ICNY

NYC faith leaders standing together in support of the newest New Yorkers

Resources to Equip Immigrant Communities

General Sanctuary Guidelines | Advocacy Opportunities | Detention & Deportation | Know Your Rights | Volunteer Opportunities | Articles | General Social Services Resources

There are countless helpful resources available to New York City Faith Communities who are working to support the newest New Yorkers. Unfortunately, they can be hard to all track down. In order to help get the best resources into the most hands, the Interfaith Center of New York has put together this webpage to compile a curated group of great resources. Starting with our own general sanctuary guidelines, put together by ICNY’s pro-bono immigration attorney, Eugene Nam, this webpage provides resources around KYR for congregations and directly impacted individuals, upcoming events, advocacy opportunities, and more. 
 
This resource page builds off of the work of ICNY to resource faith based and community based organizations in New York City and State through our ‘Equipping Diverse Houses of Worship to Provide Shelter/Respite‘ program. This program resources, supports, and coordinates the efforts of New York’s faith communities to welcome and resettle the newest New Yorkers.
 
Interested in joining? Fill out this survey to be added to the mailing list.

General Sanctuary Guidelines

For congregations looking to take a deep dive into how their communities can be an ally to the newest New Yorkers, check out ICNY’s comprehensive Know Your Rights informative booklet, put together by ICNY’s pro-bono immigration attorney, Eugene Nam. With sections on Safety Measures, Space use, Rights, Harboring, Employment Practices, Deportation, Sanctuary Laws, and Advocacy this is a great place to start for a general overview or to dive deeper into one specific topic.

ICNY’s General Sanctuary Guidelines:

 Advocacy Opportunities

  • The New York for All Act S.2235 (Gounardes) / A3506 (Reyes) strengthens NY State’s sanctuary laws by limiting how State resources can be allocated to collaborate with federal immigration enforcement. Read more about the bill and send an email to your state representatives through the resources prepared by the New York Immigration Coalition: https://www.nyic.org/our-work/campaigns/new-york-for-all/
  • As of January 20, 2025, President Trump has rescinded the Sensitive Locations policy. This means ICE is no longer required to follow previous restrictions that limited enforcement actions in certain places, such as churches, schools, hospitals, and funerals. Visit the Center for Law and Social policy website to learn how communities can urge their Members of Congress to cosponsor the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act:
  • The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act of 2025 is crucial for safeguarding vulnerable communities. Call your Federal Representatives (find yours here) and urge them to co-sponsor this vital legislation! You can read more via the one-pager below:


Detention and Deportation

  • The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act of 2025 is crucial for safeguarding vulnerable communities. Call your Federal Representatives (find yours here) and urge them to co-sponsor this vital legislation! You can read more via the one-pager below.
  • Persons who are at imminent risk of detention and/or deportation should keep handy several phone numbers that may provide aid in an emergency, including legal support and social service referrals. Refer to the following document, provided by NYDIS and the Emergency Shelter Network, for a list Emergency numbers and additional resources if detained by ICE  https://www.nydis.org/asylum-seeker-shelter-services/

 

Know Your Rights

  • ICE agents often visit homes and businesses to locate specific individuals or gather information. It is essential for immigrants and their allies to understand their constitutional rights when approached by ICE. Below is a printable “Red Card” from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) that provides guidance in such situations. While Red Cards are no longer available for free delivery, you can print your own using the link on the ILRC website. Both the available-for-purchase and free printable Red Cards come in English, Spanish, Arabic, French, Farsi, Haitian Creole, Chinese, Amharic, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. Find them here: https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas

Constitutional Rights Card (English):

  • All persons regardless of legal status will find it helpful to have this extensive compilation of resources, available on the NYC Council website, that includes news updates, scenario guides, tips for families, and much more. https://tinyurl.com/ykadrsdx

  • *NYIC New York State Community Toolkit – The New York Immigration Coalition provides comprehensive resources on health, immigration policy updates, community safety, education, and more. These guides are updated monthly to equip immigrants, allies, and their families with essential information and tools. (Please note that this guide does not include updates from the 2025 Trump presidency.) The November/December 2024 edition is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Simplified Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Karen, Swahili, Urdu, and Yoruba. https://tinyurl.com/yxwpz2vx

  • Targeted communities are facing increased enforcement by ICE and must create a plan of action to protect themselves. The following manual, created by Make the Road New York, covers three key areas: (1) understanding your rights and preparing for ICE encounters, (2) supporting individuals and families after an ICE raid, and (3) organizing around an individual case in your community. Available in English and Spanish. 

Make The Road Deportation Defense Manual:

  • As ICE agents increasingly attempt to enter homes, businesses, and other private property (including vehicles), remember they MUST provide a judicial warrant. Administrative warrants do NOT allow ICE to enter private property. A judicial warrant, signed by a federal judge, is based on probable cause and specifies the search location and date range. Below are examples of a non-valid (administrative) warrant and a valid (judicial) warrant.

Volunteer Opportunities

Informative Articles

General Social Services Resources

  • Law Help NY helps New Yorkers understand their legal rights, access self-help resources, and find free or low-cost legal services. Get Free Legal Help at https://www.lawhelpny.org/
  • This 10-page resource aims to support service providers guiding noncitizens in accessing public benefits. The chart maps out noncitizen eligibility for a number of federal and New York State benefits, and which of those could potentially have public charge implications. https://www.nyic.org/resources-training/public-benefits-chart/

NYIC Public Benefits Chart:

All of This and More

Are you and your organization working with vulnerable populations and looking for more resources like those compiled here? If you’re in New York City or State, we encourage you to join the Interfaith Center of New York’s coalition, ‘Equipping Diverse Houses of Worship to Provide Shelter/Respite.’ Fill out this survey to be added to the mailing list.

Do you have a resource or event that you think should be added to this webpage? Send it to ICNY’s Associate Director for Migrant Outreach, Brennan Brink at his email brennan@interfaithcenter.org.