Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs311Search all NYC.gov websites
MOIA Legal Library
The City has several laws and executive orders that are meant to help and protect immigrants while promoting public safety and encouraging trust with local law enforcement.
The City Charter establishes and explains the roles of various City agencies and offices. The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) was created by Chapter 1, Section 18. The Charter declares that MOIA’s purpose is to promote the safety and well-being of the City and all of its residents, regardless of national origin or language spoken, by ensuring all New Yorkers can access City services, programs, and benefits.
Mayoral Executive Orders
Executive Orders 34 & 41
Executive Orders 34 and 41 act as a policy that allows all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, to access important City services without inquiry or disclosure of their immigration status (with several exceptions).
Read Executive Order 34 of 2003
Read Executive Order 41 of 2003
Executive Order 120
Executive Order 120 requires that all City agencies that provide services to the public create a “language access plan” to ensure that those that do not speak English can still access city services.
Read Executive Order 120 of 2008
Executive Order 128
Executive Order 128 officially creates Immigrant Heritage Week, an annual Citywide program of outreach and education that celebrates the histories and traditions of the City's diverse immigrant communities. Immigrant Heritage Week is held every April. You can learn more on the Immigrant Heritage Celebration page.
Local Laws
Local Law 30
Local Law 30 (LL 30) is the City’s language access law, which improves access to City services for all individuals. LL 30 requires covered agencies to appoint language access coordinators, translate commonly distributed documents into the top ten languages most widely spoken in the City, provide telephonic interpretation in at least 100 languages, and develop and implement language access implementation plans, among other requirements.
Local Law 31
Local Law 31 is the City's "Immigration Service Provider Law." The law introduces new protections for immigrants against fraud by non-lawyer, for-profit providers.
Local Law 35
The City launched an ID card program for all New York City residents in 2015. Look below to read the laws and rules that made it happen, or to learn more about the IDNYC program.
Local Law 40
Local Law 40 of 2011 requires agencies to post certain memoranda of understanding ("MOUs") and similar agreements entered into among governmental agencies. Any MOUs covered by this law will be posted on MOIA’s Memoranda of Understanding page.
Local Law 73
Local Law 73 is also known as the “Equal Access to Human Services Law.” This City law strengthens language access services for people with limited English skills who are seeking important health and human services. The law places requirements on the Human Resources Administration (HRA), the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS).
Local Law 228
Local Law 228, which is sometimes called New York City’s “sanctuary city law,” prohibits the use of city resources and time in furtherance of federal immigration enforcement. The law also requires recordkeeping of any requests to the City asking to assist with immigration enforcement.
New York City Administrative Code
Sometimes called “the NYC Detainer Laws,” these three laws are meant to balance public safety with the City's commitment to being a welcoming and safe place for immigrant families. These laws impose certain limitations on the City’s criminal legal system to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. These laws apply to the NYC Department of Correction (DOC), Department of Probation (DOP), and Police Department (NYPD).
Read the Detainer Law for the Department of Correction (DOC): Title 9, Chapter 1, § 9-131
Read the Detainer Law for the Department of Probation (DOP): Title 9, Chapter 2, § 9-205
Read the Detainer Law for the Police Department (NYPD): Title 14, Chapter 1, § 14-154
If you have been convicted of certain “violent or serious crimes” or if your name is a possible match on a terrorist screening database, then the DOC, DOP, or NYPD may be permitted to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The types of criminal convictions that are considered “violent or serious crimes” for the purpose of honoring an immigration detainer are found in Local Law 58 of 2014 and Local Law 59 of 2014.
View a list of "covered crimes" under which the City will cooperate with detainer requests.
New York City Human Rights Law
The City's Human Rights Law protects against illegal discrimination, including discrimination based on immigration status.
All New Yorkers deserve fairness and respect, regardless of immigration status.
In New York City, it is illegal for employers, landlords, and others to discriminate against you based on your race, religious beliefs, color, age, national origin, immigration status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, and other grounds.
The New York City Human Rights law protects you from discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodation. It also protects you from retaliation, bias-related harassment, and bias-based profiling by law enforcement.
For more information about unlawful discrimination and how you can make a complaint, visit the New York City Commission on Human Rights or call 311.
Read more about how NYC Human Rights Law protects New Yorkers.