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NEW YORK — After a Minneapolis resident was horrifically shot and killed by a federal agent on Wednesday, and the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on immigrants, a broad coalition of New York State elected officials, legal service providers, advocates, and impacted families urged immediate and decisive state action today to protect due process through the Campaign for Access, Representation, and Equity (CARE) for Immigrant Families.

The campaign is calling for $175 million in FY27 to fund sustainable, statewide immigration legal services, along with passage of the Access to Representation Act (ARA) and the Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense Act (BUILD), to safeguard New York from federal overreach that threatens to tear families apart and destabilize communities.

The coalition of more than 100 organizations—including the Vera Institute of Justice, the New York Immigration Coalition, Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative (Immigrant ARC), New York Civil Liberties Union, Neighbors Link, and Immigrant Children Advocates’ Relief Effort—highlighted the dramatic escalation in federal enforcement, record number of people in detention, and evisceration of due process rights. 

The administration’s unprecedented $170 billion enforcement budget enables mass detention, sweeping raids, and the deployment of federal troops—creating unparalleled threats to New York’s immigrant communities. Nearly 12,800 people have been detained in New York through mid-October—more than double the number of people as the same period a year prior. 

As of November, pending cases before New York State immigration courts have reached 327,000, and nearly 30 percent of those facing deportation lack legal representation. This number is even higher for detained people in New York immigration courts, with 40 percent of detained people lacking counsel—a stark indicator of an overwhelmed ecosystem now stretched beyond capacity.

In response to this deepening threat, the CARE campaign has outlined a comprehensive defense strategy, calling for

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  $175 million in FY27 for immigration legal services. This investment includes $85 million to sustain existing programs, $50 million for new emergency deportation defense, and $40 million to expand capacity-building and infrastructure investments.

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  Passing the Access to Representation Act (ARA). The ARA (A270/S141) would establish a right to counsel in immigration court, ensuring that anyone facing deportation who cannot afford a lawyer is provided one under a universal representation model.
   

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  Passing the Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense Act (BUILD). The BUILD Act (A2689/S4538) would provide funding to strengthen legal services infrastructure through workforce development, rural expansion, and the integration of social workers to coordinate client support.

   

“While Donald Trump continues to rip apart families and ravage immigrant communities, New York will fight back and defend our neighbors,” said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. "We must immediately take every possible action to establish protections in the law against the inhumane abuses we are witnessing more and more every day.”

“As the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda attacks immigrant New Yorkers, we must defend immigrant communities and meet this moment with action,” said Assemblymember Catalina Cruz. “New York has always been a sanctuary for those seeking safety, opportunity, and justice. But without legal representation, too many of our immigrant neighbors are forced to fight for their futures alone in a system stacked against them. Having a trusted and reputable immigration attorney is more essential than ever for reducing wrongful deportations and being able to understand and defend one’s rights in the immigration system. Our state must invest $175 million in legal services to ensure that no New Yorker is left without a fighting chance. Passing proven and effective legislation like the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act is not just about policy—it’s about standing up for the fundamental right to due process. This is how we push back against the injustice of a federal agenda that separates families, uproots people from their communities, and is against all that New York stands for.”

“As the Trump White House continues to throw billions of taxpayer dollars toward a hostile detention and deportation campaign, law-abiding immigrants are often left to face a chaotic and overwhelmed court system without access to legal counsel,” said State Senator John Liu. “New York needs to fight back by fully funding immigration legal services, establishing a right to counsel, and bolstering workforce development throughout immigration court. The Access to Representation Act and BUILD Act are not only matters of due process but a reflection of our core values of liberty and justice for all. Many thanks to Senator Mike Gianaris, [Assemblymember Catalina] Cruz, and the thousands of advocates across the state who are relentless in the fight to make sure these critical investments are available to help protect immigrant New Yorkers.”

