Statement From Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan And Senators Marty Golden, Andrew Lanza and Simcha Felder

When members of the New York City Council put the finishing touches on the City’s new budget recently, they included a huge surprise. 

As written, the budget would allow Council Speaker Mark-Viverito and others to spend tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money on deportation lawyers for illegal immigrants who have committed serious crimes like rape and murder.

This is an egregious misuse of taxpayer funds that has to be stopped. Mayor de Blasio must veto this shortsighted provision immediately, and prevent the City Council from ever enacting it into law.

New York City must do everything it can to ensure it doesn’t allow dangerous felons to remain on the streets.  If the Mayor fails to veto this measure, it would show that he cares very little about the hardworking citizens he is supposed to represent.