Testimony: New York City Council Committee on Immigration Oversight…

Testimony: New York City Council Committee on Immigration Oversight Hearing on Legal Services for Immigrant New Yorkers

Letters & Testimonies

Immigration Raids & Detention

October 31, 2025

At a City Council hearing on immigration legal services, Shawn Blumberg, Associate Director of BDS's Immigrant Community Action Project (ICAP), urged lawmakers to fund more flexible, responsive services to meet rising community need. “The gravity of the situation for immigrants in New York City is almost beyond comprehension.” BDS continues to see “an increase in phone calls, emails, and walk-ins from community members who are terrified and seeking help.” Despite the Council’s investment, “we are unable to meet the demand for our immigration services. With additional funding to meet this demand, we are confident in our ability to quickly scale up to meet the urgent need.”

Read the full testimony here.

Latest News

The Pro Bono Unit at BDS: 2025 So Far
As we recognize 2025 Pro Bono Week, the Pro Bono Unit at Brooklyn Defender Services is proud to share the meaningful impact we've achieved through our law firm partnerships. We are deeply grateful for the continued collaboration and are excited to highlight some of the incredible work accomplished so far this year.
Pro Bono
Right to Counsel in Immigration Court
October 20, 2025
G.A.N.G.S. Coalition Responds to NYPD-IG Gang Policing Report
The G.A.N.G.S. Coalition, alongside advocates, legal experts, elected officials, and directly impacted New Yorkers, is renewing its call for the passage of Intro 798 following a new report from the NYC Department of Investigation’s Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD (OIG-NYPD). The report confirms what community members have long known — the NYPD’s Criminal Group Database (“Gang Database”) continues to perpetuate racial profiling, lack transparency, and operate without meaningful oversight or accountability.
Press Releases
"Gangs" & the Criminalization of Association
October 17, 2025
BDS Public Comment on Proposed Amendments to the Draft Regulations Governing Parole Release Consideration for People Serving Life Prison Sentences for Crimes Committed at a Young Age
Brooklyn Defender Services submits this comment in response to the New York State Board of Parole rule change regarding Section 8002.2 of Title 9 N.Y.C.R.R. BDS supports the proposed amendments to the draft regulations governing parole release consideration for people serving life prison sentences for crimes committed at a young age. While we support the proposed amendments, we strongly urge the Board to adopt some changes designed to make the regulation fairer and more effective.
Public Comments
Parole Justice
October 14, 2025
Testimony: The New York State Senate Standing Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders Public Hearing on the Treatment Court Expansion Act (S.4547)
Yung-Mi Lee, Director of Law and Appeals at Brooklyn Defender Services, testified before the New York State Senate Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders in support of the Treatment Court Expansion Act (TCEA). She highlighted Brooklyn’s success with problem-solving courts that provide alternatives to incarceration for people with substance use disorders and serious mental illness. Lee emphasized that passage of the TCEA is crucial to expanding access to treatment courts for those living with mental health challenges, developmental disabilities, and traumatic brain injury, ensuring more people can find support outside the criminal legal system.
Letters & Testimonies
Sentencing and Mandatory Minimums
October 10, 2025
Testimony: New York City Council Committees on Public Safety, Technology, Oversight & Investigations, and Public Housing on The Use of Surveillance in NYCHA Developments
Talia Kamran, Staff Attorney in the Seizure and Surveillance Defense Project, testified before the New York City Council Committees on Public Safety, Technology, Oversight & Investigations, and Public Housing regarding the NYPD’s access to surveillance cameras in NYCHA developments. Kamran warned that the program “violates the civil rights of NYCHA residents and unjustly places low-income New Yorkers under a microscope of government surveillance.” She called on the Council to halt the covert expansion, which threatens Fourth Amendment protections and disproportionately targets Black and Latinx communities.
Letters & Testimonies
Surveillance and Civil Rights
October 6, 2025
WJFF - Radio Catskill: Bill to Forbid Anonymous Child Abuse Reports Up to Governor
Governor Hochul has until December to decide on the Anti-Harassment in Reporting bill, which would require reporters of suspected child abuse to provide their names and contact information. Nila Natarajan, Associate Director of Policy and Family Defense, is leading efforts to get the bill signed into law. She explains that fears the bill will discourage reports are unfounded, with over 90% of anonymous reports found to be unsubstantiated. Natarajan told WJFF, “It becomes apparent when a family is experiencing... dozens of reports with similar allegations... that it’s really hard to conclude anything other than it’s a harassing call.”
In The News
Early Defense for Parents Facing ACS Investigations
October 1, 2025
Testimony: New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Oversight Hearing on NYPD Officer Discipline and the Civilian Complaint Review Board
At a City Council oversight hearing on NYPD discipline and the Civilian Complaint Review Board, Senior Policy Counsel Jacqueline Gosdigian urged Council Members to confront the crisis of rising deaths in NYPD custody and take immediate action to curb illegal in-custody arrests. “Custodial arrests for low-level charges are on the rise, are illegal and unwarranted, and contribute to people with medical conditions and mental health issues entering precincts and jails in which NYPD is not equipped to provide needed medical attention.”
Letters & Testimonies
Bail & Pre-Trial Incarceration
September 26, 2025
NYC Public Defenders, Community Groups Unveil Ten-Point Plan to Address Growing Crisis of Deaths in NYPD Custody
The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, elected officials, local community groups, and impacted New Yorkers rallied today on the steps of City Hall to announce a ten-point plan to address the recent deaths in New York City Police Department (NYPD) custody.
Press Releases
Police Accountability
September 22, 2025
The City: Detainee Accused of Tren de Aragua Affiliation Starts Hunger Strike
A Venezuelan man represented by BDS has been held in ICE detention for more than seven months despite multiple court orders for his release. Federal authorities continue to use the “automatic stay” regulation to block his release, highlighting ongoing violations of due process for immigrants in federal custody.
In The News
Immigration Raids & Detention
September 12, 2025
Public Defenders to NYC: Rikers Is Blocking Access to Counsel
Senior Jail Services Attorney Michael Klinger testified this week that systemic delays and obstructions at Rikers Island are violating the constitutional right to counsel. As reported in The City, during a Board of Correction hearing, Klinger described how staff routinely claim clients have “refused” visits that were never offered, adding: “Clients later tell us they never refused, were never informed, or were misled into thinking they were being taken to court.”
In The News
Bail & Pre-Trial Incarceration
September 10, 2025

Testimony: New York City Council Committee on Immigration Oversight Hearing on Legal Services for Immigrant New Yorkers

Latest News

The Pro Bono Unit at BDS: 2025 So Far

G.A.N.G.S. Coalition Responds to NYPD-IG Gang Policing Report

BDS Public Comment on Proposed Amendments to the Draft Regulations Governing Parole Release Consideration for People Serving Life Prison Sentences for Crimes Committed at a Young Age

Testimony: The New York State Senate Standing Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders Public Hearing on the Treatment Court Expansion Act (S.4547)

Testimony: New York City Council Committees on Public Safety, Technology, Oversight & Investigations, and Public Housing on The Use of Surveillance in NYCHA Developments

WJFF - Radio Catskill: Bill to Forbid Anonymous Child Abuse Reports Up to Governor

Testimony: New York City Council Committee on Public Safety Oversight Hearing on NYPD Officer Discipline and the Civilian Complaint Review Board

NYC Public Defenders, Community Groups Unveil Ten-Point Plan to Address Growing Crisis of Deaths in NYPD Custody

The City: Detainee Accused of Tren de Aragua Affiliation Starts Hunger Strike

Public Defenders to NYC: Rikers Is Blocking Access to Counsel