For the past three years, immigrants and the organizations that serve them have been on the defensive, using the bulk of our energy to ward off Trump’s constant stream of attacks on immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers. 

Now, it’s time to not only fight back, but to play offense. Today, the NYIC and our national partners at the National Partnership for New Americans joined lead sponsor Congresswoman Grace Meng and two of her colleagues in D.C. to celebrate the historic introduction of the "New Deal for New Americans Act" in Congress. This first-ever Congressional bill offers proactive, practical, and effective solutions to integrate the 44 million immigrants who call America home. 

We'll be working to advance this landmark legislation, which will help to build a more welcoming and inclusive society, eliminate roadblocks to citizenship for eligible residents, protect due process, and grow our shared prosperity.

Here's what the New Deal for New Americans will do: 

• Create a National Office of New Americans to lead a federal immigrant and refugee inclusion and integration strategy. 

• Raise the refugee ceiling to 110,000 and update and fortify our resettlement programs so that refugees and their families can live with dignity, and streamlines their path to citizenship. 

• Eliminate roadblocks to citizenship for eligible residents by lowering naturalization application fees to $50 and providing more generous fees waivers. 

• Launch federally funded programs for English language learning and workforce development to build the skills of immigrants and refugees and prepare our diverse workforce for better jobs that support families and help grow our economy.

• Promote civic engagement by making automatic voter registration available to newly naturalized citizens.

• Provide access to comprehensive legal services, including attorneys and accredited representatives to “Community Navigators” (community leaders who support individuals through the immigration system) and “know-your-rights” education.

• Amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to no longer allow deportation of an individual deemed to have become a public charge.

It’s time to put the current hostility and chaos driving immigration policy—billions wasted on failed enforcement, families destroyed, refugees banned and the path to citizenship obstructed—behind us. 

It’s time to use our collective strength to build an immigration system grounded in proactive, positive strategies and solutions that are workable and humane, and to forge a future where all New Yorkers and all immigrants can thrive. 

You can be part of the movement to build a fair immigration system by contacting your representative and asking them to support the New Deal for New Americans. 

Yours in the fight, 
 

Steve Choi 

Executive Director