SENATE AND ASSEMBLY HISPANIC LEADERS BLAST SENATE REPUBLICAN PROPOSAL TO PUNISH SANCTUARY CITIES

(Albany, NY) - Members of the Senate and Assembly lead a press conference to blast a proposal in the Senate Republican's One-House Budget that would punish sanctuary cities.  Members from both chambers rejected the xenophobic proposal that would push our state backward. Sanctuary cities have policies that do not allow local resources to be used to enforce federal immigration law.   

“This type of rhetoric, this type of Trump-like attitude, sends a chilling effect,” said State Senator Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan/Bronx). "We are outraged by this proposal, we will simply not tolerate anti-immigrant policies In New York. We have fought hard to get immigrants out of the shadows and proposals like this threaten the progress we have made."  

Many of the State Legislature's Latino Leaders participated in the press conference in opposition to the proposal including: State Senator Adriano Espaillat, Chair of the Senate’s Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus; Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo, Chair of the Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force; StateSenator Martin Malavé Dilan; State Senator Gustavo Rivera; State Senator Jose Peralta; and Assemblyman Francisco Moya.

State Senator Jose Peralta (D-Queens) noted, “This is insane, unacceptable. Anti-immigrant rhetoric is getting out of control, and prohibiting municipalities from protecting our immigrant communities, which are central to the fabric of our City, our State and our Nation, goes beyond all reason.”

“It is outrageous that Senate Republicans are threatening the financial security of counties, cities, and agencies across our State for protecting thousands of immigrants who call New York home for their own political gain. Historically, New York has welcomed and embraced immigrant communities and that will not change because Senate Republicans want to appease the most radical among them," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. "Immigrants contribute to the economic and social life of New York State and our job as state legislators is to ensure all New Yorkers are treated with justice and respect. This measure only fosters hate and fear and I will not stand idly by while Senate Republicans try to include it in our State’s budget.” 

"This proposal is an under-handed tactic to appease a seriously misinformed and misguided group of fanatics. It doesn’t belong in the budget, and it doesn’t belong in New York. Get rid of it,” said Senator Martin Malavé Dilan.