New York For All Advocacy Day in Albany
New York for All Rally on the Million Dollar Staircase at the Capitol, 2.25.26
Katal Members and Staff in Albany Demanding the Passage of New York for All, 2.25.26
Yesterday, we joined the New York for All Advocacy Day in Albany with the New York Immigration Coalition and dozens of other immigrant rights groups from across the state. We, along with hundreds of New Yorkers, called on the NY legislature to pass the New York For All Act NOW! See photos from the rally here.
The New York for All Act ( S.2235 – Gounardes/ A.3506 – Reyes) prohibits New York’s state and local government agencies, including police and sheriffs, from colluding with ICE, disclosing sensitive information, and diverting personnel or other resources to further federal immigration enforcement. It also ensures that people in custody are informed of their rights before being interviewed by ICE. The act prohibits ICE and CBP from entering non-public areas of state and local property without a judicial warrant and begins the process of limiting their access to state information databases. To learn more about New York for All, check out this fact sheet.
The threat of ICE targeting and harming our communities runs deeper than formal agreements. ICE’s reach extends into jails, probation offices, corrections facilities, municipalities, and even the public services our neighbors depend on for survival. We must prohibit ALL information sharing and collusion between any state or local agency and ICE. No exceptions. No loopholes. No compromises.
After the powerful rally at the Capitol, our members and staff went over to the Legislative Office Building to do drop-ins with Senators and Assemblymembers. We spoke to a dozen legislators and called on them to sign on to the New York for All Act and to raise it with leadership in both houses. We have the power to pass #NY4All and free New York from ICE’s grip.
Katal Member Shureen Speaking with Her Senator About New York For All, 2.25.26
If you would like to join our organizing efforts to help pass New York for All, please contact Melanie at melanie@katalcenter.org.
SCOC February Monthly Meeting
Yesterday, our members and staff attended the State Commission of Correction’s (SCOC) February monthly meeting in Albany. The public portion of this meeting lasted three minutes. It’s shameful. During this meeting, the SCOC yet again failed to address the deaths, medical neglect, and violence at Rikers Island and in other jails and prisons across New York.
With the overhaul of the SCOC signed into law in December, the Governor must appoint reform-oriented commissioners who will ensure the SCOC fulfills its constitutional mandate to ensure that correctional facilities across New York – all local jails and state prisons – are “safe, stable, and humane.” With lives at stake, we’re continuing to organize to ensure the proper implementation of this reform so that the SCOC works aggressively to meet its mandate.
If you’d like to join our organizing efforts around the State Commission of Correction, please contact Yonah at yonah@katalcenter.org.
Save the Date: No Kings 3 on March 28th
On Saturday, March 28th, we will join the No Kings protest, which is shaping up to be the largest nonviolent protest in American history. As President Trump escalates his attempts to control us, it is on us, the people, to show that we will fight to protect one another. History teaches us that people-powered movements are how we end authoritarianism.
As families can’t afford healthcare, food, and housing, President Trump is spending billions to send ICE agents into our communities. To this we say: HELL NO. We’re standing up with our communities to reject Trump’s fear and violence. In America, we have NO KINGS, and power still belongs to the people. We hope you can join us on Saturday, March 28th.
If you would like to join us for the No Kings protest on Saturday, March 28th, please reach out to Lakenya at lakenya@katalcenter.org.
March Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call
Our next NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call is Thursday, March 12th, at noon! Right, the Senate and Assembly are preparing to issue their one-house budget bills as the state budget is due at the end of March. On our statewide call, we’ll spend extra time discussing the budget and the latest updates from Albany. As usual, we’ll also hear from organizers and advocates leading criminal justice reform campaigns across the state. Register to join us Thursday, March 12th, from noon to 1 p.m.
If you have any questions about the statewide call or would like to be a presenter, please contact Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org.
Inspiring Resistance This Week
– Stand With Minnesota, a mutual aid repository supporting residents under ICE’s siege, in started in early January. In the weeks since, it’s raised almost $20 million and helped cover people’s rent and fly folks detained in Texas back home. See more details here.
-A former ICE agent discusses how the ICE training academy is teaching new cadets to violate the Constitution by entering homes without a judicial warrant. See more details here.
For more examples of resistance, check out Choose Democracy’s Resist List!
Quotes of the Week
“Leaders must be tough enough to fight, tender enough to cry, human enough to make mistakes, humble enough to admit them, strong enough to absorb the pain, and resilient enough to bounce back and keep on moving.” – Jesse Jackson, Democratic National Convention Address, 18 July 1984, San Francisco
“This is our time to reject the old American Dream of a higher standard of living based upon empire, and embrace a new American Dream of a higher standard of humanity that preserves the best in our revolutionary legacy. We can become the leaders we are looking for. Towards that end we need to keep combining practice with reflection and urgency with patience. That is what I have learned after nearly seven decades of struggle for radical social change.” – Grace Lee Boggs
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