S.T.O.P. Condemns Federal Court ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Ruling

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns Federal Court ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Ruling, Demands ‘POST Act’ Privacy Reforms [NEW YORK, NY, 2/26/2020] -- Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, condemned a federal appeals court ruling that upheld the Trump Administration’s proposal to punish “Sanctuary Cities” and states by withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. The group called on New York City to avoid cooperation with ICE by passing privacy protections, including the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act. SEE: Appeals court rules Trump administration can withhold grants from 'sanctuary cities' https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/484715-appeals-court-rules-trump-administration-can-withhold-grants-from   Trump Administration May Withhold Federal Grants Over Sanctuary Policies, 2nd Circuit Rules https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2020/02/26/trump-administration-may-withhold-federal-grants-over-sanctuary-policies-2nd-circuit-rules/?slreturn=20200126160121   “This terrible decision is not the end of our fight to protect immigrant communities, but it is the start of a new chapter in our campaign to limit of New York City’s data collection,” said Albert Cahn, Executive Director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project at the Urban Justice Center. “If we don’t act soon, the NYPD may become ICE’s eyes and ears. But we can still protect immigrant communities and comply with federal law. Trump may be able to punish us for holding back information about immigrant communities, but he can’t force us to collect that information in the first place.”   The court ruling comes nearly three years after the City Council introduced the POST Act. The POST Act would require the NYPD to create a privacy and use policy for every surveillance system it purchases, explaining how information is retained on New Yorkers and if it is shared with the federal government. Currently, thirty-two City Council Members and the Public Advocate co-sponsor the bill, just two shy of a veto-proof majority.   Cahn continued, “we’ve waited for 3 years for the City Council to pass the POST Act, but we can’t wait any longer. We need to understand how the NYPD tracks immigrant New Yorkers and what information we may soon be forced to share.”   Overview of the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act https://www.stopspying.org/post-act   POST Act Text https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?From=RSS&ID=3343878&GUID=996ABB2A-9F4C-4A32-B081-D6F24AB954A0 The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider hosted by the Urban Justice Center. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color.   - END – CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn