FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          

May 21, 2026

Years of organizing by directly impacted communities deliver historic wins for immigrant New Yorkers

After years of organizing across New York State, in Albany hallways, in community centers, in county jails, and on the streets, we celebrate the state budget’s inclusion of landmark protections that reflect the heart of our campaign’s demands. This win belongs to directly impacted immigrants, their loved ones, community volunteers, and everyday New Yorkers who made their voices impossible to ignore.

Jorge (name changed to protect privacy), an organizer and Mexican immigrant detained at Orange County Jail in 2021, said: “Orange County Jail ending its contract with ICE is excellent news for all immigrants and for my community. When I was detained at Orange County Jail in 2021, the rooms were so small, there was no recreation, no time outside, we were held inside for months. Knowing that immigration detention is ending there brings me real relief. No one should have to experience what I went through.” 

The budget framework accomplishes several core goals of the Dignity Not Detention Coalition. In addition to ending and prohibiting contracts with local jails for ICE detention in New York State, the budget framework further dismantles New York’s role in the federal detention system by making it more difficult for ICE to expand other forms of detention in New York State.

This legislation comes at a critical time in history. As part of its latest deportation dragnet, ICE has rapidly expanded detention contracts in New York State and has used local facilities to detain and transfer immigrant New Yorkers to detention centers across the country. ICE will no doubt try to continue its tactics, but it will no longer be able to use state and local resources to lock up our community members. 

What this means in practice:

Regarding individuals currently detained in facilities that can no longer contract with ICE: ICE has the authority to release many people who are currently in detention. We demand the release of our community members. But we know that ICE will instead threaten to transfer people to other federal facilities in New York or retaliate by sending them far-away states.. Our coalition is monitoring this closely and will advocate for releases and against transfers that separate people further from their families, legal counsel, and communities.

Regarding threats of increased enforcement: Some have suggested that limiting New York’s collusion with ICE will lead to a surge of federal agents in our state. We reject the premise that New York should make itself complicit in detention in order to avoid enforcement. States that have passed strong protections have not seen the catastrophic consequences that have been threatened. And states that have seen a surge of federal agents have resoundingly rejected their presence. New York’s job is to protect its residents—and that is what this budget begins to do.

We are here for people currently in detention:

Our coalition has been organizing alongside people in detention and their loved ones for years. As contracts with ICE wind down, we have plans in place to connect individuals with legal support, ensure they and their advocates are informed, and make certain no one is abandoned in this transition.

The fight continues. We must pass New York for All:

The budget is a major step. It is not the finish line. Under the current framework, local law enforcement can still informally share information with ICE, notify agents of someone's release, and coordinate transfers without any formal agreement, without any contract. New York for All (S2235A/A3506A) closes that gap entirely, banning all forms of collusion between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. We call on Governor Hochul and the state’s Senate and Assembly to pass New York for All without delay. Our communities deserve full protection, not just from formal contracts, but from every informal pathway that feeds the deportation machine.

This is what people power looks like. We are not done.

The Dignity Not Detention coalition is a statewide alliance of directly impacted immigrants, advocates, organizers, and community members fighting to end immigrant detention in New York. 

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Assemblymember Karines Reyes, R.N., Sponsor of the Dignity Not Detention Act and New York for All Act:

"This budget delivers a real, tangible win for immigrant New Yorkers. By ending IGSA agreements and blocking the expansion of ICE detention in our state, we are saying that New York will not profit from the caging of our neighbors, nor contribute to any additional abuse, harm, or the further separation of families. This is the heart of my Dignity Not Detention Act, and seeing it reflected in the final budget is a testament to years of advocacy, organizing, and refusing to back down. But I will be honest: this victory is incomplete. The New York for All Act was always meant to walk alongside Dignity Not Detention, because ending detention contracts is just one step towards widespread protection. Especially, if law enforcement can still share exploiting information with ICE, facilitate deportations at traffic stops, or deceitfully respond to domestic violence calls. Immigrant New Yorkers are still at risk, and our work is not done. Today, we celebrate because this community has earned it. Tomorrow, we fight harder. New York must be for ALL of us, and I will not stop until that promise is kept."

Senator Julia Salazar, prime sponsor of Dignity Not Detention, released the following: “It is shameful that New York actively detains people for ICE, an agency that is ripping families apart and brutalizing people on the streets. There are several local jails in our state that participate in immigration detention, directly supporting the federal administration’s efforts to violently round up our neighbors, separate them from their communities, and ship them off often with little to no due process. With the passage of Dignity Not Detention, New York’s involvement with immigration detention will come to an end. While the State budget and Dignity Not Detention thankfully ban formal agreements with ICE, it does not ban informal collusion. We must pass New York for All to ban both formal and informal agreements, both of which are necessary to prevent ICE from continuing to terrorize our communities.”  