"President Trump’s escalated enforcement and rhetoric over the last year have placed millions of New York families in jeopardy, creating a real risk of mass deportations and separations that is endangering our communities and New York’s future,” said Kelsey Pirnak, advocacy manager for the Vera Institute of Justice’s Advancing Universal Representation Initiative. “New York State leaders face a definitive choice: stand by as neighbors’ lives are upended or take bold, protective action. We must see unwavering investment in legal defense. That means fully funding immigration legal services at $175 million and passing the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act—essential measures to ensure every person who needs legal representation in immigration court in New York receives it.”

“Legal representation can determine whether or not immigrant families are separated, lives are uprooted, or a loved one is deported to a country where their life is at risk,” said Zach Ahmad, senior policy counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union. “As federal immigration authorities aggressively ramp up arrests to meet cruel immigration quotas, New York lawmakers must step up and pass the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act to ensure legal funding is guaranteed for immigrants who need it. Access to a lawyer shouldn’t be incumbent on how much money someone has in their pocket.”

“Immigrant New Yorkers face unprecedented threats to their safety, the well-being of their families, and their ability to stay in their communities. Each day brings escalating violence, more neighbors being abducted and further erosion of due process, as the federal government advances its inhumane and arbitrary deportation agenda,” said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition. “Access to legal counsel in immigration court is the difference between family unity and family separation. We call on our lawmakers to ensure that all New Yorkers in immigration court have equitable access to legal services if they cannot afford it.  By making an investment of $175 million in immigration legal services and critical deportation defense work, as well as  passing the Access to Representation and BUILD Acts, New York can guarantee no immigrant New Yorker faces immigration court without life-saving representation.”

“The Trump administration is pushing the immigration system to the brink through deliberate cruelty,” said Ellen Pachnanda, CEO of Immigrant ARC. “With the system stacked against them, families and communities pay the price. Without state investment, federal authorities will continue to swiftly deport individuals, tearing families apart. The government shows up with lawyers; families show up alone—setting them up for failure. Fully funding immigration legal services—and passing the Access to Representation Act and BUILD Act—is how New York makes it clear: due process is not optional and justice cannot be selective.”

“Right now, children are being moved through an immigration system that was never designed for them—expected to appear in court, make life-altering legal decisions, and navigate complex processes without an attorney or a trusted adult in their corner,” said Sierra Kraft, executive director of the Immigrant Children Advocates’ Relief Effort (ICARE) Coalition. “At ICARE, we see every day how harmful that is for young people, particularly those navigating trauma, family separation, and high-stakes legal deadlines at a critical stage in their development. The ARA/BUILD Act is urgently needed because it invests in the systems that allow children and youth to stabilize, remain with family, and move forward with dignity. Access to counsel is what separates a child being processed by an enforcement system from a child being protected within it.”

"As we see immigrants across New York facing a widespread federal deportation and detention agenda, the need for immigration legal services is more critical than ever," said Karin Anderson Ponzer, director of legal services at Neighbors Link. "In New York, we have the opportunity to be a national leader in defending the rights of immigrants. Fully funding immigration legal services at $175 million and passing the Access to Representation Act and BUILD Act is a critical step in protecting the rights of immigrant families so they can stay together, continue to work, go to school, and remain in their communities.” 

Background  

Currently, people facing deportation are not guaranteed a right to appointed counsel. Instead, many who cannot afford to hire legal representation are forced to defend themselves against a trained government lawyer. Investing in legal defense will promote fairness, family unity, and economic stability in a time when immigrants are at acute risk from federal attacks. 

Funding for new and expanded immigration legal services is a proven solution to meet the needs of people seeking stability and a chance to work and support their families, protect New Yorkers at risk of deportation, and put into place long-term infrastructure to equip New York to support communities with life-saving legal services. Passing the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act will address the uncertainty surrounding the state budget’s annual funding for immigrant legal services by creating a right to an attorney for any New Yorker facing deportation who cannot afford to hire one on their own. 

