New York Bill Blocks Local Governments From Aiding Immigration Authorities

New York City NY

12 February, 2021

3:15 PM

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By Deanna Garcia, DocumentedNY February 12 2021 This summary was featured in Documented's Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here. New York state lawmakers announced a bill this week that will block state and local governments from supplying resources or personnel to federal immigration enforcement officials. The bill will also ban the disclosure of information deemed sensitive to federal immigration officials. It will build upon past measures to bar coordination between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and state and local authorities. "We cannot allow for our state and local governments to be complicit in the systemic abuse that ICE inflicts on our communities, including preventing people from accessing essential services," said state Sen. Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn). Spectrum News In other local immigration news… Pearl River Mart Was Never Just a Store. It Was Always a Movement. Documented Original After 49 years of service, Pearl River Mart, also known as "that store that sells Chinese tchotchkes," announced Dec. 4 on Instagram that its doors will be closing after an argument with its landlord. Like other businesses during the pandemic, the store was not able to pay full rent and its landlord continued to ask for money. The store does plan to reopen elsewhere, marking the second time it had to move because of rental pressures. Ming Yi Chen originally opened Pearl River Mart in 1971 to open up his own community of Chinese immigrants in the city. He didn't anticipate the store lasting more than two years. Read more at Documented Family Still Calls for Justice a Year After ICE Shooting Last February, Erick Diaz-Cruz, a Mexican man who was visiting his mother on a travel visa, was shot in Gravesend by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The ICE agents claimed to be NYC police officers and were trying to arrest his mother's long-term partner, Gaspar Avendaño-Hernandez. According to court filings, Diaz-Cruz shielded his face with his hands before the officer shot him, sending a bullet through his hand and into his left cheek. The incident sparked protests outside Maimonides Medical Center and outrage from elected officials. The bullet wound caused Diaz-Cruz to undergo extreme facial reconstructive surgery and two more future surgeries, leaving him with more than $300,000 in medical bills. Brooklyn Paper Documented NY is a non-profit news site devoted solely to covering New York City's immigrants and the policies that affect their lives.