Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Okay. New York City Council NYC. Oh okay. Testimony council the NYC testimony council the Say their go. Good afternoon and thank you all for being here today. I am council member Elsen Kanasion, chair of the committee on immigration. Welcome to today's hearing on the city's fiscal 2027 preliminary budget. Before we begin, I would like to thank those who have joined us and acknowledge that I'm joined here by council member uh Schulman. Thank you. For hundreds of years, immigration has and will continue to be a fundamental aspect of New York City life. Nearly 40% of our city's population is foreign born. This includes those who have had the opportunity to naturalize and become US citizens and those who have not. Immigrants play an essential role in our local economy and they have a similar workforce participation rate to US-born residents. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reported that in 2022, undocumented immigrants paid 96.7 billion in US taxes. In New York alone, undocumented immigrants paid 3.1 billion in taxes to fund our state's public infrastructure and services. The contribution for all of our immigrants total a much higher revenue, and it is no surprise to us that immigrants continue to power our city. Our immigrant neighbors have also experienced grave need in recent years. In spring 2022, tens of thousands of asylum seekers, adults, as well as families with children, fled dire conditions in their home countries and arrived to New York City. The city underwent a crisis response to support the influx of new arrivals. And as the number of newcomers has steadied, the city has been reducing the emergency operations it created at this time. At the start of 2025, immigrant communities were met with a federal administration that aggressively prioritized a deportation agenda for both new and long-term immigrants. In 2025, New York City experienced an increase in ICE enforcement activities across immigrant neighborhoods, including a surge in ICE arrest at 26 Federal Plaza, targeting immigrant New Yorkers during check-ins and immigrant court proceedings. In January 2026, the documented reported that streets arrests in New York City grew by 212% to over 3,000 in the first 6 months of the Trump administration. At today's hearing, the committee will examine the fiscal 2027 preliminary budget and evaluate how the budget prioritizes immigrant services and how the city intends to maintain and expand on last year's investments in immigrant programs. We will be asking the mayor's office of immigrant affairs, you will hear me refer to them as MOYA, for accountability transparency and action. We will examine Moya's collaboration with other city agencies and how that office carries out its roles and responsibilities. We will go over the various programs that Moya manages, including the funding levels and number of individuals served, and we'll get a better understanding of the new and emerging needs of our most vulnerable New Yorkers. Moya is the backbone of immigrant services in the city. However, this office is currently operating with an unacceptably low headcount. In the current preliminary plan, Moya's budget totals $782,000 $782,000 to cover five staff positions. Moya's budget under the mayorality does not provide a full picture as the office coordinates and collaborates with other city agencies to manage Moya programs within their agencies and their budgets including HRA, DYCD, H&H and Q. How can we expect an office to meet our immigrant community's growing needs when it lacks sufficient centralized personnel to do the job? It is now more important than ever that we take the time to strengthen and expand our city's infrastructure to support immigrants for the years to come. As chair of the immigration committee, I am encouraging OM and Moya to work towards creating a dedicated city agency for immigrant affairs. I also want to take the opportunity to say that the committee and I are looking forward to hearing from advocates and the community during today's public comment period. Given the limited time we have, I encourage you, please focus your oral testimony on the community and budgetary needs and know that we will review your test your written testimony to understand the full breath of work your organization does after the hearing. Lastly, I would like to thank the committee staff, the dream team here, Florentine Kabor, Na'vi Baines, Nicole Kata, Rebecca Baha, as well as my staff, Stephanie Herrera and Adam Bernstein for their commitment and hard work. And as always, the amazing sergeant-at-arms that help us get through the day. Before we hear from Faiza Ali, the commissioner of the mayor's office of immigrant affairs and her team, the committee council will swear you in. Thank you, chair. We will now hear testimony from the administration. We will hear from Commissioner Faiza Ali as well as Lorena Lucero and Jasnia Sanchez. Before we begin, I will administer the affirmation. Panelists, please raise your right hand. Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions? Thank you. You may begin when ready. >> Good afternoon. Thank you to Chair and Kanos, members of the immigration committee, as well as chairs Lee and Deputy Speaker Natasha Williams, who I know are diligently um across the street talking to our colleagues at OM. I also want to extend my thanks and gratitude to the committee on finance for the opportunity to testify today. Uh my name is Fisa Ali and I am the new commissioner for the New York City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs or MOYA. I'm joined today by Lorenna Lucero, deputy commissioner of program and policy as well as my colleague Jaznia Sanchez, acting chief of staff and deputy commissioner of immigration and strategic initiatives. As a proud daughter of immigrants from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, my intersecting identities have shaped how I think about the role of government and the responsibility it carries to serve every community um in this city fairly and with dignity. As immigration and customs enforcement has swed fear and chaos in diverse in diverse cities across the country, I want to make clear that New York City remains committed to the protection of all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status. But this moment requires more than words. It also requires local government to provide us with a budget, operational capacity, and support that help us meet this goal. For today's testimony, I will provide a brief update on MOYA and highlight key areas of our work that include immigration legal services, MOYA immigration legal support hotline, our rapid response legal collaborative, language access, and community engagement programs. We have all watched, some of us in shock or disbelief as an aggressive and indiscriminate detention and deportation campaign played out on our screens. Over the last 14 months, we've seen horrific reality of that agenda. Routine immigration court dates now often result in arrests by masked agents waiting outside of courtroom doors. Temporary protected status and other pathways for dignity and work authorization have been closed off without taking into account the dangerous conditions that precipitated the arrival of people to our country in the first place. ICE is being deployed to qual free speech with its officers launching indiscriminate raids like those that are targeted our street vendors on Canal Street just this past October. The color of someone's skin, the language that they speak, and the religion that they practice have been justifications for arrest and detainment. Our immigrant communities and local economies are suffering from these inhumane actions. Many of our neighbors worry about taking the subway to work or to school. The usual the usually bustling streets of the some of our most vibrant neighborhoods are eerily quiet. Students in our public school system see the empty seat in their classroom and worry whether or not they will be next. Given this moment, um, immigrant communities need reassurances that city government will protect them. Mayor Mandani was elected by New Yorkers in part to address the growing apprehension and anxiety among immigrants regarding their place in our society. It is our mission to affirm our city's support to rebuild public trust and ensure continued access to schools, health care, housing, and city services. New York City is powered by immigrants. Through this through this year's city budget, we have the opportunity to show that we will protect and prioritize our immigrant communities by investing in services and the support that they deserve. Moya's city charter mandate is to serve immigrants and non-English-speaking New Yorkers by developing and implementing policies designed to assist them, a responsibility we maintain and remain steadfast in fulfilling. My team, which is currently resourced with a budget of approximately $42.3 million for FY26, will continue to go above and beyond to elevate the needs of immigrant communities. We currently have more than 70 contracts with nonprofit organizations, many of whom are in this room today, that service and immigrant communities throughout the city. Given the recent rise in ICE activity, Moya has stepped up to provide more investment in legal immigration services than ever before. Over the past year, Moyá has risen to the challenge to strengthen our legal infrastructure during this time of greatly increased need. Moya's immigration legal programs include immigration legal support centers, the immigration legal support hotline, the MOYA legal technical mentorship program, and the rapid response legal collaborative. Together, these programs and initiatives expand access to immigration legal support, which has increasingly grown in demand. Last summer, we launched Moya's immigration legal support centers supported by more than $18 million in investments over three years to support up to 25 community rooted pro organizations providing culturally and linguistically responsive immigration legal assistance. Our immigration legal services infrastructure consists of 29 unique providers across five burrows. Since the program's launch in July 2025, the network has conducted nearly 9,000 comprehensive legal screenings supporting immigrants on a variety of legal needs. All Moya centers program providers have free access to select online and webinars um to a nationwide legal technical assistance program through clinic the Catholic legal immigration network. Um the Moya legal technical mentorship program also provides dedicated support to the legal services network. And in FY26, the IGC, the immigrant justice corps, is also offering additional legal technical support for legal support centers. Having access to multiple legal technical assistance programs and resources is important for immigrant uh for immigration legal professionals to maintain their professional ethical duties, to be trained um and to support the professional growth of their staff and volunteers in order to advance informed decision-making on advocacy and program operations. Providers are also connected to trainings and resources that allow them to respond appropriately to federal policy changes. Another critical resource available to uh immigrant communities is the Moya immigration legal support hotline which is also operated by Catholic Charities Community Services and helps New Yorkers explore their options to comprehensive immigration legal screenings. So far this year, the hotline has received uh over 14,700 calls. For FY26, Moya increased funding to expand and strengthen the immigration legal support hotline to improve accessibility responsiveness and support for callers with increasingly complex immigration needs. The hotline expanded its staffing capacity, including the hiring of additional counselors and a staff member specifically designated to respond to time-sensitive rapid response needs. The hours of operation were also extended beyond the previous schedule of Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. so that callers have more opportunities to reach outside the standard network of hours. Additionally, Moya made significant investments in language access and technology. The hotline launched WhatsApp communications, expanded reporting from four to 10 languages, and is currently adding three new interactive voice response language prompts, which are expected to be completed in the spring. Finally, Moya has made use of our rapid response legal collaborative or the RRLC, which provides legal assistance to immigrant New Yorkers who are detained or at imminent risk of detention or deportation. To adjust for the current need, Moya increased our investment in rapid response legal efforts by $3 million this fiscal year. Moya has also coordinated rapid response efforts in schools to ensure immigrant families receive timely information and support when immigration enforcement activity occurs near in or near their communities. This includes connecting schools, families, and community partners with legal resources, know your rights information, and direct services. Referrals are centralized through project open arms, a dedicated team within the New York City public schools that coordinates across all schools, including charter schools, district 75, and district 79 to support immigrant families and ensure that families have a full range of services. Next, I'll provide an update on Moya's language access network, an area where we have made significant strides. Moya oversees, monitors, and provides technical assistance to over 46 city agencies in implementing language access services. This work goes far beyond um immigrant affairs. It is a critical infrastructure that touches every corner of city services impacting almost 1.8 million New Yorkers with limited English proficiency. As such, this is not simply a matter of checking a box or ensuring compliance, but an area where the city must take a whole of government approach to advancing language justice. In addition, Moya has built in-house language services team that provides language and interpretation support to mayoral offices and city hall. In calendar year 2025, Moya's language access team delivered translation services to 41 mayoral offices and agencies, provided on-site language support at migrant centers across the city, and played a critical role in rapidly translating evolving messaging on shelter protocols for recent arrivals. I want to discuss next our English learning programs. Learning English continues to be a priority for immigrant communities and remains a key workforce development strategy. To increase the capacity for English language learning, Moya operates English learning and support centers at public libraries uh library branches and community centers located in immigrant uh dense neighborhoods in FY26. So far, the program has served nearly 3,000 unique learners and has seen 800 graduates. These centers are our award award these centers are use our award-winning we speak curriculum to host in-person English classes. Additionally, we have de developed comprehensive beginner level materials which have been frequently requested by communities and advocates. Our curriculum aims to improve access to both English language learning and familiarity with civi city services. Finally, Moya's community engagement work creates pathways for immigrants to navigate and access city services and to know their rights during this perilous time. Through our immigrant rights workshops, our team has made presentations that serve as additional entry points for community organizations and their clients to connect to free highquality immigration legal services. In fiscal year 2026, this program delivered nearly 300 presentations that reach nearly 6,000 people across the city, continuing our critical role to reach our diverse communities where they are. Additionally, in calendar year 2025, our external affairs team reached nearly 37,000 touch direct touch points through resource fairs, know your rights, presentations, and canvasing over the past four year. Over the past four years, resources at Moya's website were also downloaded over 142,000 times by nearly 79,000 users. In calendar year 2025, Moya has led 10 community and ethnic media roundtables to share vital information with our immigrant communities through hypo hyper local newspapers and TV stations in their own languages. These roundts further strengthen city government's relationships with immigrant focused trusted media outlets that deliver accurate and timely news to New Yorkers. Finally, I wish to thank the city's hard-working public servants who have responded to the needs of both recently arrived and long-standing immigrant New Yorkers. And thank you, of course, to our chair and carnoson, members of the committee on immigration and finance um for calling today's hearing. I look forward to working with the council to fund and strengthen the programs that serve our immigrant communities who are indeed the f backbone of our city. Thank you. >> Thank you, commissioner. I'd like to uh acknowledge council member Gail Brewer for joining us and give the opportunity for our public advocate to say a few words. >> Uh thank you madam chair. As mentioned my name is Jamani Williams public advocate of the city of New York. Like to thank chair in incarnation and Lee and the members of the committees for holding this important hearing. Uh chair Lee's always great to see you. Uh, so it makes me smile as well as having a uh an uh administration that will actually let you do your job. So I'm very excited about that. Uh, New York City is home to more than 3 million immigrants. Uh, even more if you count sons and daughters of immigrants and grandsons and granddaughters of immigrants and grand siblings of immigrants. And it is this diverse tapestry of people that makes our city so special. Immigrants are our friends and families, neighbors, our teachers and business owners, civil servants, our neighbors and friends, and so much more. And right now, they are under an unprecedented attack on their civil and human rights as each of us have a responsibility to protect them. Similarly, city's sanctuary laws are also under attack. New York City had has had laws in place that limit how the city can interact with federal immigration enforcement since 1989 when executive order 124 was first enacted by then Mayor Ed Cotch. City agencies are prohibited from sharing information about immigrants with federal officials unless they are suspected of criminal activity. ICE is not allowed to arrest immigrants at courouses or other state government facilities and the NYPD and DOC are barred from honoring quote unquote detaining requests from ICE except in some limited circumstances. Our sanctuary laws do not shield criminals as many claim. In fact, the city is allowed to honor detaining requests for individuals convicted for more than 170 different crimes including rape and murder. Despite all of the fear-mongering about city sanctuary cities, these laws make us all safer. These protections allow immigrants to report crime, serve as witnesses, and access schools and city services without fear. These large-scale immigration enforcement operations also divert resources away from initiatives that actually promote safety. The focus on detaining people from following immigration proceedings and check-ins has turned the immigration process, even the people who do it in the quote unquote right way, into a minefield. I personally witnessed federal agents seize seizing people as they exit their immigration her hearings and it's very devastating. It teaches people to fear appearing in court or attending the checking the disincentivizing complying with the law and attending these hearings. With this last danger at courouses, it is most important that than ever to robustly fund immigrant legal services. Last year, Mayor Adams and the city council nearly doubled the amount budgeted for legal services, including lawyers for unaccompanied minors who are often representing themselves, including preschool age children. We must continue this commitment to legal services. I'm glad to see that the preliminary budget increases funding for deportation defense, Moya Legal Supports Centers, and other legal services in FY2027 and future years. Moya also offers connections to a range of services for immigration, immigrant New Yorkers that are now more critical than ever, including English classes, mental and medical health care, food and housing assistance, and IDNYC cards. This is crucial in ensuring that immigrant New Yorkers can support themselves and their families, and integrate into their new communities like many have done before them. With many avenues for federal assistance cut off or too risky to apply for, city support can fill those gaps. A budget is a moral document. We have to step up where the federal government has stepped back. City agencies are for the people who live and work in New York City not to serve dubiously legal, dangerous and wasteful immigration enforcement operations. Every person in our city and in our country has an inalienable human civil rights. We cannot let the inhumanity of the president erode our own humanity. Now we're even more concerned with ICE agents at our airports uh trying to recover, trying to take over from TSA agents who haven't been paid in a while. All this is only getting increasingly terrifying and I'm hoping the city can do even more to uh address that fear. