John, 

This week, Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature passed the budget for FY24, which included critical investments in our immigrant communities across New York, though much more needs to be done to ensure opportunity and equity for all across the state!

New York State delivered a $63 million in immigration legal and essential services funding for immigrants—this is a significant increase from previous years, which speaks to the magnitude of need across NYS, but far more is needed to promote fairness for NY immigrants at risk of deportation. Governor Hochul and state legislators must prioritize the passage of the Access to Representation Act this legislative session. This will guarantee the right to legal representation in immigration court and ensure the long-term stability of and access to these life-saving services for all, regardless of wealth.

Albany came through for working families with the expansion of the Empire State Child Credit to those with children under four years of age, which will put cash in the hands of low-income and immigrant families who need it the most. We look forward to working with state lawmakers to make the future expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit a reality to ensure the inclusion of all tax-paying immigrant families who live in New York, remove the phase-in that denies the full credit amount to the lowest-income taxpayers, and increase the amount our families receive.

But Governor Hochul failed to prioritize the health and well-being of our communities by denying immigrant New Yorkers access to the comprehensive healthcare that so many of us take for granted – and all of us desperately need – when Coverage for All was cut from the final budget, after being included in the Senate & Assembly one house budgets. This glaring omission will not go unspoken. We will continue to fight alongside our state lawmakers to ensure that all New Yorkers are guaranteed access to the critical care they deserve and need.

We look forward to more progress in the rest of this year’s legislative session, to create a New York where all people, irrespective of wealth or immigration status, can live free and open lives across New York State. Will you make a donation to power our movement for immigrant justice?

Murad Awawdeh
Executive Director