NY Daily News - Senate Democrats push for New York as sanctuary state after recent immigrant raids

ALBANY — In the wake of the recent federal raids on immigrants, two state Senate Democrats are pushing bills meant to protect immigrants, refugees, and foreign students.

One bill would make New York a sanctuary state by prohibiting the detention of undocumented individuals on immigration detainers unless there was a warrant from a judge. The second would prohibit state and local agencies from expending any resources to assist the federal government in the creation of a database with the purpose of tracking immigrants regardless of their legal status.

But the move by Sens. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) and Jose Serrano (D-Bronx) is largely symbolic as the Senate GOP majority has made it clear they have no intention of taking up the measure.

“Donald Trump's unconstitutional and discriminatory Muslim ban was just the start of a concerted effort by the President and his top advisors to attack anyone who does not look like them, pray like them, or adhere to their beliefs,” Hoylman said. “With the federal government in the grips of a bigoted and xenophobic ideology, it's up to states like New York to defend the core American values of tolerance, justice, and equality.”

Serrano leadership urged Senate leadership to take up the bills, which narrowly passed the Assembly last week.

Anne Erickson, president and CEO of Empire Justice Center, also called for the bill's immediate passage in the Senate.

“This legislation embraces our shared values of due process under law, to ensure that people are not detained without judicial warrant and to provide legal counsel to those facing a complex and daunting legal process that may result in their deportation from the very country in which they sought refuge,” Erickson said