City Limits: Opinion: Don’t Leave the Vulnerable with Less Defense in NYC Courtrooms

“COVID-19 has upended every aspect of public life. It has also exposed and exacerbated the racial and economic disparities that have long existed in this city. Our legal systems are no different in that regard. Even as some court functions have slowed down, our legal systems continue to target and ensnare low-income New Yorkers.

‘Social distancing’ has become the latest pretext for Black and brown New Yorkers to be profiled, harassed, and arrested by the NYPD. The Administration for Child Services (ACS) is still separating children from their parents rather than providing them with the support they need. ICE continues to enforce this administration’s anti-immigrant policies. Evictions may be on pause, but longer-term relief for tenants has not materialized and people still live under fear of losing their homes.”

Read the full op-ed here