Immigrant groups in New York on Tuesday strongly condemned the Adams administration’s policy of criminalizing bikers, saying that it puts Caribbean and other immigrant New Yorkers at risk.
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella organization of over 200 immigrant and refugee groups in New York State, said the New York Police Department (NYPD) has reportedly shifted its policy regarding the penalization of certain low-level traffic offenses allegedly committed by bicycle and e-bike riders.
“This shift follows Mayor (Eric) Adams’ new quality of life initiative, and criminalizes infractions that previously would have resulted in a traffic ticket – including riding in the wrong direction, running a red light, or not stopping at a stop sign,” NYIC President and CEO Murad Awawdeh told Caribbean Life.
“Immigrant workers and deliveristas are trying to make an honest living while supporting New York’s economy,” he added. “The criminalization of people working and commuting on bicycles and e-bikes is an attack on immigrant, working-class, and Black and brown New Yorkers.
“Given the NYPD’s long history of disproportionately enforcing so-called ‘quality of life laws’ against our communities, there is no doubt that Black and brown individuals and low-income neighborhoods will be targeted in this enforcement as the NYPD is given another tool to racially profile New Yorkers,” Awawdeh continued. “This policy will unnecessarily filter more immigrant New Yorkers into the criminal system, exposing our immigrant neighbors to unnecessary jail time and potentially even family separation and deportation.”
He urged Mayor Adams to “immediately reverse this policy, and stop the criminalization of bicycle and e-bike-riders.”
Awawdeh also urged legislators in Albany, the state capital, to “step up to end collusion between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement by enacting New York For All (legislation).”
Jose Lopez, co-executive director of Make the Road New York, another immigrant group in New York, warned this policy will have “dire consequences for Black and brown New Yorkers, for whom any interaction with the criminal system could lead to jail time or deportation.
“Criminalizing immigrant workers and deliveristas who are trying to make a living does nothing to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers—it simply threatens an already-vulnerable population,” he said.
“New York City has some of the most robust protections for its immigrant communities. And yet, the NYPD is clearly trying to undermine these policies by single-handedly rewriting the rules for who comes into contact with the criminal system, putting them at increased risk for deportation and being ripped away from their loved ones,” Lopez added.
“Furthermore, Black and brown New Yorkers are already disproportionately impacted by aggressive policing—any policy that further increases their likelihood of criminal penalties for a minor infraction like cycling is cruel and inhumane,” he continued, calling on the NYPD to “stop criminalizing cyclists, which puts all New Yorkers at risk.
“We cannot allow rogue agencies in local jurisdictions to collude with the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda,” he said. “We also need statewide protections through New York for All. Lawmakers in Albany must stand up and ensure that local law enforcement is barred from collaborating with federal immigration officials.”