As the Trump administration escalates sweeping arrests and mass deportations, these measures will protect New Yorkers from aggressive federal actions and will promote economic stability as the state faces labor shortages and declining population growth. Investments in legal services will promote community safety and economic stability across New York by ensuring that more parents remain home with their children, more essential workers remain on the job, and more business owners continue to invest in and support our communities. 

About the Campaign for Access, Representation, and Equity (CARE) for Immigrant Families: The Vera Institute of Justice, the New York Immigration Coalition, Immigrant ARC, New York Civil Liberties Union, Neighbors Link, and Immigrant Children Advocates’ Relief Effort lead CARE for Immigrant Families, along with a coalition of more than 100 leading organizations, religious groups, labor unions, and elected officials united to call for a $175 million investment in immigration legal services and passage of the Access to Representation Act (ARA) and Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense (BUILD) Act. The ARA (A270/S141) will guarantee access to legal representation for people at risk of deportation in New York. Sponsored by Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris and Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, the legislation would be the first in the nation to create a statewide right to legal representation for people facing deportation who cannot afford it, whether they have recently arrived in the state or have been New Yorkers for decades. The BUILD Act (A2689/S4538) is a companion bill to the ARA that creates a dedicated four-year fund to strengthen New York’s immigration legal services infrastructure, sponsored by Senator John Liu and Assemblymember Catalina Cruz.

The Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.

Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative (I-ARC) is a collaborative of over 100 organizations and professional associations providing legal services to New York’s immigrant communities throughout the state. Born out of the legal effort at JFK Airport during the Muslim travel ban in 2017, our mission is clear: to mobilize New York State’s legal service providers by facilitating communication and information sharing to better support our immigrant communities; to organize and respond to issues as they arise by coordinating resources and fostering best practices among providers; and to resist and challenge anti-immigrant policies by shining a light on injustices and confronting inequalities faced by our communities in the legal system. For more information, visit www.immigrantarc.org.

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York. The NYIC serves one of the largest and most diverse newcomer populations in the United States. The multiracial and multisector NYIC membership base includes grassroots and nonprofit community organizations, religious and academic institutions, labor unions, and legal and socioeconomic justice organizations. The NYIC not only establishes a forum for immigrant groups to voice their concerns but also provides a platform for collective action to drive positive social change. Since its founding in 1987, the NYIC has evolved into a powerful voice of advocacy by spearheading innovative policies, promoting and protecting the rights of immigrant communities, improving newcomer access to services, developing leadership and capacity, expanding civic participation, and mobilizing member groups to respond to the fluctuating needs of immigrant communities.

New York Civil Liberties Union advances civil rights and civil liberties so that all New Yorkers can live with dignity, liberty, justice, and equality. Founded in 1951 as the state affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union, we marshal an expert mix of litigation, policy advocacy, field organizing, and strategic communications. Informed by the insights of our communities and coalitions and powered by 90,000 member-donors, we work across complex issues to create more justice and liberty for more people.

Neighbors Link is a nonprofit organization that works to build stronger communities through immigrant empowerment and integration. We are headquartered in Mount Kisco, have three locations in Westchester County, and offer services throughout the Hudson Valley. We serve more than 10,000 immigrants annually. Our work to educate, empower, and employ families include English language education, immigration legal services, workforce development, parent education, digital literacy programming, early childhood programs, and academic support for school-age children of immigrants. Our legal department, Neighbors Link Community Law Practice, provides a full array of free immigration legal services.

Immigrant Children Advocates’ Relief Effort (ICARE) is a coalition of legal advocates dedicated to expanding access to legal representation for immigrant children facing deportation in New York City, while advocating for universal access to counsel. Since 2014, ICARE has supported over 14,000 unaccompanied children through a centralized referral system that connects young people to quality legal representation, strengthens provider capacity, and drives policy advocacy. Visit www.icarecoalition.org to learn more.