De Blasio Vows To Defend Civil Rights In Monday Speech
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – In an address at Cooper Union Monday Morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio reaffirmed the city's commitment to defend New Yorkers who may be the most vulnerable against some of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed policies.
"It's important to say out loud, there's a lot of fear out there," said de Blasio with two dozen city residents of every race, religion, and national origin as his back drop.
As WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reports, the mayor pledged that the election was not an end, but rather a beginning, asserting that any attempt to force Muslims to register would be met with legal action by the city.
"If the federal government wants our police officers to tear immigrant families apart, we will refuse to do it," he said.
As 1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon reports, the mayor also said the city will refuse to implement aggressive stop-and-frisk, which would undo any progress made on police and community relations.
Talk of mass deportations by the president-elect has raised concerns with the "IDNYC" program, the largest municipal ID program of its kind in the country. Some are worried that the personal records of undocumented New Yorkers may be used against them.
Alberto Saldivia got his "IDNYC" card this year after spending 15 years in the country without legal authorization.
"It did cause me considerable concern, because they have my information, also the information of my son," the 53-year-old Mexican native said last week through an interpreter.
READ MORE: Trump Deportation Talk Raises City ID Card Concerns
In Monday's address, the mayor once again vowed the city will never turn over any IDNYC records to the federal government, Lamb reports.
The speech was capped off with a performance of "This Land Is Your Land" by students from the Voice Charter School in Queens.
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