Opinion: Legal assistance for immigrants is a moral imperative and an economic opportunity

Opinion: Legal assistance for immigrants is a moral imperative and an economic opportunity

“Hundreds of thousands of immigrants living in our state face the terrifying prospect of deportation and forced family separation, simply because they do not have access to legal representation in a complex and often unforgiving immigration system.”

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Opinion: NYC Board of Elections must increase ballot access to incarcerated New Yorkers

Opinion: NYC Board of Elections must increase ballot access to incarcerated New Yorkers

“While we as citizens have the constitutional right to participate in our civic process on all levels, in New York State that opportunity is stripped from those people who are in jail waiting for their court dates.”

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Opinion: Police stops in NYC are at their highest level since 2015. The NYPD doesn’t want us to know just how high

Opinion: Police stops in NYC are at their highest level since 2015. The NYPD doesn’t want us to know just how high

As public defenders, we know that even low-level encounters impact New Yorkers’ core constitutional “right to be left alone.” Under the law, we have the right to refuse to answer questions or simply to leave these encounters. In reality, few people feel empowered to walk away from an armed police officer questioning them. 

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Opinion: The false choice in Corona Plaza

Opinion: The false choice in Corona Plaza

“There is a false choice hanging over Corona Plaza. An escalating discourse around street vending has created the impression that we have to choose between the right people have to earn an honest living and the right to clean, safe public space. But both should – and can – be true.”

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Opinion: The only way to build a stronger democracy is by giving more voices more choices

Opinion: The only way to build a stronger democracy is by giving more voices more choices

“Unfortunately, in New York, restrictive ballot access laws, partisan gerrymandering, closed elections, and party bosses selecting candidates behind closed doors have left voters with fewer and fewer choices. More people feel like their votes do not matter and more people, especially those that consider themselves independents, are staying home.”

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Opinion: Steve Cohen is putting community first

Opinion: Steve Cohen is putting community first

“No matter what, three new casinos are coming to New York City. And with sports betting apps always just a click away, it is clear that we need to find ways to address gambling addiction in not just our community but across the board. Steve Cohen and his team have directly engaged with us, and made it clear that they want to be our partners in finding solutions, which is more than can be said for any of the other proposed projects.”

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Opinion: Hochul’s bail plan undermines safety and progress

Opinion: Hochul’s bail plan undermines safety and progress

“Governor Kathy Hochul claims to care about the safety of our communities, but her lip service is going to cost people their lives. The governor is yet again holding the state budget hostage in order to push through harmful changes to New York’s bail laws.”

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