New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday said her office will send legal observers to monitor and record information on federal immigration enforcement activity in New York state.
The Legal Observation Project will collect reports of enforcement actions throughout New York and send trained personnel to observe and document that activity where appropriate, as well as any related protests, as they occur.
The observers will serve as neutral witnesses on the ground, recording information that may inform future legal action, James said. As federal immigration enforcement activity increases nationwide, the Legal Observation Project will help ensure that accurate, real-time information is collected and preserved, and that any violations of law are identified, she added.
“As Attorney General, I am proud to protect New Yorkers’ constitutional rights to speak freely, protest peacefully, and go about their lives without fear of unlawful federal action,” James said in a statement. “We have seen in Minnesota how quickly and tragically federal operations can escalate in the absence of transparency and accountability. My office is launching the Legal Observation Project to examine federal enforcement activity in New York and whether it remains within the bounds of the law.”
Staffed by trained OAG employees participating on a purely voluntary basis, the initiative will begin monitoring enforcement actions in the coming weeks.
When necessary, OAG will send teams of legal observers to the location of reported immigration enforcement activity, outfitted in easily identifiable, purple OAG-branded safety vests. Observers will not interfere with enforcement activity, their role is solely to document federal conduct in a safe and lawful manner, James said.
James is also urging New Yorkers to submit videos or other documentation of federal immigration enforcement actions through an online portal. Reports submitted will help OAG assess activity and determine whether further investigation is warranted.
