New York Adopts Measures to Strengthen Immigrant Protection Following Audit

New York, May 22 (EFE) - New York City is bolstering its protections for immigrants by adopting recommendations from the "Executive Order 13 Audit." This audit, prompted by an order signed on February 6th aimed at shielding New Yorkers from abusive immigration enforcement, sought to establish a unified response mechanism for crisis situations and to clearly define interactions with federal immigration agencies.

The city, recognized as a 'sanctuary city,' has faced increased scrutiny and actions from federal immigration authorities, particularly since the current administration took office. The audit highlighted a significant surge in arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in New York, a 71% increase compared to the previous administration's period. Many of these arrests occurred in or near immigration courts, actions that have drawn widespread criticism and, in some cases, violated judicial orders.

The audit's findings were stark: ICE intensified surveillance of shelters, drastically increased requests to detain individuals beyond their release dates, and employed other aggressive and deceptive tactics. In response, the city is mandating stricter protocols. The Department of Correction saw an over 120% rise in ICE detention requests, while the Police Department received a vastly higher number of requests compared to the previous year. Recommendations include immediate notification to high-level police officials for any 911 calls involving immigration agents, ensuring city employees do not comply with administrative orders from ICE without a judicial warrant, and prohibiting ICE from using city property as operational bases for raids.