New York City Council Member Wants Almost $200 Million to Defend Illegal Immigrants From ICE
NYC city council member Tiffany Caban – Screencap of Twitter/X video.
New York City Council Member Tiffany Cabán, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and close ally of Zohran Mamdani, recently outlined a plan to allocate nearly $200 million in taxpayer funds to provide legal services for immigrants facing federal immigration enforcement, including actions by ICE and the Trump administration.
In public statements, Cabán criticized the potential deployment of the National Guard to city streets, calling it “a full-scale assault on democracy” and framing it as an attempt to intimidate immigrant communities.
🚨 Tiffany Cabán Wants $190 Million to “Defend Immigrant New Yorkers” from Trump
NYC Council Member Tiffany Cabán, a Democratic Socialists of America member and one of Zohran Mamdani’s closest allies, says the possible deployment of the National Guard to New York City is reason… pic.twitter.com/YETqFEYUZP
— Stu Smith (@thestustustudio) November 5, 2025
Officials from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) cited data from the Vera Institute of Justice, estimating that providing comprehensive services to all immigrant New Yorkers would cost $188.5 million—$145 million for free legal counsel and $43.5 million for other immigration services. The city had previously doubled its immigration defense budget to approximately $120 million in June, and MOIA is now seeking multi-year contracts with expanded funding. Cabán has emphasized the need for “broadest, lowest barrier access to dollars as soon as possible.”
Cabán’s office also recently hosted a “Stand Against ICE” resource fair in Astoria, where community members could learn how to support local organizing efforts, protect immigrant neighbors, and access resources.
Critics argue that these proposals reflect activists using government positions to advance an open-borders agenda and use taxpayer money to counter federal immigration law.
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