John, 

Yesterday night, New York passed a historic budget with unprecedented and critical investments to support excluded frontline workers and immigrant communities across the state. 

Frontline workers and everyday New Yorkers went on hunger strikes, marched in the streets, and made thousands of calls to their representatives to demand that the budget provide economic relief and meaningful investments in the well-being of immigrant New Yorkers. We mobilized our members and our allies in every region of the state and worked with our legislative allies to ensure that critical budget items were included  

For over a year, immigrant New York families have been shut out of nearly all federal relief and safety net programs. Now, thousands of immigrant New Yorkers will finally have access to financial assistance through the first-of-its-kind program, which establishes a $2.1 billion dollar fund to support excluded workers and their families through these challenging times.

The NYS budget also includes a $16.4 million reinvestment in the Liberty Defense Project and the Office for New Americans; a $7.8 million reinvestment in adult literacy education;  $3  million to support refugee services; $15  million to strengthen public education and outreach to communities hardest hit by COVID-19;  $1 billion for recovery assistance to small businesses; among other crucial programs to help immigrant New Yorkers survive this pandemic. 

Today, we’re celebrating—but we know that the road to recovery from this pandemic will be long and difficult. And when we finally arrive on the other side, we want to live in a state where ALL  people are guaranteed fair access to our justice, education, and health care systems. 

That means in the months ahead, we have to keep pushing for legislative solutions that will empower and uplift immigrant New Yorkers. We know that with people power on our side, we can win. 

Thanks for fighting with us, 


Murad Awawdeh
Interim Co-Executive Director