Sen. Gounardes & AM Reyes: Don’t Let ICE Into Our Schools and Shelters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 7, 2025

New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Karines Reyes, R.N., issued the following statement today in response to reporting that City Hall revised rules to allow some ICE searches at schools and other city facilities:

“New York’s schools and shelters should be places where kids can focus on learning and families can concentrate on building better lives, not places where ICE agents can bust down the door to tear children apart from their parents.

“City Hall’s deeply misguided new policy will cause chaos at our schools and grievous harm to vulnerable New Yorkers, especially families with children. If families no longer feel comfortable speaking to the police, going to school or entering shelters, it makes all of us less safe.

“This is all the more reason we need to pass New York for All, our legislation to create a statewide standard of how and when local governments coordinate with ICE, which should only be when a judicial warrant is presented for someone’s arrest. That way, our resources are focused on preventing crime instead of terrifying schoolkids and separating families. Our responsibility as elected leaders is to put public safety first, and not to throw immigrant New Yorkers under the bus.”

Press Contact:

Billy Richling

Communications Director

State Senator Andrew Gounardes

billy@senatorgounardes.nyc

Justin Westbrook-Lowery

Chief of Staff & Legislative Director

State Assembly Member Karines Reyes

westbrookloweryj@nyassembly.gov

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