“New York State is finally getting out of the business of ICE detention,” said Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Immigration Policy Director at The Bronx Defenders. “For decades, we have represented hundreds of people forced to fight their deportation cases from inside county jails, while those same counties profited from their abuse and sometimes death. Banning such contracts makes clear that New York will not incentivize these injustices to continue in our State, and we commend the Governor and Legislature for standing firm against an onslaught of dehumanizing misinformation. While we celebrate this win alongside the countless New Yorkers who were detained and lived to fight against their treatment, we will continue to call for the New York for All Act to prevent collusion between local law enforcement and ICE that often leads to detention in the first place.”

“After years of advocacy by immigrant New Yorkers and their supporters, New York State has finally taken an important step to end its complicity with ICE detention by banning current and future contracts that allow local jails and other facilities to incarcerate immigrants fighting their deportation cases,” said Samah Sisay, Staff Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights. “This victory belongs to everyone who has long stated that Dignity Not Detention is needed to build a true sanctuary state, especially the countless immigrants held in ICE custody at local jails, like Orange County Jail, who faced abhorrent abuses and retaliation for trying to build power and demand accountability."

"New York just got out of the business of ICE detention after years of organizing across the state. This victory belongs to the people who organized from inside detention, who testified while living in fear, who refused to let New York profit from their incarceration. Ending these contracts is historic, and the implementation must match the promise. We are watching closely to ensure ICE does not simply transfer people to other facilities or retaliate by moving them out of state. Our community members who remain detained deserve release, not a different cage,” said Tania Mattos, Executive Director of UnLocal. “New York for All must follow. This state will not be done protecting its people until every informal pathway to deportation is closed."

“I’m proud to say I lived to see the day when contracts that have for too long allowed New York State to hold people for ICE come to an end,” said Rosa Santana, Co-Executive Director at Envision Freedom Fund. “After years of organizing alongside directly impacted immigrants, families, and advocates as part of the Dignity Not Detention coalition, this victory belongs to the people who refused to stay silent while New York enabled immigrant detention. The New York government allowed immigrant detention to happen in our own backyard while families were torn apart. This budget marks a historic step toward ending our state’s complicity in detention and sends a clear message that our communities belong together, not in jails. Our communities deserve dignity, not the dehumanization and abuse that happen in detention facilities. #FreeThemAll. And while we celebrate this victory, we know the work continues until New York fully ends all collaboration with ICE by passing New York for All.”

Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:

“We commend lawmakers and Governor Hochul for prioritizing the safety of all New Yorkers by prohibiting contracts between local jails and ICE. Thanks to the incredible work of immigrant community members, advocates from the Dignity not Detention Coalition, and the leadership of Assemblymember Reyes and Senator Salazar, we are closer to ensuring that our state and local resources are not used to expand the immigrant detention capacity in New York State. By prohibiting IGSA agreements, our state has taken clear steps to be on the right side of history. But to fully protect our immigrant neighbors and truly meet this moment, Albany must go further by passing the New York for All Act to safeguard New Yorkers from all forms of collusion between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.” 

“The inclusion of Dignity Not Detention in the New York State budget is a powerful victory for our immigrant communities who have been fighting for these protections for so long,” said Rafaela Uribe, Senior Counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “By ending ICE detention contracts and stopping the expansion of detention centers in New York, our state is taking an important step toward no longer helping ICE detain and deport immigrant communities and getting New York State out of the business of immigrant detention. Now, Governor Hochul must pass New York for All to fully protect our immigrant community.”

“After years of advocacy and organizing, New York has taken a major step toward disentangling itself from the federal immigration detention system. By ending Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs)  and blocking the expansion of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention, we have secured lasting protections against a federal detention system that separates families, fuels mass incarceration, and has led to at least 18 deaths in detention this year alone,” said Fabiola Dávila, Senior Program Associate for the Vera Institute of Justice’s Advancing Universal Representation Initiative. 

NYC-DSA Immigrant Justice Working Group

“Our members have made hundreds of calls to our legislative leaders and we stand behind our Socialists in Office who have stood up for our communities by introducing and boldly advocating for Dignity Not Detention. We’re proud to be part of a coalition who sees the need to make sure our immigrant neighbors are not caged for ICE. While the legislature is currently planning to pass this package of immigration bills … NY4All is not included. New York for All and Dignity not Detention are the floor, not the ceiling. We’re counting on you to help keep the pressure on all of our NY representatives and Governor Hochul to protect every member of our community and pass these crucial bills." 

SURJ NYC
“The New York City chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), a member of the Dignity Not Detention coalition from its inception, is thrilled to see New York State divest from the business of immigration detention. As a core component of the prison-industrial complex, immigration detention is deeply intertwined with white supremacy, and anti-Blackness in particular. Under the current federal regime, moreover, ICE operates as a tool of state control, targeting communities of color and, increasingly, those who support them, sowing fear and suppressing dissent. Banning state and local immigration detention contracts and restricting the federal government's efforts to expand detention through warehouses is crucial for the safety of all New Yorkers, as well as for democracy itself. This victory is a testament to the conviction of directly impacted New Yorkers and passionate volunteer organizers: parents, artists, teachers, students, writers, immigrants and their loved ones. Still, the victory is not yet complete. We call on state lawmakers, and especially Governor Hochul, to ensure the safety of everyone in our state by also passing New York for All.” 