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Hello. >> So, we're going to go right into it. I you know the preliminary plan includes about $780,000 for Moya in fiscal 2027 mainly for the five positions that it inh houses and this funding really hasn't changed nor has the headcount changed since we adopted the budget last year. We also know that additional staff located under several different agencies are dedicated to supporting Moya. And I'm assuming that that's what you referred to when you talked about the that your organization is resourced by $42.3 million. So I wanted to get an idea of what exactly the titles and responsibilities for the five positions that are shown in Moya's budget. What they do, what are the positions and their responsibilities. >> Yeah, thank you chair. Um so currently two of those five lines are active. Um they're being occupied by one is myself as commissioner for Moya. Um the other is for our my director of communications. Um you know I am to your question about um staffing. You know, I started um a little bit less than a month ago and right now we are currently assessing our vacancies, the number of vacancies we have and the process to help backfill those to build support up for Moya. >> Okay. So, two for now, a total of five or six. >> There's five dedicated for Moya. Correct. And can you also describe the number of staff housed under other agencies? And I know that's a big number uh much bigger than than the one you have, but maybe a general overview of their roles and responsibilities. >> Yeah, that's a great question. Thank you, chair. So, there are 64 staff lines that Moya utilizes across uh the city. 59 of those um of the 64 are housed under other agencies. And I'm happy to follow up with you on the specifics. But to your question about the role and that these staff play, these staff lines are used to support the day-to-day operations of Moya, they anywhere from administering programs to policy to administrative work in the office, language access and outreach. And so, um, we're happy to follow up with more details as you need them. >> Okay. And then I'm I'm wondering and I know that this is something that you're you're as you're coming in and starting to fill those positions, how will the workload be split among the staff that you do have under MOYA? Um and do you feel that that will be sufficient staff to efficiently fulfill your mission? >> Yeah, so I'm still evaluating the office structure. Um like I mentioned that there are quite a number of vacancies that are I would like to prioritize filling. Um you know the the specifics right now in terms of the structure I don't have them right now to share with you cuz I am um evaluating and specifically looking at where staff are um are housed whether it's in the outreach bucket or our you know policy bucket where can staff be moved to really strengthen the work. So that process is I'm still you know very much underway but the priority is to um fill those vacancies as soon as possible. >> And have you requested any additional funding for the headcount and the programs for the for this fiscal year or the out years? >> Yeah. So we're we were very pleased to see um uh some new funding uh $6.1 million that was added in the preliminary budget um and baseline funding. I know how much council and um you know as a council alum I love to hear the word baseline um you know for MOYA and that breakdown is 14.6 million for the rapid response funding and legal support centers and 1.5 million for Moya English and uh support centers. So we know that this initial investment really represents a commitment from the mayor uh to support immigration legal services to support immigrant communities and we are in ongoing discussions with OM on how do we deepen that further? >> Okay. And will Moya move to putting out multi-year contracts that preserve the option to implement funding that is responsive to emerging needs considering the immigration landscape is constantly evolving? We held a round table not too long ago and a lot of the providers were talking about how much they need to be able to react to the things that are happening and those things may not necessarily fall within the lines of a contract. And so the ability to shift um is really important for them. So do you consider putting uh contracts like that out? >> Yeah, we are um in the process of engaging our contract providers. You know, I I would like to meet them just to sort of understand better what their needs are. But to answer your uh question directly, I'll turn it over to my colleague. >> Okay. Now, uh thank you chair for for the question. Um, as the commissioner mentioned, we're uh in the process of assessing where the gaps are and any additional needs. Now that we have this funding that has been baselined, it also allows us to um plan uh you know medium-term and longer term and be more intentional, right? Uh about how this funding is allocated so that we are more uh so that these allocations are more efficient, right? Uh we're also are uh working closely with our contracting agency, the Department of Social Services to explore all of our options, right? Our goal is to ensure that there's continuity in services, right? And improve the delivery of those services, right? Uh and we are looking at all of the uh all of our pro uh procurement options, right? Um you know, to be able to uh plan long uh in the longer term. Now, when you talk about planning, you're planning more with the agencies that you deal with. Do you do any planning with some of the community- based organizations that are doing the work on the ground? >> Um, so I'll let the commissioner also chime in. Uh, but part of the process, right, is engaging in conversation with uh with the community based organizations, right, to understand uh and hear more about what's going on on on the ground, right? Are there any new needs that are emerging that we're might not be aware of? Right. And sort of be able to figure that out and how to uh how to address address those things. >> I'll just add that we um meet with our contract providers on a quarterly basis. So it's not just during the budget pro you know uh budget time uh where we are asking the question of what are the exact needs on the ground and are those needs being met with the current contracts. >> Great. And then commissioner, you have now had some time to review, not much time, but some time to review the structure and the mission. What are some of your priority areas for fiscal 2027? >> Yeah, so protecting and empowering immigrant New Yorkers is a defining commitment of this administration. And so, as commissioner, I've been working to uh ensure both that we have a vision, but also the capacity to really deliver on some of those key priorities. I mentioned a few of them in my first hearing just a few weeks ago, but those priorities include in ensuring immigrants uh immigrant New Yorkers know their rights and can access services safely. Um that those priorities also include coordinating across uh city government agencies to make sure that they're aligned and prepared to support really the long-term stability of immigrant communities. Um it priorities also include, you know, integrating uh immigrant families into the city's larger city's larger affordability agenda. And you know, that includes expanding benefits and creating uh workforce pathways and small business support. And I'll just sort of close with the thing that I I care very deeply about as someone who comes from community. um centering the lived experiences of um the most impacted is what I believe drives really strong and effective policymaking. And so our our goal is to um you know enhance our community engagement um with with not just our providers but the communities who are impacted the most. >> I'm glad to hear that. And and speaking of censoring the lived experience, I know that many of our immigrant families are experiencing a lot of mental health issues as a result to what they're experiencing uh from the federal government, including depression, PTSD, substance abuse, anxiety, and so much more. How do you see Moya engaging with families facing those mental health issues? Are there any specific ad programs, outreach, engagement tools that you may be using to inform immigrants about mental health services? >> Yeah, thank you, chair. Um, Moya has recently been in touch with the office of community um mental health um NGBV, the academy. These are partners that we work very closely with to really better understand um the landscape of resources that are available for immigrant New Yorkers. um that work is uh ongoing and we really look forward to identifying ways that we can help bridge um that gap um and support mental health. Um I'll highlight just a few things that we are currently exploring and working on. Um specifically working with the hotline uh to incorporate our learning into the scripts um wherever there may be a gap. um identifying more collaboration between MOYA um the office of community mental health and GBV and and really the stakeholders outside organizations um and then finally developing new and uplifting existing res uh existing resources for immigrant New Yorkers um in partnership with with the partners I've mentioned. >> Do you use any ethnic media for ad campaigns and stuff like that? Can you speak a little bit about that? So, Moya hosts um monthly ethnic media roundtables on a variety of topics. Um last we hosted 10 um ethnic media roundtables last year and one was dedicated to mental health. Um we've also included other topics around back to school and labor rights. Um so it's quite a variety. We have two upcoming roundts as well. So I'm really um proud of the work that our team does to really engage um uh the ethnic media community. And I'm also assuming that some people will rely on NYC care for health coverage in the near future. So should someone enroll in NYC care? What options exist for mental health services there if you are aware? >> Yeah. So NYC cares offers several services um including highquality mental health and substance abuse um services. Uh they also offer a primary care provider and so that provider can refer uh uh individuals to appropriate resources which in uh can include a social worker, a therapist, um a psychiatrist. So that um that we know in includes uh in-person um screenings but uh as well as virtual health and mental health services. Um we uh as Moya and we I've said this previously as well. We continue to encourage New Yorkers to um enroll in NYC Cares. All city residents are welcome to apply regardless of immigration status. Um we also I'll I'll add one last thing that we um also provide NYC cares flyers at our outreach events that are translated into a variety of languages. We include information in our English uh language classes. So there are quite a bit of ways that we actually promote NYC cares and just to encourage the participation. Perfect. And shifting gears but kind of staying in line with that. Can you talk a little bit about Moya's partnership with H&H and how both entities ensure that immigrants are not afraid to seek care? Uh Moya and um H&H maintain uh routine communications um and in the past we've collaborated on um providing policy updates to their teams. Um last year our office worked with um H&H and DOH to publish an open letter to immigrant New Yorkers really emphasizing the need um for them to seek care um explaining the various options that are available to them as well regardless of status. So we have a good working relationship with H&H. Um, H&H also like many other agencies sits um and is part of our Amoya's inter agency task force on immigration. So that is routinely where we share best practices, changes to policies, um, things that impact immigrant New Yorkers. Um, yeah. >> Okay. I mean, I I know that, you know, the reality is that we I really want to make sure that they're being aggressive about those campaigns because unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that we cannot afford for folks to only be using those services as emergency services, right? We want them to be using them as preventive services and preventive health care. So, I'm really hoping that that is a part of the conversation that we're really getting in front of it. Um, also, you know, federal public housing requires at least one household member to have an eligible immigration status. However, on February 20th, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development published notice of proposed rulemaking that would require immigration verification for everyone living in HUD assisted housing, which will harm mixed status families. Can you talk a little bit about what steps MOYA has taken to collaborate with NICHA? We just had our NICHA hearing yesterday. We asked this question. And I asked this question of of NICHA and while they seem empathetic they are fully funded by the federal government and so it is uh quite a cause for pause. So can you talk a little bit about your collaboration with NICHA? Yeah, and specifically as it relates to this proposed change, uh Moya is working with NICHA and other agencies to submit a public comment um in response to the proposed change and and and I'll add again that NICHA also sits on our uh Moya's inter agency task force. So we look forward to kind of in to continuing to engage them um on how do we respond to this potential change. >> Okay. Yeah, I would love to see some, you know, uh, regular policy updates, making sure that they're, uh, aware of that process and also for them to do maybe a a visual campaign. I have 23 nitro developments in my district and I would I would know if there was one. So, very, very clearly. Um, so I know that 311 is also one of the main ways residents report issues, ask questions about city programming, and getting help accessing city services. What is your partnership with 311? Yeah, we have a great working relationship with 311. Um, we coordinate with them on calls related to immigration. So, calls that are made to 311 are um either routed to our legal services um hotline that's run by Catholic Charities or they're routed to the general Moya hotline. Um, we engage with 311 on um an as needed basis as well um just to address any sort of trends that we may be seeing. Um both um Moya's uh um hotline and uh the uh Moya's hotline and our legal services hotline also um keep track of calls that are coming in. They can in fact actually track those calls and can identify when someone has uh called um from 311 as well. And uh if I may chair one thing, um I would also just add to what the commissioner laid out. Um we have been very intentional about meeting with them and providing them up-to-date policy changes. So when our website was updated with resources, we ensure to walk them through that. Um and we have uh continuously relied on them too on best practices um in guidance even for our own Moyer legal support hotline. They've also flagged if there are like the commissioner mentioned uh spikes on specific issues they um they report them to us and we work uh with them to identify you know where to go things like that. Yeah, I've been seeing a an influx of uh reports of housing conditions as one of the main issues uh that people are really afraid to to mention that uh their status. Um but they're living in really deplorable conditions because of it. And so I just want to make sure that we're doing everything that we can to track those 311 calls, especially when it's heat, hot water related, um, you know, all of those things because there may be underlying issues that are not specifically talked about as immigration related issues, but it could definitely be a part of it. I'm going to go to one last topic before I open up to my colleagues who are here uh cuz I know that that they have some time, but I wanted to talk a little bit about the immigrant survivors of domestic violence. um between 34 to 50% of immigrant women in the US have experienced domestic violence. This figure increases increases to 77% for immigrant women who use immigrant status whose immigrant status is dependent upon their spouse. Um you know they have really experienced a lot of gender- based violence at extremely high rate. Given that survivors of gender- based violence are at an incredible vulnerable subset of the immigrant population, how do you prioritize supporting that specific demographic? >> Thank you, chair. Um, in my last hearing, and I think I mentioned this up top as well, one of my current priorities is to really increase our policy team's capacity um to expand reach um uh of our efforts. Um, our office is a member of the Brooklyn Human Trafficking Task Force and so through this we are engaging with other city and state stakeholders around servicing this population. Um, we are also in close uh communication with the mayor's office to end gender-based violence on really a variety of topics, but we are actively looking for ways to expand work with specifically this population as well. And I'd also like to add the other subs, the LGBTQIA+ community as well. Can you give me a little bit about what you've worked on there? >> Yeah, so this, you know, we're we're very excited um to work uh with the director Taylor Brown of the new mayor's office of LGBTQIA affairs. This is another area chair that we are hoping to really increase our our work and explore u more partnership. >> I encourage that. If I may add, uh, Commissioner, um, there was also a local law that was passed last year. I'm forgetting the number, but, um, Moya's also working with, um, in consultation with OEJ to conduct an assessment um, right now um, in regards to resources and gaps for transgender non-conforming and non-binary folks. So, that's work that's ongoing right now. I I would also say with the um the new roll out of the legal support centers, there are also providers there that are um increasing touch points with folks who self-identify. Um and that's another area that we're also um exploring and working on. >> That's great. Um and so I'm going to pause there to give my colleagues an opportunity, but I'll be back. Um so, uh Council Member Schulman, >> thank you very much. I just want to say it's um it's really nice to see the commissioner here and um I couldn't think of anybody better to fill that role. So congratulations and look forward to working with you. Um and uh so a couple of questions I have. One is um there was a report recently about task forces in the different agencies around the sanctuary city law. Is that new staff? Is that is there extra money for that? I'm just curious how that going to work. >> Yeah. Um I believe you're referring to the inter agency response committee that came from the executive order that was signed by mayor executive order 13. Um that um that task force is a is a combination of both uh the FDM's office, the special chief the chief counsel's office, Moya has a leadership role at the table as well. In terms of staffing, I believe that is outside of Moya. um uh but is something that our the special adviser to the FDM is currently working on. Um I will say um that we are in close communication and working very collaboratively um with our partners on the IRC. >> When it's finalized, if you can get us that information, that would be great. Um also, I know you talked about you have a comm's director and I know you talked about earned media. Um do you have any paid media that you do? Yeah. So, we are currently um exploring a know your rights campaign that will include a combination of both paid and unpaid ads that will be dispersed throughout um the city. >> So, the question I have, so as you know, ICE has been dispersed to the city's airports um as part of the TSA issue, whatever. Um the problem is my understanding is that the airports are kind of exempt from the sanctuary city law. Is that correct? And the reason I'm asking is, is there any kind of campaign or thought about identifying people that would be traveling or potentially traveling that we could also make sure that they know their rights? Because today there was a woman that was picked out by TSA, pointed out to not here in San Francisco to ICE agents and arrested and sent back to Guatemala with her little kid. So, so our sanctuary city laws, you know, are uh limited to city agencies and how we how we, you know, cooperate with law enforce with immigration enforcement and it and the limitations around that. Um, I will say that we are concerned with the reports that we're hearing of ICE agents that have been confirmed at at airports. In fact, Moya did release um an advisory just yesterday just to inform travelers on what to expect and and give and provide tips on on how to travel safely um if they are engaging in in at the airports. >> And I and I'd like to see like community based organizations that know about some of these people were traveling or having plans to or whatever um because we don't want people to fall through the cracks. So, >> no, we agree. We um pushed out our advisory both on our social media channels, but also um to our contracted providers through a newsletter announcement that went out to ensure that CBOS who are working with these vulnerable communities have the information that they need >> because especially at LaGuardia Airport, which is basically the airport we're talking about that and JFK, there's a ton of immigrants that go through all the time. So, um with that, I chair chair, I'm done. Um but thank you very much, Commissioner. Thank you. >> Thank you. Really quickly, the media advisory that was put out, what languages was that put out in? >> Do you know? >> We can get that for you. >> Yeah, we can get that for you. Yes. >> I'm going to have a lot of questions about which languages. >> Okay, that's >> um I'd like to now recognize uh Council Member Brewer. >> Thank you very much and congratulations. So, a couple of things. When we were across the street, the budget commissioner stated when asked about uh which agencies are working on immigration because people are concerned. Um he pointed to you and said that you're coordinating it all. How was that happening? Was it then he went to the next question? >> I have a >> So my question to you is it is it through the task forces? Is it through the 64 people? How do you keep all the agencies that are working on this um focused on the issues that are so important? Yeah, council member, thank you for that question. It is a tall task for a 5'2 woman. It's a challenge. Um, but I will say that uh we we accomplished all this work really. Um, the unsung heroes are are the staff and the team at Moya who have been here working diligently um long hours, 24 hours a day working with our contracted providers. So, I want to first and foremost acknowledge the team um at Moya and I'm happy to be joined by many of them here. Um and and it's our contracted providers. These are folks that we contract um organizations, CBOS who are, you know, come from these communities who service these communities that really do and provide the the important work of whether it's legal services, language services. Um it it takes quite literally a village. >> Okay. So, that but that I think I agree with that. But I think he was talking about the other agencies. So that's also part of what you're talking about. So the agency >> I can give you, you all know it, you know, Department of Education, Department of Health, the list goes on, >> right? Um and we mentioned there are a couple there are a few different avenues where we work with other agencies. The inter agency task force is one um where you know we have partnerships across the board. um you know we provide policy updates, we get we share best practices that is one avenue and then we have individual projects. I know um I'll turn it over to my colleague to talk about some of the partnerships that we have with um with the DOE. >> Thank you, Commissioner. Um we and we mentioned this briefly in the last hearing as well, but we are working with the Department of Education and we incorporated um one of our programs in into the school. So we are working with them on the rapid response collaborative in schools and what it is it's a dedicated um touch point for students, parents and or immediate family members who might live with set student to access legal services. Um we work with project open arms which is a dedicated team at the department of education. >> I'm familiar with them. We'd like the commissioner to come to district 3 April 15th or May 13th. Open arms district 3 largest one. Keep going. Sorry. >> No. Um um but um just to talk a little bit about the model and the work that we're doing, there is uh a centralized touch point to connect SE people to services if they're at imminent risk of detention or if they were detained. In addition to that, we have also created programs for know your rights that are dedicated to three groups of of of people directly to students who might be impacted. So you can think about some young people ages 16 to 20 who might be in school. a pocket of another set of of of know your rights training for parents and then a third subset is for um educators, parent coordinators and the such and that's work that's been ongoing and I would say uh you know pretty successful. >> The reason I bring it up also I go to all the budget hearings and then I pick up pieces. So learning to work is an example at district 79. And I have I happen to live with a whole bunch of these migrants and asylum seekers and in my house. So I am familiar with all the programs and one of them apparently might be cut. That is so helpful to your population. And number two at small business at that hearing um uh we asked because the frigin feds have cut uh anybody who is an owner immigrant small business can't get federal money. That's half of the small businesses in the city of New York. So the city is going to try through their small business other funds to come up with money. But I'm just saying there's every single agency is impacted by this situation with the president. So that's why I'm talking about coordination. So I I don't know that's something that you're working on. I assume you are. >> Yeah, that is something that we're working on with our agency partners but as well as um our our partners at OM. >> Okay. And then just finally adult literacy that's important for everybody. It doesn't have to be just this community, but my understanding is the Coalition for Adult Literacy presented a proposal to DYCD for uh $20 million for more funding. Um and I think there is 12 million in the FY27. So that would be an example that I hope he would advocate for this funding in the new administration will with this administration with OM. The reason I say this is these classes are already uh over subscribed and I have to say from my experience, adult literacy is the number one issue if you're going to get through the GED, if you're going to get a um which is what my crew is trying to do and if you're also trying to just get a job. So, how are we dealing with adult literacy? >> Yeah. Um council member, I am not familiar with the exact proposal, but we are happy to review that um and circle back with advocates. >> Okay. I think the issue is you're involved unfortunately with everything in terms of these agencies. >> We touch a little bit of everything. Um and we have good partners at at agencies who are ready to do the work. >> Okay. And if I can add uh really quickly with regards to adult literacy um uh as part of the pre uh preliminary budget, uh we have now an additional $1.5 million that was baseline for our um English learn uh English classes, right? Uh so that will also allow us to uh continue uh programming. We currently are collaborating with all three uh library systems in in the city. So we have ongoing classes all throughout the five burrows in multiple uh library branches in immigrant dense uh communities. