March 9, 2026
Dear Governor Hochul, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Speaker Heastie:
As a diverse group of organizations working to improve immediate and long-term outcomes for children and families, we write to urge you to protect New York’s immigrant children and families by passing New York for All (S.2235A Gounardes/A.3506A Reyes), investing $175 million in immigration legal services, and enacting the Access to Representation Act (ARA) (A.270 Cruz) and the Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense (BUILD) Act (S.4538 Liu/A.2689 Cruz) this legislative session.
Approximately 37.5% of New York children—more than 1,406,000 children—live in immigrant families, and an estimated 324,400 children across New York State live with an undocumented family member. All are at risk of experiencing family separation due to sweeping non-targeted federal immigration enforcement actions. The impacts of family separation on children can be devastating, resulting in long-term health and psychological effects. The detention or deportation of a caregiver can also cause families to experience significant income loss and, in the most acute cases, can result in children entering the foster care system.
Just the fear of being swept up in immigration enforcement actions is harmful. The chilling effect of intensified enforcement results in fewer families accessing the programs and benefits for which they are eligible, with harmful ripple effects for children’s health, nutrition, early learning, and wellbeing. For children to grow, learn, and thrive, their caregivers and families must be able to participate freely in their communities—to work, attend school, engage in community life, and access public programs—without fear of immigration enforcement.
New York State has the power to protect our immigrant children and families by passing New York for All—which would prevent New York state and local agencies and personnel from engaging in any federal immigration enforcement activity except what is explicitly required by governing federal law—and ensure all New Yorkers swept up in immigration enforcement have access to legal services. New York’s children—regardless of immigration status—deserve to grow up free from the fear of family separation. It is time for New York to take bold, concrete action to protect them—this year, without delay.
New York for All
The New York for All Act (S.2235A Gounardes/A.3506A Reyes) would direct state and local officials to refrain from engaging in any federal immigration law enforcement activity or from sharing sensitive information with federal immigration authorities, except as explicitly required by governing federal law. The Act would also prohibit federal immigration officers from entering non-public areas of state and local property without a judicial warrant. By creating a clear distinction between New York State and municipal personnel and programs on the one hand, and federal immigration enforcement on the other, this legislation will help alleviate the fear that many immigrants live with every day, fear that leaves many afraid to interact with government at any level—including public schools or county social services—and allow them to care for their families and participate fully in our communities and seek the benefits they may need.
Notably, the Governor has proposed legislation that would offer some of the protections included in New York for All, but it does not go far enough. Among the shortcomings of the Governor’s proposal, local governments would still be allowed to engage in federal immigration law enforcement activity (just not in the context of the 287-g agreement), and federal immigration agents would still be able to enter many non-public areas of many state and local government locations, including the DMV and social services agencies.
Immigration Legal Services: $175 Million, the ARA, and the BUILD Act
Passing New York for All is essential—but it is not enough. Immigrant New Yorkers who are detained or placed in removal proceedings urgently need access to legal representation. Unlike in criminal proceedings, immigrants facing deportation have no guaranteed right to an attorney, meaning that parents, caregivers, and community members are forced to navigate a complex legal system alone—all too often leading directly to detention and deportation, and to devastating family separations. Data show that immigrants without legal representation are far more likely to be detained or deported than those with representation. Specifically, according to a national survey and analysis, non-detained individuals without legal representation were 2.5 times more likely to be removed than those with representation; among detained individuals, those without representation were 10.5 percentage points more likely to be ordered removed than those with legal representation.
To address this, we urge the State to do the following:
- Invest $175 million in immigration legal services via the Office for New Americans to sustain existing programs and stand up critical new programs.
- Pass the Access to Representation Act (A.270), which would provide any income-eligible New Yorker facing legal challenges relating to their immigration status—including parents and caregivers who are the bedrock of their children’s lives—the right to ongoing legal representation. Administered through the New York State Office for New Americans, the ARA would establish clear standards for quality representation, provide for oversight and data collection, and create accountability mechanisms to ensure that the right to counsel is a reality, not just a promise.
- Pass the Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense (BUILD) Act (S.4538/A.2689), which would establish a competitive grant program to build the workforce and infrastructure needed to deliver the right to counsel at scale. Grants would support workforce recruitment and training, linguistically appropriate legal services, technical assistance, community navigator services, retention strategies to address burnout and equitable compensation, expanded capacity in rural and underserved communities, and physical and technological infrastructure. Crucially, the BUILD Act directs that services be provided regardless of a person’s ability to pay, prior contact with the criminal legal system, or the perceived strength of their legal case—ensuring that no family is turned away.
Together, these investments and legislative actions would ensure that no immigrant New Yorker—no parent, no caregiver, no child—is forced to face the immigration legal system alone.
Keeping families together is not only a moral imperative; it is a sound investment in the health, stability, and future of New York’s children. We urge State leaders to meet this moment. Now is the time to ensure that New York State is the best place for all families, regardless of immigration status, to live, work, play, learn, and grow.
Sincerely,
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy
211 New York Inc.
All Our Kin
Alliance for Quality Education
Arab American Family Support Center
Asian American Federation
Black Child Development Institute – New York State
CAMBA Legal Services
Catholic Charities New York
CASA-NYC
Center for Montessori Education |NY Inc.
Child Care Council of Suffolk, Inc.
Children’s Defense Fund – New York
Children’s Rights
Chinese-American Planning Council
Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York
Committee for Hispanic Children & Families (CHCF)
Dads for All
DAY ONE Early Learning Community Inc.
Early Care & Learning Council
ECE on the Move
Empire Justice Center
Empire State Campaign for Child Care
Equity Advocates
FPWA
Families Together in New York State
Gema’s Childcare
Good+ Foundation
Hunger Solutions New York
Immigrant Resources Volunteer Network of St. Lawrence County
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan of New York, Inc.
La Red de Pueblos Trasnacionales/Transnational Villages Network
Lawyers For Children
Liftoff WNY
Literacy in Community (LINC)
LiveOn NY
National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
New York Association for the Education of Young Children
New York Civil Liberties Union
New York State Council of Churches
New York State Citizen Review Panels for Child Protective Services
New York State Montessori Alliance
New York State Network for Youth Success
Northern Rivers
Part of the Solution (POTS)
PowHer NY Network
RMAPI (Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative)
Show Up Long Island
Staten Island Inter-Religious Leadership
The Children’s Agenda
The Innovative Daycare Corp
The Legal Aid Society
The Red Door Place
United Neighborhood Houses
United Way of New York City
United Way of New York State
Unlocal
WNY Child Care Action Team
WNY Women’s Foundation
Westchester Children’s Association
Westchester Justice for Families
cc: Senator Andrew Gounardes
Assemblymember Karines Reyes
Karen Persichilli Keogh, Secretary to the Governor
Jackie Bray, Director of Operations
Brian Mahanna, Counsel to the Governor
Blake Washington, Budget Director
Peter Hatch, Deputy Secretary for Human Services and Mental Hygiene
Lisa Vasnani, Assistant Counsel to the Governor
Emma Vadehra, Policy Director, Governor Hochul
Jonathan Lang, Secretary of Majority Counsel & Program, NYS Senate
Dorothy Powell, Counsel to the Majority Leader
Emily Bruggeman, Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, NYS Senate Majority
Chris Friend, Secretary of Finance, NYS Senate
Alana Sivin, Counsel to the Speaker
Jennifer Best, Deputy Secretary to Speaker for Policy & Administration, NYS Assembly
David Rodriguez DeCancio, Senior Advisor, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie
Phil Fields, Secretary to the Ways and Means Committee, NYS Assembly
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