'Sooner rather than later:' Stewart-Cousins is ready to pass immigrant protections

On the first day of the new legislative session in Albany, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for the first time expressed her support of the New York for All Act, legislation that would codify and expand sanctuary protections for immigrants statewide. In her opening remarks, Stewart-Cousins said she was committed to “advancing the goals” of the legislation. And even though Gov. Kathy Hochul still does not support the bill, Stewart-Cousins indicated Tuesday she wants to get it passed as soon as possible.

Speaking to reporters following an unrelated press conference, Stewart-Cousins said that action to protect New Yorkers should happen “sooner rather than later.” She said that her chamber wants to “meet the moment” and will continue discussing New York for All and other bills in the coming weeks. That could mean moving to pass legislation before or as part of the budget. Initially, though, there was some talk of addressing the issue after the budget, when lawmakers have more time and control of the legislative agenda rather than turn it into a budget fight with the governor.

Hochul announced a handful of new immigration measures during her State of the State address earlier this month, including withholding state public safety grants from municipalities that work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, that falls well short of what activists want the state to do and the “goals” of New York for All, especially in the wake of heavy-handed and violent action from immigration agents in Minnesota.

Immigrant advocates rallied in the state Capitol last week, calling for both passage of the New York for All Act and for additional funding to pay for access to legal representation for immigrants in court. Numerous elected officials – including state Sens. Mike Gianaris and Andrew Gounardes, and Assembly Members Catalina Cruz and Karines Reyes – attended to show their support, especially after the killing of Nicole Renee Good in Minneapolis. (In the week since that rally, federal immigration agents have killed a second protester in Minneapolis.) Stewart-Cousins also tried to make an appearance at the rally, though the scheduling didn’t work out.

Legislative leaders rarely attend any of the many, many rallies that take place on any given day in the state Capitol, so even Stewart-Cousins’ attempt to attend is a notable signal of where her priorities lie. “She’s ready to go on New York for All,” said Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. “We look forward to working with her to make it not just a rallying cry, but a reality for every person who calls this state home.”

The day before the rally, Stewart-Cousins also used a portion of her annual Martin Luther King Day remarks to denounce the state of immigration enforcement in the country, connecting the discrimination that King fought against with the federal government’s current actions. “In today’s America, people are being profiled because of the color of their skin, their language, where they came from,” she said on the floor of the state Senate last week. “Today, our neighbors are being abducted by masked government agents off the streets and detained without due process.”

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, the sponsor of the New York for All Act, welcomed the advocacy from his leader on the issue. “She's been incredibly supportive, which means a lot,” he said in a statement. “I think she sees what's happening in Minnesota and across the country, and recognizes we need to take action.”

Stewart-Cousins represents only half of the legislative equation, and buy-in from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie is also necessary to make any new immigrant protections law. A spokesperson for Heastie said “those are conversations we will have with our members” when asked whether he would also back the New York for All Act. But Cruz, the sponsor of the Access to Representation Act, expressed confidence that the Legislature as a whole will act this year. “I am confident that we are not leaving Albany this session without some concrete protections and investments that support our community,” she said.