Nine Democratic House members of New York’s congressional delegation on Monday petitioned Empire State lawmakers to expand protections for illegal immigrants. 

The representatives sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) and other New York power players urging them to prioritize passage of a bill sitting in the state legislature that would further cement sanctuary protections into law and protect migrants who have been targeted for deportation under President Donald Trump. Senate Bill S2235A comes as the mayor of the state’s largest city attempted this year to roll back some sanctuary policies. A judge blocked New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s efforts to cooperate with the Trump administration on deportation operations in April.

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“We believe that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, must be able to participate in their communities, provide for their families, and access critical support without intimidation,” the letter signed by Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ritchie Torres, Adriano Espaillat, Grace Meng, Yvette Clarke, Paul Tonko, George Latimer, Jerry Nadler, Nydia Velázquez, read.

“As the Trump Administration’s onslaught of attacks on immigrant communities intensifies by the day, we unequivocally express our support for the New York for All Act… and call on the state legislature to pass it immediately this session,” the lawmakers continued as they accused Trump of unleashing “chaos and cruelty on immigrants, tearing families apart, disappearing people, using political repression tactics, and disregarding court orders with impunity.” 

The letter supporting the bill comes amid riots in Los Angeles that were spurred by opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. California Democrats have denounced Immigration and Customs Enforcement for targeting illegal immigrants for deportation in the city. 

But even as some California cities have scaled back cooperation with ICE, a slew of red states, including Florida and Texas, have signed 287(g) agreements with the government that expand state coordination with federal immigration authorities to remove illegal immigrants from the country. Such agreements can allow local law enforcement to cooperate with federal agencies and permit state agencies to cooperate with ICE to detain and deport people suspected of being in the country unlawfully.

However, the New York bill would prohibit state and local entities from cooperating with ICE to carry out the Trump administration’s deportation agenda, allowing migrants to “participate openly in their communities without fear that contact with local agencies will result in detention and deportation,” according to advocates. New York holds some of the largest populations of illegal immigrants in the country.

The highest-ranking Democrat of the New York delegation, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, declined to sign the letter, nor did Democratic Reps. Pat Ryan, Josh Riley, Thomas Suozzi, Laura Gillen, Gregory Meeks, Dan Goldman, John Mannion, Joe Morelle, and Tim Kennedy.

RED STATES TIGHTEN COLLABORATION WITH ICE ON DEPORTATION EFFORTS

Several of those lawmakers, such as Ryan and Riley, are in critical swing districts vulnerable to GOP takeover, making liberal stances on immigration a politically risky move. 

Congressional Republicans have already targeted Hochul for supporting sanctuary policies. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has ordered her to testify before Congress this week on the matter.