New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at monitoring and documenting federal immigration enforcement actions across the state
The initiative, called the Legal Observation Project, will deploy trained observers from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to witness and record federal immigration operations and related protests. The goal, according to James, is to ensure that enforcement activities are conducted lawfully and that the rights of New Yorkers are protected.
“As Attorney General, I am proud to protect New Yorkers’ constitutional rights to speak freely, protest peacefully, and go about their lives without fear of unlawful federal action,” James said. “We have seen in Minnesota how quickly and tragically federal operations can escalate in the absence of transparency and accountability.”
The project’s volunteer observers—OAG employees identifiable by purple, OAG-branded safety vests—will act as neutral witnesses at sites of reported enforcement activity. They will not intervene in enforcement actions but will document them to preserve accurate, real-time information.
James encouraged the public to submit videos, reports, or other documentation of immigration enforcement actions through the OAG’s secure online portal, which will help the agency assess whether further investigation or legal review is needed.
The Legal Observation Project builds on the Attorney General’s previous efforts to protect immigrant communities and uphold New York’s sovereignty. The OAG has issued extensive guidance to law enforcement agencies, schools, workplaces, health care providers, and nonprofits on how to lawfully interact with federal immigration authorities.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
