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John,
Immigrants have always been indispensable to New York. But while that fact may have been obscured before, it came into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, as immigrants sustained our state during the darkest of days. While immigrants were relied upon more than ever before, they were continuously afforded only the bare minimum protections they deserved.
With the release of her budget priorities during her State of the State address, Governor Hochul has made clear strides to begin including immigrants in New York’s recovery. Governor Hochul has promised to:
✔️ Increase Funding for the Liberty Defense Project
The Liberty Defense Project provides free legal assistance and representation to immigrant New Yorkers, and Governor Hochul has committed to increasing their funding to expand their reach across the state.
✔️ Strengthen the Office for New Americans
Through the Office for New Americans, immigrant New Yorkers are helped with everything from citizenship applications to workforce development—Governor Hochul’s commitment to increasing ONA funding will expand critical services for immigrant families.
✔️ Codify Language Access Policy and Create a New Office of Language Access
Governor Hochul will establish a permanent Office for Language Access, which will help develop a strongest-in-the-nation language access law to protect New Yorkers!
While these are positive first steps to protecting immigrants in New York, we still have immense work to do to expand rights for immigrants in all areas of life and to ensure the Governor and the Legislature make meaningful commitments to the health and well-being of immigrant New Yorkers.
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