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Um, I guess just to piggyback off of uh, Council Member Brewer, I'm trying to figure out if there is a mechanism, why would you track all of these uh, the agencies that you do have um, contracts with? So, um, not just through meeting and and touching base, but how are we we necessarily tracking what they're doing, what they're working on, when they're working on it, if they've accomplished the mission, who they're contracting with. Is all of that funneled through that inter agency conversation or is there like some kind of mechanism which that is tracked? Yeah, I I can I can uh walk you through some of the work that we've been doing on the legal service uh side and I think that this is really to sort of lessons learned from the the last couple of years in regards to new arrivals coming in and really trying to figure in figure out and hone in on how we centralize and streamline services. Right. So we have regular um meetings in communication with other agencies that provide legal services for immigration uh legal services. So for example the department of social services, NGPV, DYCD and I think I always miss one but um we touch base in regards to uh our new programming so they're aware of what we're having. we're in close communication if there is an RFP that maybe one agency might be thinking about or putting out of lessons learned and and and target areas and neighborhoods that we're working with. So that's very intentional and happens uh frequently with legal service provider side. on the um English language learning side. Um we also connect with DYCD, but it's more uh based on pedagogy and just sort of best practices to incorporate into into our services um as well. So those are two two examples that I can share with you now. And just uh briefly to add sort of on uh sort of the more fun part the administrative piece and contracting uh our contracting agency is a department of social services and that's also where uh really uh uh the the the bulk of the uh immigration uh legal services live uh under HA. Uh so we have uh you know uh uh a working relationship with that uh with that agency. we have the same echo. So, uh we do work very closely uh with with uh with those teams as well, not only in the programmatic side but also taking a look at uh contracts across the board. >> Okay. Thank you. Um so the preliminary plan and now we're going to switch over to legal services which we just spoke about um includes new funding which we're very excited to see. 6.7 million uh in fiscal 26, 21.3 million in fiscal 27, 20.9 million in fiscal 28, 19.2 in fiscal 29. Uh what exactly will this additional funding be used for? Um so we're very excited um about that additional funding. Um, we don't h I don't have the the breakdown for all of the all of that funding for for legal services specifically for MOYA. That means that we have now uh an additional um $14.6 6 million. That was baseline. And that's to fund um to to continue funding for our uh legal support centers as well as uh additional funding for um our rapid response legal collaborative uh program. Um so specifically uh you know for for that funding uh we're still in the process of uh finalizing what allocation looks like for uh next fiscal year. uh and like I mentioned earlier um you know one we're um highly focused on ensuring that there's continuity on services and also in the medium to long term uh you know working on efficiencies to be able to uh to allocate funding more efficiently. >> Are you looking to create new programs at all? >> We're still in the process of evaluating uh all of that. >> Okay. Um, and so given that the funding is baseline, will there be new RFPs that go out for any of these new programmings? Is that the the plan? >> Um, I mean, you know, we're we're still looking at all of our options, right? Uh, this funding just got baseline. Uh, right now, most immediately, we want to we want continuity of services. Uh, but again, nothing is off the table. uh you know um as we plan uh you know as we as we uh finalize planning for medium and longer term. >> Okay. And so now I'm going to switch a little to start talking about our city's sanctuary policies. Um it's something that we had our first hearing on. We'll continue to talk about it. There'll continue to be legislation about it. Uh but on February 6, the mayor issued executive order 13 to strengthen the city sanctuary protections, right? And that primarily barring ICE agents from entering city-owned properties without a judicial warrant. Can you provide an update on the inter agency response committee um that is was established pursuant to that executive order? Uh chair, before I get to that question, I want to go back to um your question around languages for the advisory. Um so so far the English is being translated into the top 10 languages um and we will also include Hindi and Punjabi and those are expected to go up as soon as possible. Um to your question on the um inter agency response committee. Um so you know it is a response uh a crisis response body that coordinates and manages policy uh responses across city agencies during a crisis um any crisis but also includes escalating federal uh immigration uh action. So, the members of the committee, as I've stated before, first deputy mayor, who was going to be serving as chair, the chief counsel, um special adviser for strategic coordination and operations for the FDM, um and myself. Um as Moya's commissioner, I'm uh I am serving in a leadership capacity at the IRC and we're working really closely with this team. >> And how often does it meet? Is it quarterly as well? So the uh the inter agency response committee right now is um actively sort of in communication and working in coordination with the city agencies to um meet some of the earlier deadlines. I know that a focus has been largely placed on the uh May 7th deadline for the audit. Um so we know that that work has begun. Um the IRC is also beginning to meet with stakeholders actually this week. So, that work is is um has commenced. >> Okay. I'm gonna take a pause to uh acknowledge my colleague, Council Member Joseph, and she'll ask you some questions. Oh, wow. I like that. Okay. Okay. Good afternoon, everyone. Commissioner, always great to see you. Um thank you for being here. And on the record, just also want to thank the administration for the great partnership we did on the TPS video done by the mayor. I thank him for that. Um, we want to talk about HA. I know it was baselined. We want to find out um, are there going to be any an expansion or is there going to be other Haitianled organization? As you may know, TPS is currently now in the Supreme Court. I I think you mentioned um HRI, the Haitian response initiative. Um we are currently um uh part of what the commissioner laid out a little bit earlier is that we're currently assessing all programs to see where um the new funding that we received will be allocated. So that's part of the the assessment as well with HRI. >> Okay. How many organizations you currently have in the HRI um system? >> Uh we have give me one second. I'm just finding my my page. We have one, two, three, four, five, six. We have eight. So it's seven CBOS and then uh Catholic Charities that provides services, legal legal services. >> Okay. In the preliminary um plan included 1.6 million in fiscal 2026 for the HR. Um for fiscal 2026, the council added an additional 600,000 in discretionary funding to further support six Haitians serving nonfor-profit organizations. Um, can you provide an update on this program, including the number of people served in 2025? >> So, for the the council's additional funding, we I don't have that number. And for um the uh the program that we oversee in FY26, 333 individuals have been screened in 120 cases have been filed. >> And what is the projected um budget for the Haitian response initiative in 2027? Um it has been um baseline as of this fiscal year uh at $1.6 million. >> Have the needs of the Haitian community shift shifted or evolved in the past year? We know it has. Um we we have 300 I've done videos. I've been outside rallying and doing press conferences as 350,000 lives are are looming because now we're waiting for a decision. Any other plans to support um the community and helping maybe change their some of their statuses? Yeah, there's uh that that's a great question and something we've been thinking a lot about. Um part of what we've done to tackle some of the issues particularly with the looming or potential end of TPS is that we have shifted some of the services. Currently what we are doing well one we're bringing clinics into the neighborhood. So they are now and this is the u during FY26 we've made that change where they're coming into the CBOS directly as well as um supporting individuals who might be um um having a check-in or having to go to uh court uh for their asylum um uh appointment. And what's happening now is that people are being supporting them and training them and reviewing their applications and helping them and walking them through type the types of questions that are being prepared as well as we're currently working on um providing uh resources. U we know that with with TPS looming there are a lot of issues that have come up regarding housing work and things like that. So there are uh resources that we're currently producing and putting together for that community as well. >> Even in terms of guardianship as well as as children who were born here and and parents who may have to leave and all of that stuff. I know I hosted a um a session in my um in a neighboring district on that. >> Yes. Uh so we have um just generally we have standby guardianship information for the general public on our website. But in addition to what what we do with the AHRI uh collaborative um part of it is also training. So we also have Catholic charities come in and provide updates um regarding uh which are really a reflection of the most common themes and issues that the organizations are are are facing and that was one of them as well. >> Thank you. And also um I wanted to ask around I know you know this is going to come around the um young people um one of the things we did in this last year's budget is um support unaccompanied minors um is that going to continue and how many how many young people have you seen in that program? So, in regards to uh whether uh there will be programming changes, we're still um again identifying gaps and needs. And then I do have a number for you, but I'm just looking for it in my binder in regards to um the work and really thanks to the council too for providing funding. Be >> steadfast on that. >> That's right. Um and we we're very thankful, but in regards to the If you can give me a minute, I'll get >> Yeah, no problem. No problem. Meanwhile, I can ask another question. Um chair, is it okay? Thank you. Um the council also funded literacy assistance centers and I care for both CBOS to coordinate and provide technical assistance to providers funded under the adult literacy forward um initiative and those fundings under the SIJS unaccompanied minors and family initiative which totals 733,000 in the fiscal 2026 for these um program. Can you provide details about the use of that funding and what does these programs mentorship assistance and coordination entail and what is the goal of the funding? >> Um for that we're going to have to circle back uh because we do not manage those programs so we don't have uh specifics but we're happy to look into that uh and follow up for details. >> You'll work out you'll work with the other agency to make sure >> um a yes. >> Okay. is the is the amount of funding that we provided for the door to support young people whether they're in foster care whether they are in um unaccompanied minors or whether they are asylum seekers as well um enough to support the young people that we have as you can see Dylan after 10 month is out now so um we want to continue to support young people as as we're reading reports immigration have become the most dangerous thing to young people in this city >> yeah as part of our process between preliminary and the executive is to actually evaluate some of these programs and see what where the gaps and opportunities are and work with our partners in OMB to address some of those needs. >> And is there any other agencies that we're doing in inter agency work with? You know, I I think other agencies should be talking like New York City public schools, DYCD. There should be inter inter agency um conversation about a comprehensive plan for our young people in this city. >> I can jump in here. Uh we are in um active conversations with DYCD, ACS and the Department of Education uh on issues regarding youth and then to give you the number because I found it um and and as you've you talked about is it sort of u the funding that came in from city council we don't have clear oversight on that and numbers but I could share in regards to numbers that we supported with um the transition of the asylum applica application help center and young people that were supported there was a list of about 200 00 youth um who needed continued legal services um and ultimately 69 youth were um were assisted with SIJ applications and that number is that what that number is is because um we also had to get consent from young people to actually follow up. So, I just wanted to share that number. And one more thing because the team is pinging me. Uh we're also working on putting together a family preparedness phone bank um that we're that's happening this month in collaboration with uh with Catholic Charities actually next month. >> Well, thank you. Thank you very much um for this um chair. Thank you so much. >> Of course. Thank you. Um and you know I so I know that a lot of the conversation has been around those inter agency conversations, task force conversations. Is there a quality check that Moya does to see that that information has has trickled down to the people that are on the ground and that those conversations and the things that those uh agencies have said that they are going to give information on that that's actually reaching the people that are facing our immigrant communities. >> Yeah. Outside of our quarterly meetings for the inter agency task forces um our team are in regular uh communications I'll say that I'll uplift one uh team in particular our language access folks are in constant communication whether it's you know DYCD DOE um we had a a strong um meeting and conversations with our partners at NISUM um just to ensure that it these aren't just sort of oneoff um you know meetings or or translations that happen but that language access is actually embedded in the work that they do. So, I feel confident in those conversations. They they happen outside of not just within the task forces, but they happen on a regular basis outside as well. >> All right, great. Um and so when and back to the sanctuary uh city laws, I I was wondering if there were any recommendation that Moya is providing to the city agencies to ensure compliance with the sanctuary policies and if you can talk a little bit about what that time frame is looking like to conduct trainings um that are related to uh executive order 13 across all of the relevant agencies. >> Yeah. One thing I think is really important to kind of restate and and be unequivival unequivocal about is that this administration is in fact um committed to ensuring that no city agencies are cooperating with ICE in ways that violate our laws. Um so I want to put that on the record. Um and and I you know that commitment we know is not just in words but it was codified in the executive order that lays out very clear accountability measures for agencies. Um, you know, uh, to the question about trainings, we're we're really hoping to uncover is through through the audits is a better understanding of what the training capacity right now looks like. Um, we imagine that, you know, there will be some gaps. Um, and we're looking forward to evaluating those and in and in terms of timeline, um, agencies do have up until I believe it's May 7th to submit those, uh, reports. So, we're hoping to evaluate those and put out, um, recommendations. you know, uh, transparency is really important and so the recommendations will be posted on, uh, on our website. >> So, you anticipate that all city agencies will be trained to some degree even with the gaps that exist or are you assessing the gaps to see which ones will and won't? >> Yeah. Um, we are planning to assess the gaps first um, and then move forward with our series of recommendations. But um there is a commitment for sure to make sure all city agencies are trained um uh and know exactly how to you know uh interact with the public, how to interact with agencies and know their responsibilities under the sanctuary city law. >> And can you describe a little bit about your model for rapid response outreach? I know you spoke about it um a bit, but maybe talk a little bit more in depth about the the model for rapid response. >> Yeah, it's really twofold. Um I'll start with sort of looking in-house within um Moya. Uh one of the things that I really would like to sort of see reflected in some of the changes that um within Moya is a more robust rapid response um capacity that we have. Um you know that means building sort of stronger systems. That means faster coordination with our legal service providers and also training some of our own staff. um you know we have a number of I believe it's 10 community liaison right now that I really would like to see trained as organizers who can um you know go out into the community and should there be a need and work with our partners um on the ground. Um we also have a a dedicated team um that is providing information to the community um through our external affairs and community engagement work. um these folks are are out they're tableabling they're conducting really important know your rights trainings and working really closely um uh with our partners. So that's sort of on the in-house side uh you know externally you know the the great work of our providers is um is I think can't be overstated. Um you know the folks who manage our rapid response legal support hotline you know the you know their the rapid response uh legal support centers um but our hotline as well. Um, I mentioned this in my in our testimony, the staffing capacity has expanded and there is a dedicated person specifically um for any rapid response concerns that may arise. So, it is a all of the above um approach to rapid response. Thank you for that. I mean, I think that that's one of the things like even on the ground in my community, there are many, many community members that want to get involved and sometimes are forming their own rapid response networks. It's very difficult for them to get proper education, make sure that they're doing correctly so that we are not kind of chasing our tails in a moment of extreme need. Uh, so I'm I'm really hoping that we can make sure that any community member that wants to be a part of this can can know where to go and get those resources. um how do you how does the administration propose delivering services to detained and non-detained immigrants facing deportation? So when um cases are flagged to MOYA, whether it's through the hotline, through direct interaction with constituents or we actually get um oftent times uh referrals from council members and other elected officials, we connect those individuals to our legal service providers based on sort of the specifics of um their case. If uh a constituent reaches a General Moya staffer, then that staffer also connects them to our program team. And so we have like a tree within Moya to to one evaluate sort of the the case and and make the referrals um appropriately >> and have you found any need for additional resources? How much of an expansion do you think would it take to adequately meet the needs for legal services? Yeah, I'll I'll say this um that there is always a need to to fund and support more organizations doing really critical work. You know, historically many of these programs um that support immigrant communities um have been funded, you know, uh in through one shots or one year at a time in the adopted budget. um you know, but seeing their you know, a new commitment from uh this administration in the preliminary $32 million overall to support or expand services is very promising. And so um we are very grateful for that investment. We know that um the long-term there is a long-term commitment to immigrant legal uh services that these are unprecedented levels of need. Um and that is something that we are constantly sharing and flagging for our colleagues um at the mayor's office as well as OM. >> Okay, great. I'm going to pause. U my my colleague has thought of another question, so I'm going to give her an opportunity to >> We're taking a commercial break. Back to me. Um when I spoke about the MOYA technical um mentorship assistance and central coordination that is your program and I know that you're outsourcing through IDP and I arc I wanted to know what type of work or coordination will will you be doing with these vendors. >> Yeah. Um you're correct. I think we were responding to the IARE program. Um so for LTM uh we introduce a legal technical assistance model in FY26. Um, and it provides individualized legal um, assistance to our support centers that are part of three-year contracts. So, you are correct. Teacher Rita is always keeping me in order. Um, that I is our lead provider. Um, they focus training on really emerging um, issues including habius corpus um, trainings. Um, they are really responding I believe to um, whatever needs come up in that current moment. Um, we also have another legal technical assistance program called LTA. Big fans of acronyms. Um, that uh really expands also on the immigration legal training, resources, technical support for uh MOYA funded uh organizations. >> Thank you. >> Gotcha. Gotcha. So, you know, one of the things that we we're we're uncovering and and is becoming so real is this fear for asking for help. Um, which is a a really big issue and it is critical for these services to get to folks. Um, in November of 2025, the US Department of Homeland Security proposed a new rule to make accessing public benefits harder for immigrants by giving officers more discretion and potentially expanding the factors or benefits um considered a public charge. Is uh are you collaborating with H on developing guidance around potential changes in the public charge policy? >> Uh thank you chair for that question. We are in fact working with partners at DSS, at DOH, at NYC Health to develop um an updated flyer um with information that is uh making sure that it's also available on our website. This same uh coalition of agencies and partners was also in close communication with our legal service providers um earlier this year regarding three different instances of public charge that came up in naturalization cases. Um, and we're also working with DSS and DOH to submit a public comment um, in response to this rule change. >> And you know, I'm going to ask about the languages for those flyers. Right. >> We are going to ensure that at the very least they're translated in the top 10 languages. Um, and then uh, we'll assess other languages as needed. >> Yeah. >> And now that I know this is important to you, I make sure you get that information. >> It is. I mean, you know, as we face our constituents every day, and with all of the changes, all of the misinformation, we need a trusted, reliable source that is going to give them the most up-to-date information as possible, that they know that they're getting um uh that information from a trusted source and that they are not fearful of seeking that help because they understand that it's a trusted source. Absolutely. Um, so last month, uh, the New York Attorney General announced, uh, that they're launching a new