New York human rights office fines apartment building owners $55K over poster telling tenants to report immigrants to ICE

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul praised a settlement reached to fine apartment building owners $55,000 after they hung a poster calling on tenants to report immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Officials said a building superintendent tried to intimidate potential witnesses with immigration raids at an apartment building with mostly immigrant residents in Jamaica, Queens.

'We will continue our work to call out all forms of hate, bias, and discrimination across our state.'

The original complaint about the poster was made in 2017 to the New York State Division of Human Rights, but the settlement was reached eight years later in February.

The state office accused the building owner, a management company, and others associated with the building of illegally discriminating against people based on their national origin.

The defendants agreed to pay the fine and also accepted three years of oversight to ensure compliance.

"Let us be clear: New York remains committed to protecting anyone who is discriminated against or harassed because of their national origin, citizenship, or immigration status," Human Rights Commissioner Denise M. Miranda said in a statement Wednesday.

"It is unacceptable, unconscionable, and illegal for housing providers to discriminate against their tenants simply because of where they are from," she added. "We will continue our work to call out all forms of hate, bias, and discrimination across our state."

An attorney representing the management company in a separate lawsuit said they settled in order to avoid litigation costs, according to the New York Times.

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Photo by John Senter/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Hochul praised the settlement on social media.

"Threatening to 'round up tenants' or call ICE because of someone's national origin is blatant discrimination. And in New York, it's illegal. Any company engaging in it will be fined," she posted.

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