Democratic challenger for Governor Cynthia Nixon visited Syracuse Thursday, campaigning on an issue for which Governor Cuomo just made headlines. Nixon said efforts to protect immigrants and undocumented workers don’t go far enough.
Cuomo recently banned Immigration Enforcement from state buildings unless they have a warrant. Nixon said she would go further, keeping federal agents out of courts, to prevent immigrants from being arrested and deported from unrelated court proceedings.
“Not only should you not feel that vulnerability, it is a real detriment to our justice system,” Nixon said. “It makes people afraid to come into court, whether they are there to bring a charge or to testify. Say you’re a victim of domestic abuse—we don’t want our immigrants or anyone to be afraid of our judicial system.”
A group of demonstrators backed Nixon’s stance on immigration. One of them, Carly Cox, would like to see another change.
“We need a governor who will use every tool at her disposal to protect immigrants,” Cox said. “That means passing a driver’s license bill for all.”
Nixon backs the proposal to allow undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses. Many are detained after traffic stops. But she’s also critical of lawmakers in Washington for vilifying immigrants.
“There was an attempt in this last presidential election to make them sound like dangerous citizens,” Nixon said. “That’s just a lie. In terms of being law-abiding, our immigrants are far more law-abiding than your average New York citizen. They’re a real asset to our community. They’re a tremendous engine of growth.”
She’s using the issue to differentiate herself from Cuomo, saying she would take more action. Nixon is campaigning across Upstate this week, where she is less well-known than in New York City. The primary election for the democratic nomination is in September.