Columbia County Sanctuary Movement

“While for-profit prisons have long been banned in the State of New York, it took years of organizing with community members, unions, faith leaders and advocates to stop local governments from profiting off the incarceration of immigrant bodies,” said Columbia County Sanctuary Movement’s Community Organizer, Dawédo Sanon. “We demanded Dignity Not Detention and we won, finally ending formal collusion with the federal reign of terror. At the same time we must recognize the necessity to pass New York for All to truly protect immigrant communities from our State's continued complicity in the federal deportation agenda.”

Critical Resistance

"This historic victory shows what is possible when communities organize to dismantle the machinery that criminalizes and cages immigrant communities," said Critical Resistance member, Sophia Gurulé. "As proud members of the Dignity Not Detention coalition, we have organized for years to end New York's ICE detention contracts once and for all. Together we will build on this momentum to ensure all those detained in New York are safely reunited with their families and communities. We also know our work is not finished, and urge Governor Hochul to strengthen the provisions in this budget by passing New York for All."

Immigrant Defense Project

“We celebrate the hard work of the Dignity Not Detention coalition and leaders in ending New York State’s shameful complicity in the horrors of ICE detention,” said Yasmine Farhang, Executive Director of the Immigrant Defense Project. “This achievement is a significant milestone. ICE detention is a deeply abusive system of dehumanization that is expanding by the day as part of a terrifying authoritarian push. In particular, our focus is to support community members who face the cruelty of ‘double punishment’, first in the criminal-legal system, then in ICE detention. As we celebrate ending our state’s complicit contracting of detention space to ICE, we also demand in the strongest terms that the Governor and Legislative leadership pass the New York for All Act, which would prevent local law enforcement, jails, and prisons from funneling New Yorkers into detention in the first place.”

Statement from the State Policy Advocacy Clinic at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy 

The State Policy Advocacy Clinic applauds Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature for passing the Dignity Not Detention Act. We are incredibly grateful for all the hard work and dedication this coalition has put into making New York a welcoming place for immigrants. It has been a pleasure to work for and help support this campaign. This landmark legislation takes meaningful steps to end the costly, harmful, and often unnecessary detention of immigrants in New York's jails. Dignity Not Detention curtails state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement that falls outside the core public safety interests of our communities. By refocusing local law enforcement on the people they actually serve, New York is making a clear statement: everyone in this state, citizen and noncitizen alike, deserves to be treated with dignity. Although the Dignity Not Detention Act may not resolve all systemic issues in our nation’s immigration system, it is a critical and overdue affirmation that New York will not be complicit in policies that undermine the health, safety, and well-being of our communities.

Statement from the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights

Today, the Dignity Not Detention coalition has won a historic victory -- and with it, a lifeline for the many youth and families who have been terrorized, dehumanized, and torn apart by New York's complicity in federal immigration detention. We are immensely grateful to every organizer, impacted family member, and ally whose courage and testimonies kept this fight alive for five years and forced Albany to act. Now we call on the legislature to finish the work by passing New York for All and ending its collusion in a detention-to-deportation pipeline that has no place in a state that must stand for human dignity, family unity, and justice.

“As student organizations, we have witnessed firsthand how detention and deportation systems impact members of our own Cornell community, including students and families living with fear, family separation, detention, and the threat of deportation. Through partnerships and coalition work with organizations including Justice for Migrant Families and the Amnesty International USA Refugee and Migrant Rights New York Task Force, our members have traveled to support, visit and advocate for directly impacted individuals detained in ICE custody, including at the federal ICE detention facility in Batavia, New York.” said Jonathan Lam, Co-President and Vice President of Cornell ACLU and CADA. 

"Today’s passage of the Dignity Not Detention Act is a momentous victory for New York’s immigrant communities, their loved ones, and everyone who believes our state should not aid and abet ICE's cruel and inhumane immigration detention system," said Drea Herrera, Senior Organizer with the NYCLU. “By banning contracts between ICE and New York’s local jails, we’ve taken a meaningful step toward ending New York’s complicity in Trump’s mass deportation machine. But to truly protect immigrant New Yorkers from ICE’s cruelty, Albany must end all forms of ICE collusion — including all forms of informal collusion that frequently occurs between police and ICE.  Lawmakers must pass the New York For All Act immediately.”

We welcome this budget as an important first step toward ending New York’s role in the detention system and hope it marks the beginning of a broader effort to dismantle the detention and deportation machine entirely. We join advocates across the state in calling for the passage of New York for All to fully end all forms of collaboration between local authorities and ICE, and we remain committed to fighting for a future rooted in human rights, dignity, and community care for all migrants.”