The de Blasio Administration today announced that New York City, together with a coalition of 20 other cities and counties across the nation and the United States Conference of Mayors, has submitted an amicus brief to help defeat a Trump Administration lawsuit seeking to invalidate three California state laws. Among other things, the Trump Administration is suing for greater access to sensitive information that states and local governments collect from immigrant members of the community in the course of delivering services to all residents. Amici filed their brief in United States v. California to support California’s effort to limit the information it turns over, arguing that disclosing the information would erode the trust it has built with residents—including in vulnerable immigrant communities—that is necessary to effectively protect the safety and health of all residents.
“In New York City, we have shown how welcoming immigrants has helped make this the safest big city in the country,” said NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are all better off when we have policies in place that ensure residents are willing to report crime and assist the police, complain about unsafe conditions, send their children to school, and seek medical treatment. In New York, we will vigorously defend against any effort to undermine our local laws to protect the confidential information of our resident immigrants.”
“While this lawsuit specifically targets the state of California, it is in reality an attack on all state and local governments across the country that have adopted policies that encourage immigrant residents to share confidential information essential to effective law enforcement and necessary to access important social services. These policies have proven effective in keeping our states and cities safe and enhancing the quality of life of our communities,” said Zachary W. Carter, Corporation Counsel of the City of New York.
