Cheers to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who has reversed himself and issued an order preventing police and city workers from reporting a person's immigration status to federal officials in the abscence of a criminal or terrorism investigation:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday signed an executive order prohibiting police officers or other city employees from reporting a person's immigrant status to federal officials - unless a crime or terrorism investigation is involved.

Executive Order 41, set in motion yesterday at a City Hall bill-signing ceremony, allows city employees to ask about a person's immigrant status only in cases where it's needed to ascertain his or her eligibility for public services.

Even then, under the new order, immigration information will be considered confidential except when relevant to a crime investigation. A person's sexual orientation and those who have been victims of domestic violence or sexual assault will also remain confidential, the directive reads.

"At its core, Executive Order 41 is a clear and unequivocal invitation to all law-abiding New Yorkers to come forward without fear or apprehension and avail themselves of the services that keep us all healthy, safe and prosperous," Bloomberg said.