A Queens lawmaker has introduced a bill to shield crime victims and witnesses from deportation.
Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas announced legislation making it a felony to report the immigration status of someone seeking an order of protection.
The bill amends an existing law that protects people from harassment and physical violence, but does not address threats of deportation.
"l want to make sure that communities like this remain intact, remain strong, and the way that we do that is to make sure that they're safe. And if somebody is a victim, or if criminals are allowed to prey on any part of the population, then this community is not safe," Simotas said.
Simotas says she introduced the bill after reading about a woman in Texas who was detained for deportation after seeking a protective order.