New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation this week to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials from arresting undocumented immigrants inside New York state courthouses.
The new law does not prohibit all courthouse arrests — it requires a warrant signed by an ICE judge.
"This legislation will ensure every New Yorker can have their day in court without fear of being unfairly targeted by ICE or other federal immigration authorities," Cuomo said.
Advocates for the law argued that immigrants fear ICE roundups at the state’s courthouses, impacting their willingness to appear as witnesses.
State lawmakers had passed the bill this summer.
