Dozens of immigrants and advocates gathered outside of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Midtown office on Thursday, demanding that she push for the passage and enactment of the New York for All Act that would bar local and law enforcement and government agencies from collaborating with ICE.
The rally took place on International Migrants Day amid the ongoing Trump immigration crackdown that has seen hundreds of people detained at 26 Federal Plaza’s immigration court and other parts of the city; many of the detained abided with court appearance orders and do not have criminal records.
Holding up signs demanding that the governor make the legislation law, the participants in the rally — spearheaded by Make the Road New York — said they are terrified of what they see in the news and want New York state to take action to halt collaboration with the feds on immigration enforcement.
“I’m a single mother of four who has lived in Westchester for 10 years. We used to go about our daily lives in Yonkers without worry. Nowadays, I fear that something could happen on my commute to work when I drive from one county to another. I worry that one day I won’t return home to my family. Many of my neighbors also live in constant fear—afraid to drive to work,” said one participant named Aracelis. “We need assurances that people like me and my family can access essential services without fear of detention and deportation. That’s why I am asking Governor Hochul to use her leadership to pass the New York for All Act in the upcoming legislative session.”
For months, amNewYork has documented everything from ICE arrests in the federal courthouse to arrests in the street and even mass raids, like the one that was infamously performed on Canal Street in Lower Manhattan, in addition to following the journey of families as they deal with separations from their loved ones.
Senior Policy Counsel at the NYCLU Zach Ahmad said it is imperative that the New York For All act be passed next year to give the state’s immigrants an extra layer of protection from federal immigration authorities.
“At a moment when ICE is raiding workplaces, ripping children from their homes, and shipping immigrant parents off to foreign prisons, it’s a shameful failure and stunning abdication of responsibility that the New York Legislature refused to pass a single bill protecting immigrants in 2025,” Ahmad, said.
Rachel Kahan, a member of Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network, also spoke, looking to declare the importance of immigrants as essential workers and the damage these arrests will have not just on families but also on the community and economy.
“Immigrant domestic workers make it possible for families like mine to live, work, and thrive. They are essential to New York. But right now, ICE is terrorizing communities through early morning raids and detaining people at routine check-ins at Federal Plaza. The NYPD and FBI are surveilling volunteers providing legal court watch support. When immigrants are targeted, the ripple effect touches all of us,” Kahan said.
amNewYork reached out to the Governor’s Office for comment and is still awaiting a response.
