Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie issued a grim warning to New Yorkers on Friday: ICE agents aren’t just coming for immigrants.
“For those who think that this is just about immigration, this doesn’t touch me. I don’t have any friends or family that’s in this situation, I warn you today: now it is immigrants, tomorrow it will be you,” Myrie charged in Lower Manhattan on Friday morning.
Myrie and Assembly Member Gabriella Romero stood opposite 26 Federal Plaza in Foley Square on Jan. 23, where masked ICE agents have apprehended hundreds of immigrants over the past few months, and officially introduced legislation they say will provide New Yorkers with the ability to sue federal agents for civil rights violations.
The pair says that presently, New Yorkers are unable to sue the likes of ICE agents due to their federal status. The politicians railed that as the immigration crackdown across the country grows, and both immigrants and citizens alike end up interacting with the Feds, they underscored the need to provide the public with a legal path to accountability.
Dubbed the New York Civil Rights Act, the bill would allow New Yorkers to sue federal officers for violating their civil rights, a measure Gov. Kathy Hochul has backed in her executive budget released Tuesday.
“The Trump administration is actively emboldening federal officials to encroach on the rights of our constituents, sending a dangerous message that they can act with impunity. We are responding directly to that message with a resounding no, not here, not in New York State,” Romero said. “This bill gives people the ability to sue bad actors in state court, explicitly creating that state cause of action that is needed at times right now that our constituents are asking us, give us a tool to fight back, give us a resource to do something — this is that something.”
The elected officials pointed to the recent ICE slaying of Minneapolis mother Renee Good, who was shot to death behind the wheel of her vehicle earlier this month. Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who opened fire on Good while wearing a mask, likely would not have been identified without Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem accidentally outing him.
The FBI recently said it would not pursue a criminal investigation against Ross.
Good’s shooting, which prompted national outrage, has not changed ICE’s tactics both in the Twin Cities and in New York. Masked agents continue to roam the halls of Federal Plaza immigration court on a daily basis. They have also been seen in other parts of the city apprehending individuals.
amNewYork quizzed the politicians on how this bill would be beneficial if New Yorkers are unable to identify those who violated their rights. Myrie explained that it prevents masked federal agents from deflecting responsibility for their actions on duty, whether or not they wear a mask.
“What this is saying is that even if someone is masked, even if they are a federal official or agent, if they violate your rights, you should have at least the avenue to hold them accountable,” the state senator said. “Here’s what’s insidious: even if you knew who they were, even if you had their badge number, even if you knew exactly what happened, it was all recorded. Everyone was able to see right now, as the law exists, you cannot sue them. It’s wrong. We shouldn’t accept that. So, we have to start with the bare minimum of giving people that avenue with the hopes that eventually the behavior will follow that accountability.”
