Committee on Immigration meeting
March 9, 2026, 10:00 AM
The committee held an oversight hearing on sanctuary protections for immigrant communities and heard two related bills: Int 0055-2026, which would require signage about certain rights, and Int 0261-2026, which would prohibit the city from sharing certain immigration-related information with federal authorities.
What was discussed
- Chair Encarnación opens the sanctuary-protections hearing and sponsor Krishnan introduces Int 261 Council Member Elsie Encarnación, Chair of the Committee on Immigration, gaveled in an oversight hearing on the city's sanctuary protections and two bills, and Council Member Shekar Krishnan described his Intro 261, which would bar the city from sharing certain immigration-related information with
- MOIA Commissioner Faiza Ali presents the administration's sanctuary work Faiza Ali, on her sixth day as Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, testified that under Mayor Mamdani immigrant protection is a 'defining commitment,' described MOIA's Know Your Rights materials, the Interagency Task Force and a new Interagency Response Committee, and said the
- Public Advocate Williams gives a statement in support of sanctuary protections Public Advocate Jumaane Williams delivered a mid-hearing statement noting New York City is home to more than 3 million immigrants under what he called an unprecedented attack on their rights, and urged the Council and administration to strengthen and enforce the city's sanctuary protections.
- How big is MOIA's staff, and who handles detainer and sanctuary compliance? Chair Encarnación pressed on MOIA's capacity. Commissioner Ali said the office has about 60 staff across MOIA and other agency lines but only four to five direct MOIA lines currently, and said in-house policy and legal staff handle detainer and sanctuary-law questions, with agency engagement running
- How is the immigration hotline used, and when are the agency sanctuary audits due? Council Member Gale A. Brewer asked about Project Open Arms, storefront outreach, the legal-help hotline, and the executive-order audits. Commissioner Ali reported the Catholic Charities-run hotline (reachable via 311 or MOIA) received 13,912 calls from July 2025 to February 2026, with 13,357
- Which agencies would Int 55's rights signage cover? Council Member Alexa Avilés pressed whether Intro 55's signage requirement would extend beyond DOE to agencies like Health + Hospitals, CUNY, and NYPD precincts where people come into contact with the city. Commissioner Ali said the administration looks forward to working out how expansive the bill
- What role will MOIA play in enforcing sanctuary-law compliance? Council Member Krishnan and Chair Encarnación asked about accountability following the prior administration's near-violations and DOI's reports on NYPD and DOC. Commissioner Ali said MOIA, under Executive Order 13, will review agency audits, identify training gaps, and make recommendations, and
- How will MOIA protect immigrant students and CUNY students? Council Members Rita C. Joseph and Avilés asked how MOIA will protect students, citing youth still in federal custody and ICE activity near schools. Commissioner Ali pointed to Project Open Arms, the citywide DOE coordination body, pledged outreach to the new Chancellor and the CUNY system, and said
- Immigration legal-service providers back the bills and warn of funding cuts Legal-services organizations—including Melissa Chua (NYLAG), Lucia Goyen (Catholic Charities), Lauren Migliaccio (Immigrant Justice Corps), Deborah Lee (Legal Aid Society), Sophie Dalsimer (Brooklyn Defender Services/NYFA), Karla Ostolaza (Bronx Defenders), and youth providers Juan Diaz (Children's
- Faith and community organizations support Know Your Rights signage Community and faith-based groups—including Khadijiatu Muhammad (African Communities Together), Van Xelo (Mixteca), Randy Ali (Arab American Family Support Center), Gurvir Singh Sidhu (Sikh Coalition), the Interfaith Center, Rabbi Adam Graubart (Jews for Racial and Economic Justice), and RISE network
- Healthcare workers urge hospital signage and ending the H+H Palantir contract Members of Health Justice for New York—including Dr. Jasmeet Sandhu, Dr. Betty Kolod, and Dr. Steve Auerbach—testified in support of Intros 55 and 261 with amendments, urging that public healthcare facilities be explicitly covered by the signage bill and that the city cancel contracts with
- A Sunset Park resident recounts an ICE raid on her building Barbara Lopez, a longtime immigrant and citizen from Sunset Park, testified through an interpreter that ICE activity in her neighborhood has surged, describing agents entering her building at 4:15 a.m. on February 25, ringing all the doorbells and forcing the door, and urged the Council to pass
- Activists demand the city cut surveillance tools and resist ICE Members of Workers Strike Back—including Alberto Oliart, Mia Casera, and Vincent Hickey—gave more confrontational testimony, leading 'shut down ICE' chants, criticizing Mayor Mamdani's budget for funding the NYPD's Domain Awareness System surveillance network, and arguing that Know Your Rights
Agenda
3 items
- T2026-1036 Oversight - Sanctuary Protections for Immigrant Communities. Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0055-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to signage describing certain local laws and know-your-rights information Hearing Held by Committee
- Int 0261-2026 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to prohibiting the city of New York from contracting with entities engaged in immigration enforcement Hearing Held by Committee