City leaders are promising a crackdown on landlords who discriminate against tenants based on immigration status. It comes after officials say they've seen a recent uptick in complaints.  NY1's Gene Apodaca filed the following report.

At diversity plaza in Jackson Heights Wednesday it was a call to action. 

“We will show up wherever immigrants’ rights are being violated,” said William Spisak with Chhaya CDC.

Community and elected officials responded to recent cases of alleged discrimination against immigrant tenants.

“Everyone has rights. Immigrants have their rights,” said City Council Member Daniel Dromm. 

The most recent example, officials say, happened at an apartment complex in Corona. Tenants allege the landlord posted a notice demanding proof of immigration status.

”You have the papers, you have a social security, you have a residence, you have something ID,” said tenant, Rossy Larcos.

Our calls to the landlord were not returned before our deadline, however, The city sent us the Cease and Desist notice they gave the landlord.  Mayor De Blasio even talked about the case on Road to City Hall earlier this week.

“He did it in writing and we're coming after him and I hope it's a message to all landlords don't even think about this,” say Mayor DeBlasio on Monday’s taping.

But, officials say this case is not unique, citing a 60% increase in reports of discrimination in 2016, a trend which they say continues this year.

The city says it has nearly 300 open investigations regarding discrimination  for immigration status,  89 of those cases currently in the housing division.

According to the city’s Human Rights Law, it is illegal for a landlord to threaten to report someone’s immigration status, to require immigration status as a condition of a lease, to refuse to make repairs based on someone’s immigration status, or to retaliate against those who assert their rights. 

“We are here to make it clear landlords cannot take these actions. They will face consequences if they do,” said Hollis Pfitsch, Deputy Commissioner for Law Enforcement at the city's Commission on Human Rights.

Flyers, in several languages, are now being circulated in the area to inform tenants of their rights.

“We want to organize the tenants we’re going to empower them, we need to do a protest against the landlord we are going to do it,” said Ivan Contreras with Woodside on the Move.

Violators of the human rights law face a fine of up to $250,000.