initiative called Legal Observation Project, the Legal Observation Project to monitor federal immigration enforcement activity in the state for potential legal violations. Are you working with the Attorney General's office or been in contact with them about the roll out of this initiative? >> Yeah, we are. Moya is supportive of efforts to monitor federal immigration enforcement activity um for potential legal violations and really welcome the collaboration with the AG's office. We are in touch with the AG on other matters. Um and we um but on this in particular, we don't have much to report. Sorry, I have to get some water in. Um, I want to now touch a little bit on the closure of the migrant shelter and mail processing center. The office of asylum seeker operation was created in in March 2023. Um, and you know that that was a response to the influx of migrants in New York City. Can you provide an update on Moya's current involvement with uh the asylum seeker response and how the city's response and support has changed in this past year? So, Moya has always um served all immigrants, both recent arrivals and long-term residents. Um regardless of which office or agency is established, you know, is running that given program. Um we continue to work with DSS and DHS um to share timely uh updates and and are providing from facing material for um their clients. So the uh OASO's responsibility was shifted to Moya and DHS. >> I can I can jump in here. I would say that um as as the commissioner laid out um Moya has al always been central and this is sort of a central theme of today's hearing um in regards to many responses that impact immigrants. I would say that when OASIO was um closing, we worked collaboratively with them um to ensure that there were access points for subset populations for legal services. So the example that I spoke about a little bit before in regards to young people who were identified as potentially sitch eligible is a group of individuals that we worked with to ensure that services continue to be provided as OASA was closing down uh or the asylum application help center in particular because that that's where we had more of a of a role. uh we ensured we ensured that um uh folks who were um being served by them had access point to legal services. Now the last remaining shelter for migrants is planned to close by the end of 2026. This will result in roughly 2,000 plus people being dispersed throughout the DHS system. How is the administration ensuring that the immigrants affected by shelter closers receive timely and clear information in their preferred language about their options? >> So, we've uh been working with DSS and DHS on language access in particular uh issues at at Brookner and continue to work with them as um the need changes. And we also learned that the administration is closing the centralized mail center for asylum seekers which is located in the migrant shelter in the South Bronx which is in my district. Uh the mail center is scheduled to close at the end of this month in March. Do you know if the admin has a solution on how people will continue to receive important immigration court documents? As you know this is very important um especially those who have used that address and are waiting for mail. So as individuals are reintegrated into um DHS, they will receive mail at their assigned sites. Um we also understand uh through DHS that um they have been communicating with impacted indivi individuals about mail forwarding um on sort of the exact details. We would defer to DHS um for the most current information. >> Okay. This is why we need one agency so that we can get these answers. I'm gonna keep um so we're going to switch gears a little bit up uh and talk about advancing immigrant worker protections. Um I know that we'll be talking about this a lot next month as well. But uh you know obviously many of our immigrant workers face exploitation and unsafe working conditions and that is very often compounded by fear related to their immigration status. Last year the state department of labor created the New York State Bank on online resources designed to connect job seekers with employment opportunities. Um so my question here is how are immigrants informed about their rights at work? uh this how is this disseminated? Are there costs associated with these measures? >> Sorry. Um this is in resp um regards to the New York State Bank. >> Sorry, >> I read ahead. Excuse me. >> It's all right. >> I'm going to get back. Just put that question in the pocket. Uh the question around the state bank was Moya's usage of the New York State Bank if any and if sharing it as a resource and and has it shared it as a resource to any of the members of the community. >> I think on that question we're going to have to circle back. Yeah. >> Gotcha. All right. So now I'm going to my second one which you've heard. uh how are immigrants informed about their rights at work and how is that information disseminated and are there any costs more importantly uh with those languages other than English? >> Yeah, so Moya's working really closely with deputy mayor Sue and her team to really further integrate Moya into the economic justice portfolio which we're very excited about. Um we're looking to um you know uh exploring opportunities and looking to expand collaboration with some of the other agencies in that same vertical including DCWP, SBS and DOB. Um you know one of my priorities as I've I've mentioned earlier a few times is really to bolster the work of our outreach team. Um and uh uh and we really look forward to sort of um you know work with uh our partners at the office of mass engagement and other agencies to really best determine like how do we conduct outreach to this particular population. >> Yeah, I think we'll we'll learn, you know, especially next month about like the impact that that has on our small businesses, on our business communities, our commercial corridors, and what we're really seeing out on the streets. Um, I'm going to take a pause to recognize uh, Council Member Krishna. Uh, do you have questions? No, not right now. All right. He's he's thinking on it. Um, so question. Uh, how does uh, MOYA budget prioritize workforce development programs for immigrant communities? So currently Moya's program focuses on immigration legal services, know your rights, um English class classes, and other support services. Um in this uh under this sort of new administration and and new Moya, I think being part of that economic justice portfolio is something that we're currently still assessing um and figuring out ways to actually in integrate that throughout the office and um through the existing programs. Um and with respect to this your specific question on funding um no specific funding was allocated um to Moya for this particular purpose but we are continuing to assess our programming and initiative needs to identify some of these gaps. >> Okay. So there may be a funding request in the future for this if you if you see that this is something that is is necessary. Um, so for English language learning and support centers, how successful has that program been in terms of attracting new participants and what criteria is being used to measure that success? Okay, so on English language learners, I want to make sure we have the right numbers for you. Um, we have had in FY26 so far uh 2,83 unique learners and about 750 graduates. Um we are um through this program we've delivered 73 classes across um uh three uh of the library systems reaching about 1,700 unique learners um and 576 graduates and then the um the in-house we speak program um that the the Moya runs has also delivered 23 classes across um Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn to reach uh 382 unique learners and 174 graduates and so the outcome and the impacts they're being tracked uh by graduates right is there any other are there any other measures in that program that you track to um signal success? >> Yes. So per quarter we are we are um keeping track of unique learning uh learner numbers but we are also keeping track of regularity of attendance uh certificate eligibility um all of that is really uh tracked to assess the neighborhood or the branch that um you know what their needs are and the applicability of services. Um in addition to attendance numbers um facilitator observations curriculum um packets also include um a survey and so we get a multilingual uh learner survey survey where um individuals can self-report on demographic information like you know origin the bureau of residents um you know uh time uh learning English and any other feedback that they have. So the survey is another way for us to capture that information. And is that does that survey because obviously there's less than half that have graduated that have come in. So does it speak to some of the barriers that they may uh find going to the program, attending it and completing it? >> Yeah. So to to what the commissioner laid out, I think there's really like three key components of of of the work and and how we track. It's the unique learners and the attendance in the graduate because and also sort of understanding how this program might be different from your um you know more traditional uh adult literacy class is that this is really the first time that learners might be open to even speaking another language and an entry point to further services. So a key for us is also ensuring that folks are showing up and that attendance is is is is one of the key um u factors that we'd look at as well. >> So how do you track demand for the services? How do you identify a community or where this this service should be provided? We're currently not tracking that because we um um the the program as we know it it's sort of new at least one or two years but we're certainly open to to assessing that. >> Do you know which organizations are contracted out for this program? >> There are three um library branches New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and the Queen's Public Library. >> And was there an RFP process to receive the funding for that program? that they have to go through that the libraries or were they just designated? >> No RFP process. >> Okay. And and in total, what was uh anticipated to be allocated uh in fiscal 2027? >> So, it's $500,000 per library system. 200,000 is what we started out with and then 300,000 was added additional um to that program. I don't know if you want to talk about the breakdown. >> Yeah. Um so, this is for FY26. um for FY uh 27 um as I mentioned earlier uh we did get an additional $1.5 million that has been baseline uh for this program. Uh so for FY27 we are looking at about uh 21 uh $2.1 million baseline for uh English learning and support centers. uh we are still uh in the process of uh figuring out how all of that funding will be allocated. Uh and just very briefly to go back to uh your question about the RFP uh we the the libraries were designated this funding uh when we first launched uh this program because we had already had a partnership uh with them uh to provide uh programming. Uh this also allowed us to have uh to to meet the demand uh for the asylum seeker um uh community that uh that that was asking for uh for all of these classes to be readily available through uh for them throughout the city. So it did allow us as uh you know as as an office to to uh to meet that demand. Uh again, now that we have uh baseline funding, we are going to be uh evaluating all of our programs and then making an assessment uh you know, short-term and long-term in terms of allocations. >> Yeah, I hope so because, you know, I I love my libraries and I think that they're a great place to house this, especially when you're trying to turn it over really quickly with an organization that you trust, that you know can provide the services, but I know services like this are needed in so many different pockets of communities. It's very difficult to move around the city. um as a newcomer to the city and get access to resources. And so I really do hope the RFP speaks to that and that we can track where that need is and identify that so we can properly uh provide that service. It's it's important. Um, and so before I move into the next topic, which will be around some of our legal support centers and action NYC, I'm going to allow our amazing council member Joseph has another question for you. A quick commercial break as we call it. >> It's a it's along the lines that you were asking, right? So I know about we speak because I taught that program. Is there a possibility where there could be a partnership with district 79 that's already doing that work? I think um that should be a conversation when we talk about inter agencies. D79 does the ESL, the GED, but it's it serves a large immigrant community which is already embedded in the New York City public school system. >> Yeah, Council Member, that's a great idea and something that we will definitely explore. >> See, told you chair, >> I love this. We're going to be ping ponging all day. Um this is great. That was really good. Oh, of course. Um, so for the immigration legal support centers, um, we know that the preliminary plan includes 11.6 million in baseline funding uh, for legal support centers. The former condition the commissioner changed the program's name from Action NYC to Moya's immigration legal support centers. Can you explain the changes in the new model and how have they improved services? Yeah. So, I'll start and I'll kick it over to my colleague um as I'm also learning the sort of shift and change. Um some of the changes um as it's as I understand it include adjusting really the number of contracted providers um funding levels, deliverables, the target population and the geographic reach. And so that is included. It was not just a name change. I think there was also a more holistic deliberate approach to this. Um, I think at the heart of the redesign, um, was the goal of embedding legal service providers within immigrant-dense neighborhoods, um, alongside organizations that are equipped to really deliver, uh, immigration services in, uh, in a culturally and linguistically informed uh, way. And so um you know the the question of um you know whether this has you know what the shift was and you know I think the shift you know into communities that um can service and have long-standing sort of relationships is where uh you saw a a large um sort of shift in the actual programming. >> And how many centers are currently open? >> We have 29 um unique providers across um 38 contracts. So, there are 25 legal support centers that are working with a three-year contract and then there's an additional 13 that were sort of um former Action NYC partners who were also given an opportunity to apply for funding in FY26. >> So, will there be additional uh centers that possibly open under this program? >> I think that's part of the assessment that we're working on and and um and figuring out um what what has been working and what hasn't. And if you would allow me because I think the the numbers um um speak for themselves, but um you know the program is we we still haven't hit our first birthday yet. Um so we're we're getting there and we're working to closely assess uh assess the needs and if if the model is working or not, but I just wanted to give you the number because to date um there has been significant across the legal support centers. The program has recorded 8,756 screenings and 3,727 filings through the first half of FY26 um and into quarter 3. If you compare this to 7,656 screenings and 4,684 filings that were done for all of FY2025. So just to say that the providers um have been um going above and beyond and and working um and also the demand of of course to acknowledge the the increase but I just wanted to share that with you because we found that number to be um an important indicator of course of course there's other assessments and things to that extent but I wanted to share that number with you. >> I know I appreciate that number. Can you talk about some of the other assessments? Um I know that there's a lot of assessing going on at this time. So maybe you can talk to some of what what what are some of those things that you're looking at? >> Yeah, I mean we have uh direct communications with our providers and we are um about to start and roll out our quarter 3 uh combos with them. Um parts of the conversations are um whether or not um you know we're on track to meet deliverables, but also if there are additional services that want to that they want to provide, additional needs that they're seeing on the ground, things like that. as we're sort of doing this massive uh look under the hood with all our programs at Moya >> and and kicking the tires too, I'm assuming. Right. Um so the council has provided Moya with $850,000 to cover fees for applications and other operational expenses for Moyer funded legal providers. Can you provide us a status on how that funding is being used? Uh so that particular funding was allocated across 27 providers. Um 24 of them have this funding already uh reflected in their FY26 budgets. Um and providers are sub Did they put you on the clock? >> Oh my goodness. Um and providers are also submitting updated um budgets to be able to invoice into Passport. There are three providers uh out of the 27 that have contract amendments that are in progress with um our contracting agency DSS um to add to this funding. Um I don't know if there's anything more um Jazz that you wanted to add to that. >> Uh no there will very quickly uh in total actually what uh that was uh the total amount that went over uh towards filing fees uh was about a million dollars. Uh we used the $850 uh,000 um as well as um about 17 uh $72 million that was left over from uh the $4.4 million uh that was also provided by uh by the council uh for legal services. So we make sure that uh that we utilize that funding to be able to uh to to provide this much needed support uh to more providers. >> Okay, great. And um so for the rapid response legal collaborative uh the preliminary plan includes 2.2 million in fiscal 26 for the rapid response legal collaborative program. I know we've we've spoken a lot about this, but are there specific immigrant populations that are facing more challenges than others that were reported by the collaborative? And if so, how are you supporting them and prioritizing? Yeah. So, we touched a little bit on this earlier with folks um who who have lost TPS, but there are several populations that are facing um a number of challenges including those who have lost uh TPS um or whose status is really in limbo. Um those are the key uh populations that we are currently focused on. There are undocumented individuals more broadly are facing increased fear um and uncertainty because of the uh intensified federal enforcement. So that we know as chair you mentioned has had a chilling effect on um their willingness to access city services. So we're focused on undocumented individuals as well. Um and then we're also seeing um a significant need as we talk to our contracted providers amongst uh unaccompanied m minors and um mixed status families who are navigating um this you know f very hostile federal landscape. >> Sorry. Um so in terms of the immigration legal support hotline uh the budget also is allocated for legal support it includes 632,000 roughly in fiscal 2026. How many people currently staff the hotline? >> So the hotline employs seven full-time counselors. Um the counselors at the hotline speak uh English, French, Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Udu. And what are the hours of operation? You said it was. >> So they've been um expanded um beyond our our typical Monday through Friday 9 to5. So the expanded hours right now are Monday and Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 9:00 to 6:00. And the last Saturday of the month has been added um and is uh the hotline is available from 9:00 to 5:00. So, as we know, um, you know, part of the defense here with imminent deportation is that people may need to get to somebody really quickly. So, what should someone do outside of those operating hours? Um, to I think directly with providers, they should be engaging with them. I mean we're currently providing um you know materials and and listing that is available um to both the providers and and connecting individuals uh both about knifeup and the RLC and that um information is in fact available um in top 10 languages. If a caller um calls the hop hotline during operating hours, we know that they're going to be directed to um staff. Um, and if they call, I think there is an option, if I'm correct, staff can correct me. There is an option for folks who call outside of operating hours to leave a message and have um their call be returned. >> Are they connected in any way outside of operating hours, like press one to be connected to? >> Yeah. to um to add to what the um the commissioner said um a after hours they're just asked to call back during their normal operating hours but it's an issue that we're going to bring back cuz I know there were flags about afterhour services so it's something that we are looking into when a caller dials in and I'm going to try to get it right um they are prompted to an IVR system which asks them like what language they want to choose right now we have Spanish English um Haitian creo and I I think one more. Um, and we're working on rolling out additional languages by the end of the spring. >> Yeah, we we we have I believe I I it was 800 different languages that we speak in the city and so we we really are always going to push for more language access and and uh having that information on that >> if you would allow me chair. Um uh besides the hotline operators that we have that speaks at uh the number of languages that the commissioner laid out there uh operators also have access to language line which opens up uh the menu of additional languages that um might be needed depending on who calls. >> And you said there were seven now. How many were last were there last year? >> I can circle back with that number. I don't have it handy. >> Okay. Um so how do you anticipate that the demand will change in the coming year and can the level of funding that is uh put there adequately support those needs? Um but we hope that um individuals keep calling the hotline to receive services. That's always a hope for us. um in regards to additional assessments for for future funding needs. That's part of the larger uh work that we're currently doing across our programs. All righty. We're getting through a lot. So, thank you all for getting through this with me. I know it it it seems like there's a lot here, but ultimately what we're really trying to get to is that make sure that you have all of the resources that you need to do this important work. We're seeing it on the ground from our constituents and we want to make sure that when we're fighting for this budget that we make sure you have everything that you need covered. But I know that there has been uh for example for the asylum seeker legal services that there was some uh funding that was cut for ASLAN and in fiscal 26 and for fiscal 26 only the city council restored it for $5 million. Um can you explain a little bit about why that funding was cut? So, I'll I'll start and um my team can fill in some of the blanks. My understanding is that the funding for ASL and the navigation centers was actually consolidated um into Moya's uh legal support centers funding. And to be more specific, um that funding um was repurposed uh to allow us um to to to provide the one-year extension uh to the former ActionNYC uh providers that uh that currently have a one-year uh contract with us for FY26. So So that's part of the 7.6 million for fiscal 206, >> correct? Um, so in order in in order for us to um to be able to to continue uh this one-year uh contracts for those 13 providers in FY26, we utilize uh the AS we repurpose the ASELN uh N and also navigation uh uh centers um funding as well as um the the $4.4 million allocated uh by the council. that has allowed us to uh to provide those one-year contracts for this fiscal year. >> Okay. All right. This is what we mean about having to to shift and and move and and move things. So, I want to get into local law 73. Um you know, as you know, it was meant to develop a survey of newly arrived immigrants, including those who have arrived recently. Uh can you provide