intent to roll back due process protections for immigrants and his recent remarks that he and incoming boarder czar Tom Honan share the same goals.
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My bill intro 214 would address these issues by creating a private right of action for our sanctuary laws.
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This is one of the most important steps our city could take to defend our neighborhoods from president-elect Trump's deportation machine that seeks to tear our communities apart.
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While the bill is not on today's agenda, it's relevant today's oversight topic, and I wanna take this opportunity to encourage my colleagues to join the 25 council members who have sponsored this legislation.
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Thank you.