OUR CAMPAIGNS

The New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City believes that our current immigration laws do not reflect our values of hospitality and compassion and that they need to be changed.

We are currently active in two campaigns to bring about changes that will keep more of our families together.



Child Citizen Protection Act - HR 182

We call on all faith communities and concerned cities to support the Child Citizen Protection Act, HR 182, originally introduced in 2006 by Congressman Jose Serrano of the Bronx.

This bill is the only current piece of legislation that could prevent the deportation of the parents who are members of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City.

Most people assume that the well-being of American children is considered before a mom or dad is taken away. But because of laws passed in 1996, deportation and detention are mandatory minimums for whole classes of families.

The Child Citizen Protection Act would restore to immigration judges the discretion to decide whether deportation is, "clearly against the best interests of a US citizen child." It preserves the basic notion of fairness that should define the U.S. justice system. It allows judges to judge, and families to have a day in court.

Learn more about the Child Citizen Protection Act and educate others with this hand-out created by Families For Freedom and the text of the Child Citizen Protection Act.

Lobby Congress and the Senate with these Child Citizen Protection Act postcards.


Immigrant New Yorkers at Rikers Island

New York City is often called a city that welcomes immigrants and indeed 60% of New Yorkers are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. While immigration agents continue to raid private homes in New York City leaving deep trails of fear and loss in our communities, the City has not seen the massive immigration raids and sweeps that have been devastating communities in other parts of the country.

However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is identifying and detaining hundreds of immigrants every week at Rikers Island and other jail facilities run by New York City's Department of Corrections (DOC) and Department of Probation (DOP). In fact, ICE has a field office at Rikers Island.

In August 2009, the New Sanctuary Coalition, in partnership with Make the Road NY and the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights, publicly launched our Immigration out of Rikers Campaign. We confidently call on our New York City Council and newly appointed DOC Commissioner Dora Schriro to protect NYC families from ICE's dishonest and immoral enforcement operations in our city facilities.

Click here for photos from that exciting press conference.

Many media outlets are covering our campaign, including the New York Times.

A recent account of a New Yorker being detained by ICE at Rikers was reported by the New York Daily News.

For more stories of immigrants caught up in deportation proceedings at Rikers Island click here.