an update on this survey development and the administration? um just on the survey development first and then we'll get to the rest. >> Yeah, chair. Um and I think it's like it was a pairing between 73 and 74 if I'm not mistaken. Um um currently the um DOH is in charge of administering uh said survey. Moya has supported them uh and has consulted with them, but DOH would have sort of the latest on on where things are. And are we able to obtain the surveys to know what kind of questions were included in those surveys? >> We're happy to circle back just because we're not uh the authors of them, but we can check with our colleagues. >> Okay. And do you know how many uh asylum seekers or migrants were involved in each survey? >> We don't have that number now because the survey is actively being done. So, we wouldn't have access to that data right now. >> Okay. Okay. And has there been any issues with carrying out that law, creating that survey, any barriers that you've seen for that agency? >> Um um again like response to once we touch base with our colleagues. >> Okay. We'll be circling back on that. And the preliminary plan also includes 16.9 million for the II deportation defense initiative. What is the protective budget for the II deportation defense initiative for fiscal year 27? Um, we are going to have to confirm that uh for you. That's uh that program is actually managed by DSS. So, we don't have oversight over that uh particular program. >> Okay. So, so I I'll hold it for that. Just so that you know what I'm what I'm asking. It's both for the projected budget for II deportation defense and also for the II immigration opportunity initiative for fiscal both for fiscal 27. Um >> we follow up with >> Thank you. Um, it was also announced that the uh Department of Small Business Services is creating a new office of vendor services as required by our city council bill. Sorry, uh that passed last year. The office of vendor uh services will be tasked with supporting the city's estimated 23,000 street vendors, nearly all of whom are immigrants. Is Moya planning to work closely with this office as nearly all street vendors are immigrants? We were very excited um to hear uh of this announcement. Are very much looking forward to teaming up and working closely with the department of vendor services. >> Do you know what uh language capacity will be available for this office? Do you know? >> I actually don't. We can follow up. Okay. Cuz I know that the the needs of delivery workers, street vendors, um you know, they're at the forefront of the council's agenda. As you know, we have some really strong champions in the council. Um, and so we we want to understand, can you describe how you partner to support coalitions of delivery workers, street vendors, small businesses? Yeah. Um, I think, um, part of what, um, we're also excited about is that we're under this new portfolio with Deputy Mayor Sue um, and we're looking forward to building more robust relationships across agencies, but also with organizations. I would say that we have been in touch with the dearistas in the past um um particularly when issues uh connected to um legal legal issues came up um and we have been in touch with them but uh as the as the commissioner said um um there's more intentionality that we are um hoping to move forward with especially with some of the new offices of the new office that was created with as the street vendor project in particular. I am excited as well as well as most of the champions and the city council. We'll be tracking this and we're looking forward to you know continuing this work and having you back to ask specific questions around small businesses and how we support them as well as a number of other uh topics that we'll be working much like you in collaboration with my council my other council team in terms of uh committees. So there'll be some uh some of that happening in the near future. For now, I want to thank you for your time and your testimony. We are going to be moving into the public comment section. We don't have anyone else here is there's no one online, council members. So, we will be taking a short break for those of you. So, I can move my feet around. And um thank you so much, Commissioner. It'll be about 5 to 10 minutes. >> Chair, we want to thank you and your team as well. >> Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, just a quick PSA. No one is to approach the deis. If you would like to sign up to testify in person and have not filled out a slip, you can do so outside at the table at the start. Thank you for your cooperation. Quiet down. Can everyone get their seats? We're about to begin. Thank you so much for coming back. We are now going to ask our invited guest, former speaker of the New York City Council, Melissa Mark Vito, to give testimony at today's hearing. That's all right. All right. Let's let's let's do the thing. Let's do the thing. When you're ready, just press the button and go. >> Just go into the middle of the stove. >> Okay. go to the middle. Okay. >> All right. Well, good afternoon to everybody. Um, it really is wild to be here. I've not been in this building since I left office. And, um, it's wonderful to see uh, the upgrades and everything. And to everybody that's in this room, all the advocates that do the work each and every day on behalf of our immigrant communities, I commend you all um, for the work and for being here. It's was a pleasure when I was in office to be able to work side by side with many of you. Um so so um good afternoon to the chairwoman of this committee who happens to be my council woman Els Carnasion. Um you know we all know that that the dark times that we are living in. There's a national siege on immigrant families and the communities we are a part of and it's upon us. This moment demands more from us. New York and other cities must stand strong for the human rights and values at the core of our local policies. This city does not buckle under pressure. We act. Our upcoming budget negotiations are a critical opportunity to aggressively meet these dangerous times, including by bolstering offices and services on the front lines of work and leadership. ICE and Border Patrol agents masked and dressed in full combat gear have flooded cities across the country. and now our airports. These agents have become the foot soldiers of a cruel authoritarian regime, unleashing indiscriminate violence against anyone they perceive as other citizen and non-citizen alike. Sadly, it is crystal clear to agents that they will not be held accountable for their actions even in the most egregious of cases. In fact, the White House routinely posts memes and AI generated videos that celebrate ICE and Border Patrol's cruelty and advance not so thinly veiled white supremacist propaganda. There's no denying that a year and a half into Trump's second term, his administration is unapologetic and scapegoating non-white people, flouting due process, increasing surveillance, all while lining the pockets of the president's cronies in the most corrupt administration ever. New York City has grown, becomes stronger over time, and thrives thanks to the contributions of immigrants and its rich diversity attracts millions of visitors and dollars to the city each year, providing more to our local economy than what they receive in any type of services, despite what ignorant critics may spew. In recognition of this sanctuary, protections have been embedded into the fabric of our city. Since the 1980s, both Republican and Democratic mayors have recognized that communities are safer when immigrants do not fear reporting crime to the police. Similarly, communities are healthier when all who reside within it can access health care and financially sound when there are diverse job opportunities and strong worker protections. With over 3 million immigrants calling New York City home and many more living in mixed status households, the city must ensure immigrants feel safe accessing city services. The council has an exemplary record of taking strong legislative action to protect their rights and ensure that city agencies and law enforcement can focus on their primary duty, ensuring the safety and well-being of our city. To that end, the council under the leadership of this previous council speaker passed legislation that prohibits local law enforcement from entering into 287G agreements, which would allow them to cooperate with ICE on civil immigration enforcement. Additional laws ensure that city resources and time are not used in support of federal immigration enforcement, including by prohibiting ICE access to Riker's Island. We also passed detainer laws that protect the immigrants due process rights by ensuring that the NYPD, Department of Correction, and Department of Probation only honor detainer requests when they are accompanied by a judicial warrant. And we set a national standard by investing millions to fund legal and other services that provide a critical safety net, one which only has expanded since then, thanks to the leadership of our New York City Council. As our federal elected representatives attempt to reign in ICE and Border Patrol's most egregious behavior through funding negotiations and cities around the country pass laws similar to those we have had on the books for years, New York City must continue to be a national leader in partnership with New York State. At the state level, I want to commend Senator Gennardis and Assemblywoman Rees, prime sponsors of the New York for All Act, and hope to see this legislation passed as part of the current state budget negotiations. This would permanently bring New York State more in line with our city sanctuary laws and offer critical protections to millions of New Yorkers. Here in NYC, in our wonderful New York City, with a city council that is new and a mayor at the helm, we must continue to fight federal overreach and hate while advancing policies and initiatives that enhance our long-standing efforts to promote the inclusion, protection, and celebration of immigrant New Yorkers. But today, many of the programs intended to support immigrant New Yorkers exist across multiple agencies, creating a patchwork system that can be difficult to track, coordinate, and strengthen. This fragmentation makes it harder to ensure accountability, maintain a cohesive strategy, and quickly respond to the evolving needs of our communities. So to meet this moment with the urgency it demands, something that um many advocates have been advocating for over the years, we should really take the next step and consider establishing a standalone immigration agency. one that can bring together the various contracts, initiatives that are currently spread across these agencies, ensuring that work is coordinated, nimble, strategic, and fully aligned with the values we have long upheld. So, at a time when immigrant communities are being targeted and tested at every level, our response must be equally intentional. Um obviously as part of that demand is also the fact that all the services that are currently financed and funded should not see a dollar withheld if anything and understanding we have immigr we have difficult times we should see an expansion if possible of some of those critical services I'm I'm sure many of which you'll hear from the advocates today um but I think that having this comprehensive and and city agency and the the the weight that that comes and brings with it is really imperative again so that the agency could be nimble and deal with what is to come. We know that um New York City is going to be on the front lines of that. So um we at a time when immigrant communities are being targeted and tested at every level, our response must be equally intentional. We have led before and we must continue to lead now, not only by defending our policies, but by strengthening the systems that make them real in people's lives. So graciaso, thank you for inviting me here today, and I appreciate the the opportunity. Thank you. Um and thank you for coming. Obviously. Yes. We got to uh obviously you know for those of you who don't know um I served under uh council member uh when she was council member not as speaker for 6 years and saw you do this work day in and day out from the day you stepped into office to the day I left your office. I'm proud to be here as one of your one of the people that you've really grown into this space and I hope that I make you proud in the work that I do here today and that I um carry on. So all of you will be witnessed that this is you know mentorship. This is what happens when you really do the work not just you know for the whole city but you really look at your community and you look at people that can really take on the work and champion it moving forward because the work never stops and we need good people at the forefront. So, thank you so much for that. And >> the last I just want to just say to to the people in this room, um it is the work that you do that has has gives us the ability to be successful in the work that we accomplish, right? The the the detainer laws that we talk about that we have in the city of New York, the getting ICE out of Rikers, that only came out of the advocacy that some of the groups when they met with me said, "This is happening in our city. We need to respond." So please, I know the times are tough and things get difficult, but the work that you do does make a difference and it impacts people's lives. So thank you for that. >> Thank you. I will now open the hearing for public testimony. I remind members of the public that this is a government proceeding and that the quorum shall be observed at all times. As such, members of the public shall remain silent at all times. We all talked about our hands. The witness table is reserved for people who wish to testify. No video recording or photography is allowed from the witness table. Further, members of the public may not present audio or video recordings as testimony, but may submit transcripts of such recordings to the Sergeant-at-Arms for inclusion in the hearing record. If you wish to speak today at today's hearing, please please fill out one of these appearance cards with the Sergeant-at-Arms and wait to be recognized. When recognized, you will have two minutes to speak on today's topic. the Committee on Immigration's fiscal 2027 preliminary budget hearing. If you have a written statement or additional written testimony you wish to submit for the record, please provide a copy of that testimony to our sergeant-at-arms. You may also email written testimony to testimony at council.nyc.gov within 72 hours of the close of this hearing. Audio and video recordings will not be accepted. For in-person panelists, please come up to the table once your name has been called. Now I will call our first inerson panel. Please come up. Samira Da from cityuni city tech. Monnique Francis from citizenship now. Ramon Espino from city tech. Miriam Samoy, I'm so sorry. Cun New York City College of Technology, Al Malik from City Tech and Kude Osman from City Tech. You guys, if you guys are in the room, you can come up to the front. They we may be waiting cuz we have an overflow room. So, we may be waiting for them to walk over. With that in mind, I am going to give the names for the second panel so that if if you're in the other room, you can start making your way this way. The second panel will consist of Katherine Gonzalez, Carla Ozala, and Deborah Lee. So, those are the second panels. Here they come. Need one more. >> Hi everyone. I want to keep in mind that uh when your mic has the green light, that mic is on. So you know that that mic is on. You can press the button to put the mic on and off as you move around. You may begin. Thank you, chairperson Incarnos and the honorable members of the immigration committee uh and the council finance team. I can't live without. My name is Mon'nique Francis, the newly appointed executive director at CUNY Citizenship. Now, I'm here on behalf of the dedicated team of 58 city council funded staff and more than 400 active volunteers. In this time of escalating need, Citizenship Now has remained steadfast in our commitment to serving immigrant New Yorkers. Since starting in 2010, funding from the city council has supported more than 80,000 individuals all on the path to citizenship. This includes in district one-on-one consultations, monthly communic community application assistance events, and most recently our virtual consultation series. For these New Yorkers, our services are free and are a vital lifeline. This helps them to remain in the United States while building a more stable future in the city they call home. This fiscal year alone, our organization received more than 30,000 calls. In response, we prioritize general inquiries to attorneys through our contact center hotline. More than 3,000 of those calls resulted in consultations and completed applications. We respectfully urge the council to sustain its support for our programs in in the FY2027 fiscal year budget. We request the renewal of the 4.6 million allocation and for our ASLEN supplemental asylum services, we request continued funding of $845,951. Kuni Citizenship Now is making measurable differ in empowering immigrant New Yorkers. On May 16th, we will hold our signature spring citizenship drive at John J. College, a partnership with state and city agencies, nonprofit organization, and corporate law firms with a goal of helping 300 permanent residents complete their citizenship application. We ask that you show your support by showing up. Thank you for your continued partnership. Welcome. Any questions? >> Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon, Sher Incarnion. My name is Samira and I'm from Morocco. Firstly, I would like to say thank you. Thank you for giving me the chance to talk to you today and I'm so glad to share my gratitude to City Tech Adult Learning Center and for the city council members. As one said, one teacher, one book and one pencil can change the world. Which mean that education is a power tool to change lives. As many immigrants including myself, the hardest part of starting a new life is in is the language. Language is truly a bridge to integration. As a mother, not being able to communicate made it hard for me to support my children in some things like reading, helping with homework, connecting with teachers, and getting more involved in school projects. I have experienced that feeling when I know what to do but I don't not I do not have the right words. Feeling frustrated and unable to help was motivate me motivates me to work on my language and improve it. Once I started learning English everything began to change. I became more confident in communication by overcoming the language barrier and was able to support my children towards success. I'm glad today to say that City Tech Learning Center made it possible for me and for many immigrants who cannot afford English classes in uh private institutions. Without this program, immigr immigrants might lose the chance to be included and connected to their communities. On behalf of all my classmates, I would like to say thank you city tech adult learning center for offering this program. Thank you city hall for funding and supporting it. You are not just in helping with money. You are opening wide doors for immigrants to a brighter future. Thank you all for your attention. Good afternoon everyone. My name is Kude and today I want to share my experience learning English. I came to America in 2001 with my husband and my daughter from Syria. When I first arrived, I did not know how to speak English. Simple things like to talking to others or asking for help felt very difficult. One of the biggest challenge for me was helping my daughter with her homework and speaking with her teachers. I wanted to support her, but I often felt upset to because I could not fully understand or express myself. Over the years, I had four more children. I learned very basic English by listening and trying my best in everyday situation, but I never really had the time to focus on my learning the English correctly because I was busy raising my family. Now that my children are older, some in college and some in middle school, I finally felt more more fit more more vitated >> to learn English. I want to be more independent and understand everything around me. I was referred to this program by my friend Miriam and decide to sign up. I hope it would help me improve my English and enjoy it even more than I ever imagined. Through this program, I have learned so much. I have become more confident speaking with others without needing translation. I have also learned how to speak in public, which is something I could not have imagined doing years ago. In this uh future, I hope to get my GED and become a medical assistant. I want to thanks you for listening to us. We ask for your strong support for this program because it's thoroughly deserved. