The New York City Council’s Common-Sense Caucus has penned a letter to the NYC Charter Revision Commission, appointed by the mayor in May this year, requesting that the proposal to abolish various sanctuary laws protecting illegal immigrants in New York City be included in the upcoming November referendum. The Charter Revision Commission held a series of hearings to gather feedback, with a hearing taking place on July 22 at the Queens Central Library. Several city council members expressed their support or opposition to the proposal.
Since 1981, a court mandated that New York City provide temporary housing for every homeless person requesting it, under the “Right to Shelter Law.” This law has been in effect for over 40 years in New York City, while other major U.S. cities do not have such a provision. Due to restrictions imposed by sanctuary laws, the NYPD cannot enforce detention orders issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and may not even communicate with ICE (unless the individual is convicted). Lack of coordination between local law enforcement agencies and federal authorities could also lead to a surge in gang-related immigrant crimes.
District 32 Councilwoman Joann Ariola voiced her support during the hearing for including a referendum on whether to repeal New York City’s sanctuary laws on the ballot this November.
She pointed out that due to these laws, New York City spends $1.98 billion annually on providing housing for illegal immigrants, not including costs for transportation and other services. Meanwhile, other parts of the city are deteriorating, valuable city services are being cut, budgets meant to benefit New Yorkers are being sidelined, and since the immigration crisis erupted in April 2022, many New Yorkers have left the city. She emphasized that the Charter Revision Commission represents the last hope for New York City to regain fiscal solvency and public safety, and residents should have the right to decide how their hard-earned money and taxes are spent.
However, some council members cautioned against hasty actions.
Councilwoman Pierina Sanchez from District 14 cautioned against rushing through the process, stating that amending the charter is a serious and daunting task. She noted that the current process has not adequately listened to community input, and the mayor’s push for this revision seems hurried. She suggested slowing down the process and committing to a robust schedule for community engagement next year, allowing sufficient time for communities to voice their opinions. She emphasized that her community is predominantly immigrant, heavily reliant on sanctuary city policies for safety and protection.
Crystal Hudson, Councilwoman of District 35, criticized the rush to amend the city charter, arguing that it undermines efforts to enhance accountability and transparency. She stated that adding the amendment to the ballot without substantial public input after only a few sparsely attended meetings is premature. She highlighted that in this year’s major election, voters are focused on presidential elections rather than specific issues in New York City.
Asian American Councilwoman Julie Won suggested deferring the consideration of this matter to the next city-level elections in the following year, emphasizing that more time means genuine community engagement, offering better ideas and more education for New Yorkers.
Meanwhile, Councilman Robert Holden, who is pushing for the amendment, urged voters to write to the NYC Charter Revision Commission, urging them to include the repeal of sanctuary city laws in the referendum. He cited a recent report by the Department of Homeland Security showing that 400 individuals linked to terrorists have entered the U.S. Recently, undocumented immigrants assaulted a 13-year-old girl in Keensena Park and a Venezuelan immigrant involved in gang activities shot at two NYPD officers, highlighting the dangers.
Outside the Queens Central Library hearing, leaders and members of the City Council’s Core Caucus held a press conference, urging the Charter Revision Commission not to rush into including a referendum on whether to amend sanctuary city laws in the city charter during the 2024 general election.