Mayor’s Budget Cuts to Impact Legal Services, English Classes for City’s Immigrants
Earlier this month, Mayor Eric Adams ordered city agencies to reduce spending, blaming multiple factors coinciding at the same time: the reduction of tax revenue, the end of federal COVID-era stimulus funds, substantial pay increases for city workers, and the continuing influx of immigrants to the city.
In addition to cuts on asylum seeker spending, funding for other services, including English-language classes and legal help for people at risk of deportation, is also on the chopping block at a time when demand is only increasing, providers say.
“There’s already been a reduction in our funding from the city. And so we’re trying to meet this increased need with reduced resources, which has been a challenge,” said Jodi Ziesemer, director of the immigrant protection unit at the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG).