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, member of this committee and ladies and gentlemen. My name is Rammon Espino and it is an an honor and a privilege for me to be here at this immigration committee hearing along with all those who like me have come with a single purpose to advocate for our education. To begin, I want to thanks the New York City College of Technology uh auto learning center for granting me for the the opportunity to be here and all you for your invitation. My request today is to ask Councilwoman Crystal Chris Crystal Hawken representing district 35 which include my community of for green and surrounding area and all her college to advocate for better education. We need more resources. Invest in all education programs at the school and university so that other like me can see their dream come true someday. And and I personally uh believe that every new every New Yorkers uh has a right uh to better education uh program. Uh and I want to remind you guys that you didn't elect us. We electing you to represent us at at this. This is why I begging you to help us to support us right in this in our education resettlement uh experiences. Thank you very much. Thank you uh New York City and God bless America. Good afternoon everyone. My name is Amal Meak and I'm one of many immigrants who has had the privilege of attending the ASL program at City Tech. I arrived in the United States one year ago from France. Today I'm in my third semester and I stand before you to share with you with you uh why this program means so much to me. When I first come here, I felt lost. The language barrier was not just a challenge. It was isolating. I struggled to communicate, to express myself and to find my place. Then I joined the ESL program at CTE and everything started to change. Step by step, I gained confidence in speaking English and with that confidence come new opportunities. Recently, I started interviewing for jobs, something I could not have imagined when I first arrived. That is the true power of this program. It does not just teach English. It empowers people. It restores confidence. It opens doors and give us the ability to build a future and contribute to this country. For every dollar invested in this program, you are investing in someone's future. Please continue to support and fund City Tech ESL programs because they are not just changing lives, they are building them. Thank you. >> Hello everyone. >> Okay. Hello everyone. My name is Mariam Seami. I have two years here in New York City. uh in the first I want to thank city hall for this opportunity and I want to thank city tech New York City college of technology adult learner for her support part when I come to United States uh I can't speak or understand any any word in English uh life is hard but other educ education help me to change my life I learn English step by step and I become more confident and independent uh At that time I start to looking for uh something to practice my English. So I start uh working volunteer work with the city tech to translate uh to help students for register and translate for them from Arabic to from Arabic and English to to from Arabic and French to English to help him to register there. Later I start uh with my friends to create small platform like Zoom to make conversation group to practice more. We start like three students and now it's become uh more than 100. So today I am student I am a student in city tech and I work part-time with this program. My goals is uh to continue improving my English and help more immigrants succeed. So adult adult education made all this possible. that that is why we kindly ask you to support this program with funding so it can continue and welcome even more immigrants who need this opportunity. Thank you so much. >> I want to thank each and every one of you. You did an amazing job. I'm very proud of you. You are really stellar uh examples of what that program has done. So, thank you so much. Um, and I have some questions for KUNY citizenship now. Uh, and you've also all did it before the time ran out. So, you should all be an example for everybody that comes after you. So, great job being that first panel to do that. Um, so for uh citizenship now, have you been able to serve all of the people have who have requested service through your program? >> Yes. Uh, so anyone who calls us or requests a call back online or texts us gets an appointment within two weeks. >> Within two weeks. >> And we call them back within 24 to 48 hours. >> Okay. Good. And is the current funding level for community citizenship now adequate to address the community needs, do you feel? >> Yes. So we got an increase last year of an additional 1.6 million. Yes. >> Okay. Perfect. Well, that was it. That was easy peasy, right? Take it easy on you. Um, thank you so much and I'll be calling up the next panel. Thank you. >> Uh, just a uh to remind the next panel it is Katherine Gonzalez, Carla Otoa, I'm sorry I messed that up. Oto Laza and Deborah Lee from the Legal Aid Society. The following panel, which would be panel three, uh we have Sierra Craft, Allison Cutler, Tanya Matoss, Rachel Jordan, Janet Miller, and Kelly Barahas. That is for the third panel. Just want to make sure you know. So when you're ready to come in, this was on Okay, you may begin. >> Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair Incarn, and uh members of the committee, and thank you for the opportunity to testify today and for the council's consideration of our renewal request for the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project or KnifeUp. My name is Katherine Gonzalez. I am associate general counsel at Brooklyn Defender Services. Alongside the Bronx offenders and legal aid society, we serve as the city's defender organizations, providing free legal representation to detained immigrants through the knife program. For more than a decade, Knifup has been a national model for providing high quality representation to immigrants detain in detained removal proceedings who cannot afford counsel. Thank you to city council funding, New Yorkers facing deportation have had a lawyer by their side. But while we have weathered enforcement surges before, what we are seeing now is without precedent. Since our last testimony in 2025, arrests have rapidly increased by ICE, and new detention facilities have opened across the Northeast um and the country. ICS is transferring New Yorkers within hours, often out of state and sometimes thousands of miles away. We are currently representing New Yorkers detained in at least 15 states because they've been moved. For the people we serve, detention is as essential. loss of liberty, separation from family, and the very real risk of deportation to life-threatening conditions or countries with where they have no ties or support. These enforcement tactics are designed to sever community ties and undermine due process. Knifup's integration within public defender offices allows us to quickly act in an increasingly volatile system. Knifup is responding in real time, conducting urgent interviews late at night or early in the morning, filing last minute motions, and preserving life-saving claims that might otherwise be lost without a hearing. We're also expanding litigation in federal courts to secure clients release through habius petitions inhouse and to vindicate their fundamental rights by pursuing critical appeals in the federal circuit courts. No New Yorker should face deportation alone and we urge the council to continue and deepen its commitment to knife up in this new and brutal enforcement landscape. Thank you for your continued commitment to protecting immigrant New Yorkers. >> Hi, good afternoon Sharon Carloion and members of the committee. My name is Carlos Salasa. I'm the managing director of the immigration practice at the Bronx Defenders. You've heard uh from my colleague um the reality in which this work takes place right now. So I I want to focus on what your investment has made possible. Uh despite the challenges, your support has allowed us to grow, adapt, and meet comm community needs in ways that were simply not possible before. When the Trump administration began, our team was carrying more than a thousand pending cases for clients we had fought to free from detention. People now at risk of being detained again. Thanks to the council's increased funding, we expand expanded our capacity to take on an extraordinary influx of new clients while still providing excellent client- centered representation to prevent redetention. Your investment also enable us to adapt to a rapidly rapidly changing detention landscape. One of the most significant shifts has been transforming KnifeHub from a purely court-based model into a hybrid system that includes both Veric Street intake and community- based referrals. Since launching our public referral form in August of last year, we have received more than a thousand direct referrals from families, teachers, hospitals, social workers, and community organizations to name a few. Because ICE now transfers New Yorkers all over the country, our work must follow them. At any moment, we are representing people held in facilities across roughly 15 states. Your support ensures that our clients are not abandoned simply because they were moved for far from home. We have also expanded our impact through partnerships. Our habius Rono project has trained attorneys from eight major law firms resulting in more than 20 uh 20 petitions filed so far. every adjudicated case has been successful. We've also provided technical assistance to advocate advocates across the city who are engaging in detained work for the first time. We're deeply grateful for your support. It has allowed us not only to respond to crisis, but to build a stronger, more resilient system for immigrant New Yorkers. I'll now turn it turn it over to my colleague who will speak about how we plan to continue expanding our reach so that no New Yorker ever has to face deportation alone. Thank you. My name is Deborah Lee and I'm the attorney in charge of the immigration law unit at the legal aid society. Thank you chair incarnation for this opportunity and this committee for its continued support and partnership. The immigration landscape today, as we have heard, is more chaotic and demanding um than at any point in recent memory. Since January 2025, our teams have had to track more than 600 immigration policy actions and over 50 new precedent decisions, each narrowing relief and increasing the complexity of every case we handle. Inside the courts, instability is escalating. Immigration judges are being reassigned at unprecedented rates, leading to inconsistent and hostile adjudication. Hearings are being cancelled with little notice, and our con and our clients are at constant risk of ICE detention. All of this means that defending immigrants today increasingly requires not only immigration court advocacy, but also urgent habius litigation, petitions for review, and federal court interventions. This moment requires decisive city support. As the Bronx Defenders and Brooklyn Defender Services have testified, knife providers are the experts in defending these New Yorkers, people at imminent risk of being removed from the United States and are likely forever separated from their families. We are best positioned to protect these vulnerable New Yorkers. To meet the need, we respectfully request increased support from the city council for NIF in the amount of 13.299 million for each provider. Despite all this, we remain hopeful. We continue strengthening our partnerships with proono law firms, law schools, and each NIFA provider is welcoming a new class of law graduates this fall. All these partners are joining us because they understand what is at stake for New Yorkers. Separately, LA Legal Aid is respectfully requesting 4.5 million for the unaccompanied minors and families initiative, 1.75 million for the Protecting New Yorkers habius initiative, and 580,596 to sustain our low-wage worker initiative. With the council's partnership, we can protect New Yorkers and defend due process. Thank you. >> Thank you. And I just wanted to ask you really quickly, you said 13.299 299 million for each of the providers and that's an increase from what I think it was 11 I can get back >> oh you have to >> sorry um last year's award was 8 299 8.3 uh per organization >> per organization all right thank you >> thank you >> thank you very much >> thank you so our third panel consists of Sierra Craft from the IARE coalition, Allison Cutler, Tanya Matoss from Unloal, Rachel Jordan, Safe Passage Project, Janet Miller, and Kelly Barahas. And our fourth panel, for those of you who may be outside of the room, if you could start making your way this way, is Desiree Hernandez Sanchez, Bethany Dill, Aracelis Lucero, Christina Gariti, Rucia. Oh, I can't see the last name. Unco and Chad Bourne. That is for the fourth panel. Oh, this pen quickie. Great. All right. You may begin on this end, please. Or you want do you want them to begin on this end? Sure. Okay. Okay. Good afternoon, Chair Incarnion and members of the immigration committee. My name is Tanya Matoss and I am the executive director of Unlo, an immigration uh nonprofit dedicated to serving New York's immigrant communities through immigration legal services and community education. Our team of lawyers advocates organizers and social workers provide free services to immigrants across the five burrows in um uh including know your rights and deportations defense workshops, New York State Dream Act application support and workforce development support as well as direct legal representation through programs uh including our prosay plus project that is housed under the Oelon network, uh the rapid response legal collaborative and the queer immigrant justice project In our general practice, we take a holistic anti-detention approach to the immigration legal services work that we do. We not only represent clients in proceedings, we equip communities with the tools and emergency preparedness and resources they need to respond safely and effectively when federal immigration enforcements comes to their door. As ICE actively intensifies uh in our streets and our airports, the demand for these services has now been greater. Um, I'm going to skip forward. Uh, beyond legal representation, the RLC trains legal practitioners on cutting edge immigration strategies, strengthens the entire legal services field, and also provides rapid response social work services, offering direct uh, support and counel counseling to individuals facing deportations and the families they leave behind. What I urge the council to provide is maintain funding for the rapid response legal collaborative services and commit to multi-year stable funding so providers can plan and serve clients reliably. Uh, and I'd like to quick share a very quick story of a f of a of a father of a family of four who unfortunately's father um was uh his limbs uh were um uh were lost in an accident. But we were able to provide uh rapid response legal services. So uh so they can focus on um the emergency care that they needed and not focus on their removal orders. And that's just one quick story I wanted to share. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, good afternoon, Chair Carnosion, council members, and staff. My name is Allison Cutler, and I'm a supervising attorney in the immigrant protection unit at the New York Legal Assistance Group. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the preliminary budget for fiscal year 2027. I supervised the prosay plus project which has evolved from prosay application assistance to inc court advocacy for families facing the harshest aspects of immigration enforcement. My team is regularly at 26 Federal Plaza helping individuals who are there for routine check-ins and court hearings providing safety planning, appearing as friend of court, intervening when appropriate while individuals are being wrongfully detained, notifying families, um, and connecting them to vital post detention support. NAG is grateful for the city and council's continued commitment to New York City's immigrant communities. Today, we find ourselves in a terrifying moment. Our immigrant neighbors are being torn from their homes, families, and lives. Long-standing pathways to relief have ended, and enforcement is intensifying. These rapid changes underscore the need for increased, flexible, multi-year funding that allows providers to be innovative in our response. Um, New York City legal service providers have a long history of meeting the moment with innovation, working with the city to create programs like IARE, the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative, and ProSay Plus Project. Today, I'm testifying to ask the city to double down on your commitment to our immigrant communities through expanded and flexible funding for immigration legal services. This includes sustained and increased funding for Alon and the Prosay Plus project. um the rapid response legal collaborative which supports detained immigrants who do not qualify for NIPUP NIFUP and also the legal support center model which has impacted our ability to continue to maintain services um in partnership with hospitals and other culturally specific CBOS and we are grateful that we currently have one-year LSC funding to continue providing services. Um we are so appreciative for your support, partnership and advocacy. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair Inc. Incarnation, members of the immigration committee, and the finance team. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Sierra Craft, and I'm the executive director of the IARE Coalition. We're dedicated to ensuring unaccompanied immigrant children in New York City have access to free legal representation. I want to thank you for the council's leadership for your significant investment in immigrant youth through the unaccompanied minors and families initiative and the special immigrant juvenile status initiative in fiscal year 26. This funding has been the only thing standing between thousands of children and a return to violence and trauma they fled. Because of you, New York is a national model for immigrant youth. But that progress is at risk. While we sit here, legal protections are being stripped away at the federal level and due process undermined in our courtrooms. More children are being detained and their cases are being fast-tracked in a court without them even understanding what's happening to them. What we're witnessing is a systemic attempt to make these children invisible. Without a lawyer, a child has about a 15% chance of staying in this country. And with an IARE attorney, that rises to over 90%. But legal representation does not happen in a vacuum. It requires infrastructure. IARE serves as a coordination hub of this work, providing screening, tracking data, and support to allow 13 provider organizations to function as one unified system. This infrastructure is what makes representation possible. From July to February, we've received over 800 applications for youth in seeking legal support. We've been able to match over 300 youth with providers and identify over 200 duplicates, saving hundreds of attorney hours. At the same time, federal funding has becoming increasingly unstable, leaving providers to manage more urgent and complex cases with fewer resources. When funding becomes unpredictable, services disappear and children are left to navigate the system alone. The threat here is instability. This network only works if it's sustained. and without your continued investment, we're not just facing a budget gap. We're looking at a deportation pipeline for children who qualify for protection but cannot access it. So, we respectfully request the council to sustain the 18.6 million investment for the unaccompanied minors and families initiative and maintain the SIG initiative at 2.5 million. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you to Chair Incarnation, the other members of the committee for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Rachel Jordan. I'm the managing attorney for partnerships and advocacy at Safe Passage Project. We provide free legal representation to over 1,600 immigrant children and youth in New York City and Long Island. While the city council's support through initiatives like UMFI and the SIG initiative has been completely transformative, current funding must increase to meet the needs of our clients as we face a federal administration determined to eviscerate protections for immigrant youth. The federal government is now bafflingly targeting special immigrant juveniles despite their humanitarian pathway to lawful permanent residency. Since November 2025, ICE has conducted unlawful, racially motivated arrests of two of our SIG clients with no criminal records, stripping them of deferred action and work authorization. One of our Brooklyn clients has been detained for nearly 4 months while his habius proceedings continue. These cases require significant additional attorney hours for complex federal litigation. Furthermore USCIS's USCIS's gutting of deferred action for SIG beneficiaries has left young people without work permits, forcing them into the shadows and increasing their vulnerability to housing instability and labor exploitation. Simultaneously, the federal government has conducted a purge of experienced immigration judges, replacing them with individuals lacking immigration experience and possessing demonstrated anti-immigrant biases. The Board of Immigration Appeals has issued a huge number of binding decisions attacking due process. Our attorneys must now prepare every case for eventual review by the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Finally, the president's HR1 bill has created punishing new fees for applications for humanitarian relief like SIG and asylum uh where it now costs over $1,000 to appeal a decision in immigration court. Safe patches safe passage project staff will not back down. We will do everything we need to do to protect our clients, but as our cases become more labor intensive and expensive, our capacity to take new clients is reduced. We urge this committee to increase our funding so we can meet the complex needs of immigrant children in this historic moment. Thank you. >> Thank you, chair and the committee uh and finance staff uh for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Janet Miller and I work at KMA. I'm here to request your support of two critical programs. First, a $1 million investment in the New York City Immigration Resettlement Initiative, a coordinated citywide effort led by five trusted local resettlement organizations, CAMA, Catholic Charities, Church World Services, Common Point, and the International Rescue Committee. Collectively, we have responded to nearly every major migration and displacement movement impacting New York City over the past five decades. This critical support will serve approximately 4,000 vulnerable immigrant New Yorkers citywide. NYC near NY as we call it is uniquely positioned to deliver holistic resettlemen informed case management services addressing both immediate stabilization needs and building long-term pathways to integration and self-sufficiency. Second, the legal services for the working poor, a coalition of Kama, HCC, mobilization for justice, mimic and take root justice. The coalition was created with the support from the council over 20 years ago to address the civil legal needs of working poor New Yorkers whose income renders them ineligible for free legal services. This year, Kama and the other members of the coalition are each requesting $600,000 allocation from the council. This investment will support critical legal services in immigration, consumer, workers rights, and benefits law. The impact of cuts, actions, and policy changes on the federal level threaten the social safety net and put working poor and immigrant New Yorkers at risk of facing catastrophic consequences from immigration abuses, housing instability, trauma, illegal debt collection, the wrongful termination of benefits, and other threats to their wellbe well-being. It is vitally important that the council continue to support both of these initiatives and help us help help us help working poor and immigrant New Yorkers to obtain and maintain financial independence and economic stability. Thank you so much. >> Okay, good afternoon um chair and the council and the finance staff. I'm Kelly Agnu Barahas. I'm here on behalf of Immigrant Refugee Services of Catholic Charities. Every day we meet New Yorkers who are working, learning, contributing to their communities despite navigating fear, instability, and increasingly complex immigration landscape. My colleague Desiree will follow my testimony and focus on legal and hotline services. Um and in my testimony, I plan to um urge you to support the programs that we have working with day laborers communities, um our adult literacy and ESOL programs and the new immigrant resettlement initiative that Janet mentioned. So, let me just begin with a recent story. One of our day laborers in the Bronx uh last week showed up seeking work with others that um were there that day and was picked up by ICE. That means that a father that day was removed from his family. Their they lost their dad, they lost their bread winner. So in in this situation where so many people are facing unsafe working conditions, threats to their livelihoods, threats to their to their lives, they are exposed to exploitation, wage theft, and and potential loss of liberty. With council support, we provide safety training, job placement, and a dignified space for these folks to access work. We see also the power of education in our ESOL programs. One student proudly enrolled in BMCC just this past uh January because of the long-term support that he received. Only 2 to 3% of adults who need literacy services can access them. Without sustained investment, hundreds will lose the pathway to this vital service. One of our Afghan clients um was also with legal status was also recently detained. Um we were able to eventually work to um have secure his release. Um but this is the example of people who are falling through the cracks despite trying to do everything the right way. and that um one of the important reasons that our new funding initiative the immigrant resettlement is so essential. So we urge the council also to look at some of the structural issues that were raised by our uh in the earlier part of the testimony and we just thank you during this time of heightened need to for your leadership and your investment. >> Thank you. Thank you all. I will now call up uh your colleague Desiree, Hernandez Sanchez, Bethany Dill, Aracelis, Lucero, Christina G, Gritty Gity sorry looking at some of these. I'm like trying to see them. Uh Ruca and Chad Bourne. And then the next uh panel will be Lucia. Both the same name. >> No, no, but they're both the same. >> Oh. Oh, yes. No, you're right. >> So, the next panel following this one will be Lucia, Charles Brown, Lewis Mano, Lewis, this is a double one, too. and Paul Fleck. >> Yeah. No, no, it's okay. >> Hello. You ready to begin? Good afternoon, Chair Ancarnasion and members of the immigration immigr uh the members of the immigration committee. My name is Christina Gity and I'm the coordinator for the Prosay Plus project, otherwise known as PSP. We are a collaborative made up of four legal service providers and two community- based organizations. I'm here today to advocate for the funding of prosay legal services through the Asylumseker Legal Assistance Network or Alen. The 5.7 we request today would go not only to PSP but to Lutheran Social Services, Qun Citizenship Now and Catholic Charities. When the network was originally convened in 2023, the providers before you today were tasked with meeting the enormous gap in pro bono legal services for hundreds