New York has a long history with immigration — look no further than Ellis Island.

According to the American Immigration Council, there were more than 4.5 million immigrants in New York as of 2023. That makes up almost a quarter of the population across the state. The percentage goes up when you look at New York's labor force.

With immigration and deportations at the forefront of discussions on a federal level, Lauren DesRosiers, the director of the Immigration Law Clinic at Albany Law, spoke to our Casey Bortnick.