Assembly Member Catalina Cruz unveils legislative package to protect immigrant New Yorkers. Photo: Catalina Cruz for NY on Facebook
March 12, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
Assembly Member Catalina Cruz has unveiled a legislative package aiming to protect immigrant New Yorkers from “escalating attacks” on their rights from the Trump Administration.
Cruz announced her “Protect Immigrants, Defend NY” legislative package on Monday, March 10, which includes three bills aiming to protect New Yorkers from ICE raids in schools, “fraudulent legal scams” and “unjust” court proceedings caused by legal barriers.
Cruz represents New York’s 39th Assembly District, which includes Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights. A former DREAMer and the first former undocumented immigrant elected to the New York State Assembly, Cruz has been a fierce advocate for immigrant rights, tenant protections, and workers’ justice.
Her district is home to a large Latino and Asian immigrant population, many of whom are at risk of deportation, legal fraud and language barriers in the justice system—issues her legislative package directly addresses.
Unveiling the legislative package, Cruz accused Mayor Eric Adams of rolling back critical sanctuary city protections and making it easier for ICE to operate in the city. Last month, Adams announced that he would sign an executive order allowing ICE agents into the Rikers Island jail complex, marking a significant shift in New York’s sanctuary city policies.
The Mayor has also faced calls to resign after the Department of Justice directed the southern District of New York to drop federal corruption charges against him, with critics contending that the Mayor would now be beholden to the Trump Administration.
Cruz has called on the state legislature to ensure that immigrant New Yorkers are protected regardless of the relationship between City Hall and the White House.
“We cannot wait for leadership from City Hall—we must take action at the state level to ensure that New York remains a place of protection and justice,” Cruz said in a statement.
Cruz’s Protect Our Schools Act (A5373/S4735) aims to ensure that “schools remain safe environments for students and their families” by prohibiting civil immigration arrests on school grounds without a judicial warrant.
If passed, the bill would also require school officials to take action against unauthorized law enforcement activity and prohibit school resource officers from assisting ICE in detaining students. The law would also mandate that parents or guardians be notified if law enforcement seeks to detain a student and would also require school to publicly post protocols informing students, staff and parents of their rights regarding law enforcement on school grounds.
Additionally, the bill would restrict access to student records containing immigration status, aiming to ensure that law enforcement cannot use school resources to target undocumented students.
Meanwhile, the Immigration Legal Malpractice Act (A5366/S4741) aims to aid immigrants facing legal challenges, creating new criminal penalties for anyone who engages in systemic fraud against immigrant clients. Cruz stated that immigrants facing legal challenges are “too often” targeted by bad actors who exploit their desperation, charging exorbitant fees, offering fraudulent legal advice or failing to follow through on representation.
Cruz said the Immigration Legal Malpractice Act would give law enforcement more tools to take down large-scale legal scammers by allowing for multi-county legal fraud cases to be prosecuted as a single offense. She added that the bill would modernize larceny statutes to ensure that funds stolen from multiple clients can be aggregated into a single charge, making it easier to hold fraudulent attorneys and legal service providers accountable.
Finally, Cruz’s Accurate Interpretations for Deponents With Limited English Proficiency Act (A1422/S4525) would mandate that legal statements made by non-English-speaking deponents be accurately translated and verified for accuracy before being used in court.
Cruz contended that inaccurate or unreliable translations given during interactions with law enforcement officers can result in misinterpretation and misrepresentation during legal proceedings, potentially creating adverse immigration consequences.
The bill would require proper certification for interpreters and ensure that they provide sworn affidavits affirming their qualifications and the accuracy of their translations.
Cruz stated that the law would help prevent cases where an immigrant’s future is jeopardized because of a misinterpretation or an unqualified interpreter.
She added that the legislative package would provide “crucial safeguards” ensuring that immigrant New Yorkers are protected from wrongful arrests, fraud and misrepresentation.
“While we’ve expanded legal services, the need continues to outpace resources, and we must invest in the legal infrastructure to prevent unjust deportations. New York has always been a place of refuge, and we must uphold that promise by ensuring every immigrant has the protections they deserve,” Cruz said.
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