of thousands of newly arrived New Yorkers who are looking to file asylum applications, request temporary protected status, and obtain work authorization. Indeed, the founding of Alan was part of a broader effort to position New York City as a national model for what it means to welcome immigrants with open arms. Our duty was to straddle the world of light touch prosay provided by the asylum application help center and that of full representation. Nearly 3 years later we can say that we have made good on that promise. PSP alone has screened over 10,000 newly arrived community members and offered over 7,500 units of prosay services to individuals unable to retain full representation. We are proud to say that many of the community members whom we supported with initial applications have returned for other services. A testament to the relationship building and Osan providers unique approach to prosay service delivery. Our shared commitment to meeting immigrant community members needs no matter how legally complex can be seen in the ways that PSP partners and our colleagues across Alan have pivoted time and time again since the second election of President Trump. Shortly after election results were released, MASA began offering comprehensive emergency planning for families. On local ramped up their know your rights presentation so that community members would be prepared for increased ICE activity and prepared for potential detention. African communities together started to hold mental health circles. In May, when ICE began unlawfully detaining law-abiding community members at their master calendar hearings, New York legal assistance groups supervising attorneys began monitoring the situation and have become leaders in filing habits. prosay. Since the implementation of pre-termission and asylum cooperative agreements this past winter, Central American legal assistance and Catholic migration services have worked tirelessly to file for responses to pre-term mission and prosay appeals. Our multi-year track record proves that we can be trusted to meet the needs of immigrant New Yorkers regardless of how quickly they shift and evolve. Prosay respondents often belong to the most vulnerable immigrant communities. At a time when such communities across the country are under attack, it is critical that we continue to provide them with muchneeded legal support. Funding established prosay service providers gives us the flexibility necessary to respond to the demands of the moment and to prevent and reduce the harm of today's violent federal immigration policies and practices. Finally, given that the current scapegoating of immigrant communities is an integral product of the federal administration's increasing turn towards authoritarianism, funding prosay services stops just being about ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to justice. It's about standing up for our city as a sanctuary and our country as a democracy. Thank you for this opportunity to testify. >> Thank you. >> Uh good afternoon. Excuse me. Thank you to Chair Incarnation, the committee and committee staff. My name is Charles Brown. I'm the director of the immigration legal program at Lutheran Social Services of New York and I'm here to testify in support of continued funding for immigration legal services including funding for the Oelon partners here today and listed a moment ago in Christina's testimony. Lutheran is a proud member of Oelon and we continue to witness the profound effect that our limited scope of prosay services have on immigrant New Yorkers. Right now, immigrant New Yorkers seeking asylum, special immigrant juvenile status, or other relief are up against a complicated and confusing system increasingly designed to forcibly remove them from the United States without any consideration of whether they meet the definition of a refugee or are eligible for another form of relief. Indeed, immigration law and process has grown ever more complicated under the current administration as the federal government increasingly relies on complicated procedures, confusion, and high costs to deny immigration applications. City Council funding for Oelon helps to lower or eliminate some of these barriers for our immigrant neighbors who may otherwise be denied due process, enabling us to assist them with immigration applications, application fees, filing for appeals, filing motions to prevent their removal to a third country, information sessions, and much more. Indeed, Oelon's prosay services go far beyond simply filing one application. Youth come to our offices seeking assistance with SIG, sometimes weeks or days before they age out of eligibility. We help that young person to file in family court, to file with USCIS, and to respond in immigration court. People come to our office after an immigration judge has denied their asylum case. They haven't had a full hearing. They don't know why they were removed or even to where they are being removed. OSAN helps that person. We help them to figure it out. We help them to file an appeal to stand up for their right to have a full and fair hearing. We need city council to stand up for us for Oelon and PSP as we fight for and with our immigrant neighbors, providing them with comprehensive prosay legal services at a crucial time in our nation and city's history. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, Chair Incarnation, council uh members and staff. My name is Rau. I know it's a hard name and I'm the managing attorney of the immigration unit at Catholic Migration Services or CMS for short. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to you today about PSP Alan and process services in general in these uncertain times. Every week CMS staff meets New Yorkers who carry the world on their shoulders. Fear, hope, and the weight of impossible choices. Many fled violence, persecution, or crushing instability. They come to the US seeking safety and instead find themselves alone in one of the most complex legal systems. As the number of unrepresented immigrants in removal proceeding has surged in recent years, the need for legal support has reached a level I have never seen before in more than two decades of this work. Our collaborative proet plus project was born out of this need to give people at least a fighting chance. What began as a program centered on helping eligible individuals apply for asylum before their one-year filing deadline has now become a lifeline. In 2023, the city funded PSP as part of Oelon. Over the last three years, OLEN and PSP partners have built long-standing trust with the community with individuals and families returning to us for services and information over and over again, sometimes close to a deadline. At this point, the plus in pro plus might as well mean rapid and constant response because that's what we do. Since January 2025, as the pace of new arrivals slowed and hostile immigration policies uh ramped up, the needs of immigrant New Yorkers have changed. People who filed their applications long time ago need help preparing for their next uh stage of their cases. Meanwhile, heightened immigration enforcements and has created fear and chaos. In the face of this, PSPPP teams have stepped up with all the tools we have at our disposal. Emergency family planning assistance, accompaniment, accompaniment to sensitive appointments, motions for remote hearings, responses to pre-term mission, and appeals of um removal orders as well as prohib petitions. We also provide community presentations to counter misinformation, prevent fraud, and equip community members with a better understanding of their rights and how legal developments affect their cases. Um just one last point, full representation is always the gold standard, but the truth is that demand for far outpaces available capacity and that's where proet plus services come in and we hope that um city council will continue to fund them. >> Thank you. >> Hi, >> good afternoon. Thank you to the immigration chair incarnion, the immigration committee members and the finance committee staff here um and for the opportunity to be able to testify today. My name is Arisel Ducero and I am the executive director of MASA. We're a community- based organization in the South Bronx that supports Latin American indigenous children, youth, and families to develop as strong learners and leaders. MA has over two decades of experience supporting immigrant communities, navigating the complex immigration system, informing hundreds of thousands about their rights and providing emergency planning support. I'd like to share a MASA PSP story to help illustrate the impact of the prosay plus project. Maria, which is not her real name, migrated from Nicaragua in pursuit of safety. Unfortunately, she became the victim of immigration fraud. She paid $5,000 to an individual posing as an attorney and had a fake hearing scheduled to the fake judge only to discover the documents and the hearing were all falsified. The emotion and financial devastation was profound. She faced not only legal jeopardy but also loss of trust in the legal system. Nonetheless, she arrived at Masa for a mini consult with an attorney from Co-consul NYC where the immigration fraud and the existence of a removal order were verified with an ICE checkin in for her with an ICE check-in for her, her husband, and her young son's schedule for the next morning. An interdisciplinary team of five MASA and co-consul advocates sprung into action and within just a few hours had prepared filing an emergency motion to reopen, notified ICE of the automatic stay of removal removal, completed and filed her asylum application, translated dozens of messages and documents from the the scammers and created an emergency plan with guard guardianship and travel documents for her 8-year-old son should she and her husband be detained. This illustr illustrates the power of PSP where organization is able to provide a full suite of services in an emergency situation. We urge the city council to fund Osan at 5.7 million in fiscal year 27 so that we can continue to help immigrant communities who cannot find or afford direct legal representation. Good afternoon, Chair Encarnes and members of the committees. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. My name is Bethany Dill and I'm the community engagement coordinator with the International Rescue Committee or the IRC. I'm grateful to be here today along our partners who you heard from earlier in the New York City Immigrant Resettlement Initiative or NIERI. I want to build on what you've heard today by focusing on what we're seeing daily and why case management, which we as a coalition of resettlement agencies are working to protect and strengthen, is so critical to newcomers in our city at this moment. We're increasingly working with individuals and families who are eligible for services, but facing many complex barriers to accessing and navigating them in a meaningful way. Rapid changes in federal policy, shifting rules for qualifying and maintaining support, and fragmented systems mean that even highly motivated individuals are struggling to access housing, health care, legal support, and employment pathways in a coordinated way. What we're seeing is not a simple lack of services. It's a breakdown in navigation, connecting to services, and staying connected. Without consistent, trusted case management, small barriers compound quickly, a misdocument, a misunderstood eligibility rule, a delayed referral. These gaps can lead to prolonged shelter stays, loss of work authorization opportunities, worsening health conditions, and avoidable strain on city systems. A colleague at IRC who serves as a case worker said to me just yesterday, "Clients lives are inundated with fear and constraints. This is where our model is particularly important. It's not duplicating existing services. It's making them work to help folks access what they're already eligible for, find the stability they seek, and thrive. the $1 the $1 million investment proposed um for each member of the coalition or initiative in NI is a strategic way to strengthen the city's existing infrastructure, ensuring that services already funded translate into real stability and well-being for new yorkers. Thank you for your time. >> Good afternoon, sorry. Good afternoon, Chair Incarna, members of the committee. My name is Desire Hernandez Sanchez and I am the legal director at Catholic Charities Community Services. We provide legal services to over 7,500 immigrants each year, providing critical legal representation, process services, and other support to some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Given the current climate, the city's increased investment in Catholic Charities has been essential to sustaining our work. Last year, the city provided a critical extension to our action NYC contract, enabling us to stand up innovative services for people in removal proceedings, which included initially uh those initially served by the asylum application help centers and our immigration court help desk. As immigrants face pre-termission of cases without hearings and removal orders to third countries, our service model has been responsive to these and other issues. We have implemented comprehensive clinics to assist with asylum application filings and declaration writing. We also reviewed and helped strengthen filed applications, develop country conditions, evidence, and prepare people for their trials. We ha have asked Moya to continue this funding for FY27 so that we can continue to build build on this impactful model. As a tenure provider of legal services in New York City public schools, we have also requested $1 million from city council for FY27 for a dedicated program to provide on-site services within school communities. While we have continued this work, our capacity is limited and demand is high. With this funding, Catholic Charities will build on existing partnerships with over uh 125 schools. We are also seeking an increase in funding for the Haitian response initiative, which is a lifeline for Haitian immigrants who have been disproportionately attacked and impacted by changes affecting TPS, humanitarian peril, and other access to legal relief. Um to meet this moment, we urge the city to continue investing in and adequately and adequately funding our legal programs that include IARE decision initiative and moya hotline so that we can continue to sustain services and deliver meaningful outcomes. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you all. Now calling up the next panel, Lewis Mano, Lucia from NY LPI, Charles Brown from Lutheran Social Services, Paul Fleck from Immigration Law and Justice New York, and we added this one. >> Yeah, I did. >> Yeah. Okay. Um, Leia Hula from >> from workers justice project. One, two, three five. >> No worries. >> These are the next ones. >> And the next panel, um, if you're in the other room, please get ready. Z Jack from ChineseAmerican Planning Council, Nikita Boyce, uh Young Kim from Asian-American Federation, Mia Delane from Arab American Family Support Center, and Timothy Fallon. That is our next panel. Please be ready. >> Oh yes, >> you may begin. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair Incarnes and members of the committee. My name is Luis Mano and I am the citywide director of immigrant justice at Legal Services New York City. I speak today on behalf of dozens of advocates across our city who work tirelessly every day to provide critical legal services to immigrant New Yorkers. Over the past year, as you all know, the need has been overwhelming. Last year alone, our intake line received more than 10,000 calls from individuals seeking legal immigration help. Because of capacity constraints, we were only able to open a couple of hundred cases out of those 10,000 calls. At the same time, the work has been become more urgent and more complex than ever before. This year, for the first time in our organization's 60-year history, we represent to detain clients through heaviest federal litigation, and we prevail. Our advocates are also on the ground every week, accompanying clients to ice checkins, standing beside them in moments of fear and uncertainty and advocating to prevent our detention and removal. And yet, despite these victories, we're also confronting a painful truth for many of our fam families. we may not be able to prevent what is coming. That is why we have begun conducting family preparedness clinics, helping parents and children prepare for the possibility of separation. During one of those clinics, I personally had to hold a mother's hand as she signed papers away awarding temporary custody for her 2-year-old son child in case she would be abruptly detained and deported. No mother should have to plan for that. No child in New York City should have to live with that reality. We understand that the city is facing serious financial constraints, but failing to invest in immigration legal services will come at a far greater cost. We urge the council to fully fund the budget request put forward by immigration legal services providers. Specifically, we request that the council awards the $1 million that Legal Services New York City has requested in order to attempt to meet the need for legal services in the immigrant community. Thank you so much. >> Um, good afternoon and thank you to the chair incarnation and the members of the committee for holding this public hearing. My name is Lucia Quanka and I am the immigration attorney for New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Health Justice Program. Um, our health justice program brings a racial equity and immigrant justice focus to healthcare advocacy. We offer both direct immigration representation and systemic adv advocacy for immigrant New Yorkers living with serious medical conditions, disabilities, and for asylum seekers in need of gender affirming care and HIV related services. With your support through the immigrant health initiative and immigrant opportunity initiative, we've been able to provide direct representation in over 60 cases since the beginning of 2025 while providing advice and counsel to many more. Our know your rights trainings have reached hundreds of vulnerable New Yorkers and our medical advocacy trainings have attracted hundreds of clinicians willing to offer medical advocacy for detained New Yorkers through our medical provider network, a service we offer to legal service providers across the city. Still, our work continues to evolve to meet the everanging needs of New York's most vulnerable immigrants. Over the last year, the risk of detention for all immigrants has increased substantially, posing a particularly deadly risk for New Yorkers with medical conditions. This sharp increase in detention rates has made one thing clear. There is no health in detention. Detained immigrants experience medical abuse, neglect, and discrimination with those of transgender or gender non-conforming experience at additional risk. and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest is meeting this moment. In addition to our continuing direct immigration representation and healthcare advocacy, we've expanded our response and defense of New York's most vulnerable immigrants by providing accompanyment to all check-ins and preparing habius corpus petitions for clients at risk of detention. Harnessing the strengths of our volunteer medical providers, proono partners, and community partners, we recently won the release of two New Yorkers who face medical neglect while in ICE custody detained at centers across the country. As the needs of our community continue to evolve, as new threats from the federal government arise, we are grateful for your support of our work and our clients, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to improve health access and equity for all New Yorkers. >> Good afternoon, Chair Incarnion, and members of the committee. My name is Paul Fleck and I'm the executive director of Immigration Law and Justice New York. We are very grateful to have been awarded city council discretionary funds in this last fiscal year, but I call ourselves awardees rather than recipients because we still haven't received those funds. Um, being somewhat of a newbie in the city council discretionary funding ecosystem, I've really found it odd and difficult to navigate. I want to start out by saying that the various city staff working on this are not to blame because I found them to be in a world that has been devaluing public service. They have been exemplary public servants. I think specifically of Cornelia Branzan of the Department of Social Services who contacted me the day of the first snowstorm on a Sunday in the afternoon. That's real dedication. All of these folks inherited a strange system not of their making. I will use our special immigrant juvenile status award as an example. We received an email notifying us that we'd been accepted for the award in mid August. That same email said we were to begin the work effective July 1st. Being a rather tiny organization with attorneys who have maxed themselves out in terms of their case loads, this was daunting. I wanted to hire and begin to take on additional SIG clients immediately. The problem was we didn't have the cash to do so. One option I was told was to try to obtain an advance from the city or alternatively get a line of credit for the fund from the city of New York. This was very difficult because we needed a contract in place. I was told it would take a minimum of four months to get a contract in place. Today, as I speak to you, we still don't have a contract in place. We have an incredibly talented young attorney interested in joining our organization, and I'm eager to hire her, but I'm constrained to do so. Make no mistake, we're continuing to work on Siege cases for young people in the city with our existing staff. However, we could most certainly do more if properly and expeditially expeditiously funded. Thank you and thank you for highlighting that. I know that's been a really big issue across a lot of organizations and not just under immigration, but many many of the city agencies, many of our or nonprofit organizations are are facing that. So, thank you for highlighting that during your testimony. I really appreciate it. >> Thank you. Okay, we have a bit of a change for the next uh panel. We swapped one person out, but uh it is still Z Jack from Chinese American Planning Council, Nikita Boyce, uh Young Kim, Timothy Fallon, and Nellia Coyote from New York Immigrant Community Empowerment. Nice. Please find your way up here and I'm going to read off the names for the next panel. Mia Maya Delaney, Ira from adult literacy, Keba Sar Hoy, Sophia Shei, and Teresa Bike. These are all for the next panel. So, you can start making your way over to the room and you may begin. I'm not sure who would want to begin which way. >> Where is >> Oh, >> okay. Um, thank you, Chair Incarnion, and members of the city council for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Jack Sha, and I am an immigration attorney at Chinese American Planning Council, one of the largest providers of social services to immigrants in New York. I would like to tell you all about the story of one of these incredibly resilient families in a CBC afterchool program and why we need more investment in holistic immigration and legal and social services. In 2023, Mr. and Mrs. Chen, their young daughter Annie uh fled China in order to apply for asylum here. They moved to New York where despite the language barrier, they found restaurant jobs, an apartment to rent, and Annie began attending elementary school. Um, and they started their new lives. And dad worked as a food delivery driver. He dropped off and picked off Annie uh picked up Annie from school every single day. They attended church on weekends and Annie enrolled in a CPC after school program and a Saturday dance class. Um and their lives were thrown into chaos in September when dad missed a routine ICE check-in because he had injuries sustained when he was hit by a car during his job. When he showed up to 26 Federal Plaza just a couple days later, ICE detained him and told his family that he was going to be transferred out of state and deported. Mom suddenly needed to single-handedly manage searching for legal help for her husband, gathering documents and evidence. Uh she had to manage her own case, child care, finances for the family. And for