Immigration Platform

And our immigrant communities shouldn’t pay the price for seeking a better life. In the state Senate, I’ll work to make New York a sanctuary for immigrant families; expand healthcare and COVID relief to those left out by the system; and make sure that every New Yorker, regardless of status, has a voice in their communities and local government.

Sanctuary for All

• Pass New York for All Act (S3076) to ensure that all of our neighbors are safe and won’t have ICE called on them by local or state officials by prohibiting state officials from collaborating with ICE. It is not the job of New York’s police, courts, jails, prisons, or other state or local agencies to assist the federal government in immigration enforcement.
• Uphold the Protect Our Courts Act (S425), which prohibits ICE from arresting any person leaving or entering a court, and expand it to include an outright ban of ICE agents from New York courts.
• Champion the Dignity Not Detention bill (S7373) to end the practice of jailing immigrants as they face deportation. This would not only reunite families, but also give individuals greater capacity to fight deportation.

Care for All

• Continue New York’s Excluded Workers Fund by allocating $3 billion from the state budget to continue providing relief to immigrant families hit hardest by COVID.
• Bring healthcare coverage to every New Yorker by passing Essential Plan, providing quality and affordable health coverage for New Yorkers regardless of status.
• Fight for Coverage for All (S1572) to create a state-funded Essential Plan for all low-income New Yorkers, regardless of status, bringing healthcare to more than 150,000 people in our state.
• Pass the Access to Representation Act (S81) to provide all immigrants facing deportation proceedings in New York the right to counsel. We must give our immigrant neighbors fair representation in their fight to stay in our country and together with their families.
• Require that state agencies translate all documents of vital importance into the top 12 most common languages spoken across our state. New York must remain a safe haven for all those seeking a better life, and we must remove language barriers to ensure that it does.

Democracy for All

• Expand the historic Our City, Our Vote legislation to bring voting rights to every New Yorker across the state, regardless of status.
• Immediately grant immigrants, regardless of status, the ability to run and vote in local elections for school and community boards while fighting to remove barriers for political office.
• Ensure that interpreters are available to every New Yorker at the polls.