On December 23, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Chapter 748 of the Laws of 2022, amending the Human Rights Law to add citizenship and immigration status to the list of protected classes covered. Prior to this change, the protected class of national origin was used to prohibit discrimination against new Americans or those who were discriminated against based on an assumption that they were not American. Now with this change, it is clear in the letter of the law that an individual’s immigration or citizenship status cannot be the basis for unlawful discrimination in the areas of jurisdiction covered under the Human Rights Law.
Download our basic guide for more information on what is covered under the Human Rights Law .