for months, their six-year-old daughter, Annie, cried every single day, struggling to understand why her dad had suddenly disappeared. Normally, families can apply for asylum as a unit, but immigration authorities separated their cases after detaining their dad, the dad. This meant that they needed to find a second lawyer. Mom doesn't speak English, so CBC's after school worker helped her make dozens of calls every day when she came to pick up her daughter from school, her after school program. And when we did hear back, both free and private immigration attorneys said they were already overwhelmed with cases, had expensive consultation fees, and that representation c cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. Fortunately, dad's case was taken by knife up by legal aid society and they helped him win withholding removal. But months later, he's still detained despite the lack of criminal charges. The family is facing hard financial hardship and mom is relying on CPC services and her community to keep her daughter clothed and fed and now she has to face her own immigration peering. It's been it's always been really hard for immigrants to get legal help. But now more than ever, we need to not only invest in immigrant legal services, but all their social services support. >> Thank you. Thank you. Hi, thank you to the chair and Carnion, members of the committee, committee council, finance staff. Good to see you. My name is Nikita Boyce. I'm the budget policy coordinator at the Coalition for Asian-American Children and Families, where I lead the 18% and growing campaign, which is a city-based campaign for budget equity specifically for Asian-American organizations. AAPI New Yorkers are the fastest growing population in New York City, but we have the highest rate of poverty. And despite the fact that we make up almost 18% of the population, we get just about 6% of all discretionary funding. That is completely inequitable considering the work that AAPI nonprofits and community-based organizations do across the city. Some of the services that we offer as AAPI nonprofits include legal services, domestic violence support, comprehensive case management, culturally appropriate food pantries, language and translation services, youth leadership development, senior and elder support, government benefits, healthcare navigation, rapid response programs, and there are more that I'm not including. It is a lot. And many of the clients that we serve are immigrants and really really need support during this time. AAPI New Yorkers in particular are being targeted by the federal administration. East, South Asian, and Southeast Asian folks are at just really struggling right now um as our community members. And so what we're asking today in addition to funding the priorities of the 18% and growing campaign, which I'll cover at the end, are fully funding legal services for immigrants. That means baselining and expanding the funding going forward. Council has done an amazing job in the last year of doing that, but we need more. It's not enough yet. Disabled immigrants need more solid supports. Queer and trans immigrants from all around the world need our support now more than ever. And there are amazing organizations that need the funding to do it. And finally, um we ask for not just budget equity for AAPI orgs, but also resource equity. That means understanding how resources are allocated. So for immigrant New Yorkers that are survivors of domestic violence, they're not going to the police. We can no longer use police reports as a measure of funding. So we ask you to stand by us and also fund the 18% growing campaign. >> Gotcha. >> Good afternoon chair and the members of the committee. Thank you for this opportunity to testify. My name is Ayan Kim and I serve as the director of programs at the Asian-American Federation. We work with over 70 organizations across the city that serve 1.5 million Asian New Yorkers. Um New York City calls itself a sanctuary city, but for many Asian immigrants today, as you have so far heard today, um that promise is increasingly fragile. We are seeing rising fear driven by aggressive federal immigration enforcement, including expanded ICE presence in airports. Families are afraid to travel and or to seek services and parents are afraid to accompany their own children to immigration hearings. Um you have heard many stories today where individuals and families are making impossible decisions because of where we are falling behind. And I'm here today to ask for the council to continue the support to make sure that the Asian communities have the services and um resources that are important for making sure that our immigrants and vulnerable New Yorkers um know of their rights and have the basic services they need to live in dignity in our city. Um one of these services are the council initiative for legal services for AAPI communities. Uh we are asking for $3.5 million in funding to this initiative so that we can continue to support the Asian-American Federation's uh rapid immigrant support and empowerment initiative which we also call as rise. Under this initiative, we have gathered 16 organizations in New York City that can bring more legal services to uh their constituents. But more importantly uh chair we are making sure that our member organizations are aware of what each other's doing. Right now, organizations are unaware of what resources are available, what information is mo most updated, and they don't know who has the capacity to cover for each other when there is a need for referrals. We need to make sure that there is a system in place to make sure there's communication and efficiency in providing these essential services and making sure that our community members are not wasting time looking for um more resources or whoever can help. Um secondly, we're also ask may I just finish just 10 seconds? We're also asking for $5.8 million in support of the um language justice collaborative. The federation was really excited to launch the Asian language workers. >> I'm going to ask you just for the numbers so that we can move forward. Okay. So the the 5 >> 5.8 million 8 million. >> Yes. Okay. Perfect. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair Incarnation, members of the committee, committee, council, and finance team. Thank you for including me um to testified in this very powerful panel. My name is Nilia Coyote. I am the executive director of New Immigrant Community Empowerment, NICE, located in Jackson Heights, Queens. Proudly one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country, not the only one. Um, for over 26 years, NICE has been a trusted community organization and a frontline responder for New York City immigrant workers. During some of the our city most difficult moments as well as moments of opportunity and growth, our deep roots in the community allow us to reach immigrants who are often considered hard to reach but who are in reality simply underserved, overwork and navigating complex systems alone as well as the current affordability crisis in our city. Today, NI's course purpose is to drive economic mobility and community integration among immigrant families through our workforce and life skills model that we call the pre-appart program for life and work. This program reflects what immigrant New Yorkers continue needing. Job and legal services, but also the tools to build stable lives such as English and digital literacy and knowledge to navigate critical life skills and systems such as transportation housing health finance, and identification to support their families and become long-term contributors contributors to our city. We were encouraged to hear today about the importance of protecting and empowering immigrants through safe access to services and better coordination across agencies so immigrant families are included in our in the city brother affordability agenda regardless of immigration status. These priorities are fully aligned with the work that we do every day at NICE. This is why we respectfully ask the city council to continue championing immigrant workers by renewing initiatives such as the day labor workforce initiative um and enhancing our collective ask to 4.9 but also other initiatives such as construction site safety training welcome NYC legal services for lowincome immigrants adult literacy forward and many speakers initiatives just yeah 5 seconds. We also urged the council to consider uh new funding opportunities for immigrant workers such as digital inclusion and greener NYC workforce so immigrant workers are not left behind in the future of our city's economy. Thank you so much. Thank you. >> Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I am Timothy Fallon, managing attorney of the immigration practice at Her Justice, a nonprofit organization that has advocated with and for women and gender minorities living in poverty in New York City for the last 30 years. In fiscal year 2025, her justice served more than 4,000 women and their children across all five burrows in family court and Supreme Court in areas including child and spousal support, custody and visitation, orders of protection, divorce, and immigration matters under the Violence Against Women Act. Our immigration practice provides free legal assistance to survivors of domestic violence, labor trafficking, sex trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence as they seek to stabilize their immigration status in the United States. Last year, our legal staff provided legal information, advice, and representation on 258 immigration matters securing legal status for 802 clients and their children. Our work emphasizes securing legal pathways to immigration relief through survivor-based affirmative applications such as vowel petitions applications for U and T visas. However, this affirmative work is becoming increasingly difficult as you've heard today amid amid heightened ICE enforcement, increasing processing delays, and barriers such as the lack of timely receipt notices. All of which can leave survivors in prolonged periods of legal uncertainty. Right now, many immigrant survivors are afraid to come forward and seek help. Heightened immigration enforcement has intensified fear within immigrant communities, deterring survivors from seeking assistance from lawyers, hospitals, and law enforcement. Many areing avoiding critical services out of fear of detention or removal. These dynamics undermine access to justice and destabilized survivors seeking lawful status and safety. The spectre of removal is increasing for our clients, as you've heard um citywide. Where appropriate, her justice represents clients in removal proceedings with the goal of seeking termination or admin closure of their cases. Motions to reopen and terminate removal proceedings are highly complex. Uh and we're thankful for the opportunity to testify today and uh let you know about our services. Thank you. >> Thank you. I I did everybody get to go. You skipped around, so I wanted to make sure. Okay. So, uh I'm going to call up the next panel. Ira from adult literacy. I can't make out the last name. I apologize. Keva Sarteno from the literacy partners. Sophia Shei Teresa Bank and Maya Delaney. And oh >> okay. Okay. So, we can just just hold. All right. Hi, everyone. All right. Which way are we starting? We got the mic on, so you go. >> Good afternoon, Chair in Car Incarnation and Finance staff. My name is Ira Yanquit and I am the executive director of the Literacy Assistance Center. I am also a proud member of the New York City Coalition for Adult Literacy or Nikal. Currently, there are over 2.2 2 million adults in New York City with limited English language proficiency or who do not have a high school diploma. Yet, public funding for adult literacy education is so limited that fewer than 3% of these New Yorkers are able to access adult basic education, GED, or ESOL classes in any given year. In total, there is approximately 103.5 million in federal, state, and city funding for adult literacy education in New York City. Over $24 million of this funding comes from the federal government. But right now, the Trump administration is seeking to exclude students from federally funded adult literacy classes based on their immigration status. Approximately 1.7 million of the 2.2 million adults in need of adult literacy services are immigrants, as are over 75% of current adult literacy students. Such restrictions could have a devastating effect on immigrant communities. In response, as council member Brewer noted noted earlier, Nyal is calling on the mayor to invest $20 million in a new city adult education funding stream, education for integration and equity that would provide new seats and unfettered access to English language basic education, digital literacy, high school equivalency, and civics education classes for im immigrant New Yorkers regardless of their status. This investment would be in addition to the $12 million included in the FY27 preliminary budget to continue to fund DYCD RFP contracted programs. Nikal is also calling on the city council to increase council discretionary funding for adult literacy education from $14.5 million to $18 million and to consolidate the two current council discretionary initiatives for adult literacy under adult literacy forward. This funding's become vital to the 63 CBOS, CUTUNY colleges, and library programs that receive it, and increasing the funding would enable these programs and potentially others to serve thousands more adults in need. Thank you. Uh, good afternoon, Chair Kar NSA, and members of the committee. Uh my name is Cave Sarpo and I'm the executive director of the Liz Smith Center for Adult and Family Learning at Literacy Partners, uh 50-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening literacy two generations at a time through educational media, community workshops for immigrant families that focus on early literacy, informal STEM, science of reading, and ESOL and literacy classes. Um we're also a proud member Thank you. We're also a proud member of the of Nikal New York City coalition for adult literacy uh coalition of uh teachers, program leaders, students, and allies from uh community based organizations, community campuses, libraries across the five bureaus. Um as I mentioned, um 2.2 million adults have uh limited English proficiency and only 3% are served through through um funding currently. Um, in response, L partners also is calling on u the mayor to invest 20 million in a new adult education funding stream. Um, this investment would be in addition to the 12 million included in the FY27 preliminary budget. Um, in closing, um, I want to share the words of one of our students, Esenia, who couldn't be here, and she asked that, um, we share her story in spaces where decisions are made that affect families and children who depend on literacy classes and immigrant services. Um, Yenia was detained during a routine immigration status appointment and during that tension she was separated from her husband and her child who has autism autism spectrum disorder for 5 days. Uh, these are her words. In the det in the detention center, everything was in English and everyone spoke English. I became the translator for the friends I made from other countries who were also detained, helping them communicate their basic needs because they didn't know how to ask for things in English, even something as simple as water. With a little English I learned in these classes, I was able to help them get the necessities they needed. That experience gave me the confidence to speak without fear, not only to advocate for myself, but also for others who had no way to communicate. The English Yenia used to advocate for herself and for others was learned in part through her parent focused ESL classes. Um, she credits that learning as instrumental in helping her navigate attention, support others while inside, and reunite with her family. Thank you for your attention. I appreciate it. Oh, good afternoon chair incarnation and members of the committee. My name is Sophia and I am a program coordinator at Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, other known as KCS. As a nonprofit, our organization has been providing a multitude of services to underserved communities across New York City for over 53 years. KCS is also a proud member of Nikal. At KCS, we have seen firsthand the importance and positive impact of adult literacy classes in our community. Recently, I had spoke of a student who had been taking um ESOL classes for over a year. Her initial goal was to improve her vocabulary and grow more confident in speaking with her community members. She is now pursuing a career in translation with hopes to travel around the country. We've continuously seen students go above and beyond their initial goals. Whether it is in their careers, education, or personal aspirations, our adult literacy services have expanded over the years to meet increasing demand. However, like others, our resources are limited. Nikal is calling on the mayor to invest 20 million in a new city adult education funding stream, education for integration and equity. uh that would provide a new stream and unfettered access to English language basic education digital literacy, high school equivalency and civics education for immigrant New Yorkers regardless of their status. Uh Nikal is also uh calling on the city council to increase council discretionary funding for adult literacy education from 14.5 million to 18 million and to consolidate the two current council discretionary initiatives for adult literacy under adult under adult literacy board. New York City Council discretionary uh adult literacy funding is indispensable for over city over for over 60 programs and their communities across New York City. An additional 3.5 million in funding would help these programs meet inquency demand and to show our community members that their interests are have been heard. Thank you for your attention. >> Good afternoon, Chair Khan and members of the committee. My name is Teresa Bake and I'm the director of education at KCS. KCS's mission is to be a nexus of services for the undeserved communities, helping them maintain their health and well-being. In addition, just like my colleague mentioned, KCS is a proud member of NYAL. For over 20 years, KCS has provided adult literacy classes through city funding. Each year, the steady increase in both our student body and the number of classes offered stands as a testament to the success of our ESOL program and the ongoing need for adult literacy services in our communities. To best accommodate our students busy schedules, we operate in person and virtual classes Monday through Saturday with flexible morning, afternoon, and evening sessions. The impact of these classes cannot be overstated. Our students are driven by a desire to engage deeply with their communities and neighborhoods, communicate effectively with family members, advocate for their children, particularly within the education system, ensuring they can stand up for their rights as parents, foster independence, reducing their reliance on others for daily tasks, give back through volunteering and civic participation. Your continuous support has been the catalyst for these transformations, allowing our students to lead truly empowered lives. In response, Nyal is calling on the mayor to invest 20 million in a new city adult education funding stream and is also calling on the city council to increase city council discretionary funding. City Council discretionary funding is adult literacy funding is vital not only to KCS but to the communities we serve and to the 60 programs across New York City. I I have seen firsthand the transformative impact of adult literacy education on our communities. It is time to show our students we have their backs not just with words but with a necessary increase in funding. Thank you for your attention. Good afternoon, Chairan Carnesion and members of the committee. My name is Maya Dan. I'm senior director of strategy for the ArabAmerican Family Support Center, known as AFSC. AFSC serves roughly 20,000 people each year across New York City, over 70% of whom were born outside the United States. Our center, our work centers families, stabilizing them through challenging times, supporting them to maintain stability and uplifting them to thrive. Over the past several months, our staff, many of whom are also immigrants, have responded to a surge in fear, need for basic assistance, and mental health challenges in the communities that we serve. Fear is profound. Mixed status families are increasingly choosing to self-deport rather than risk detention or separation by ICE, even those in the middle of family reunification processes. We have seen a sharp decline in community members applying for naturalization. For families traumatized by conflict in their home countries and concerned about growing conflict in the Middle East, seeking legal help can feel like an additional threat to safety. Families also face rising application fees, long wait times for check-ins and court hearings, and widespread misinformation about legal rights, creating even greater fear and instability. AFSC is a proud MOYA established legal support center, and we create safe and supportive spaces and are a trusted resource for immigrants in a new city. We work with families who are experiencing language barriers, cultural differences, and mistrust of systems that have historically targeted them. But as a result, we are overstretched with demand far exceeding available resources. City support is critical to our work. To meet this growing demand, we respectfully request $250,000 from the city council immigrant opportunity initiative to support the expansion of comprehensive immigration legal services. In addition, we request $325,000 in discretionary funding through the adult literacy forward for AFSE's adult education and literacy program as well as $260,000 for SNAP and healthcare enrollment. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you very much. I will call up the next panel. Harold Solis from Make the Road. Tatiana from the Children's Law Center. Joshua from Children's Law Center and Ernie from MFJ Legal Mobilization for Justice. I think that was it. Sorry, you may start. Yes. >> Good afternoon. My name is Ernie Colette and I'm the supervising attorney of the immigration law project at mobilization for justice. I'm here today to urge the city council to significantly increase funding for immigrant legal services. While we applaud the council's past support, quite frankly, the legal landscape has shifted dangerously, creating an unprecedented demand for complex litigation. Despite current appeals, recent federal court and BIA decisions have effectively eliminated judicial discretion for bond and expanded the definition of those who can be detained. This combined with increased ICE enforcement means that immigrant New Yorkers are facing mandatory and definite detention. As of March 2026, over 26,000 habius corpus petitions have been filed nationwide to challenge these unlawful detentions. While the number of people detained rose from 40,000 at the start of this administration to more than 70,000. Without increased funding to fight these unlawful detentions, our clients risk being held for years in facilities where medical neglect and abuse are rampant. Many of our clients are afraid to go to their ICE check-in appointments or immigration court hearings, knowing that despite doing everything required of them to have their day in court, that they could now arbitrarily face detention and separation from their families. Furthermore, the DOJ has proposed a rule that would make summary dismissal the default for all nearly all immigration appeals. Although currently in litigation, if this rule goes into effect, the BIA will no longer be a viable avenue for credible appeals. Most cases will be rubber stamped for removal without a meaningful review of laws or facts, requiring legal services providers to pivot to petitions at the second circuit court of appeals to ensure that our clients have a fair day in court. We ask the council to continue funding initiatives like III and legal services for the working poor amongst many others and increase funding for specific support to habius petitions, mandamus petitions, and federal appellet work. Our immigrant neighbors are working, paying taxes, and contributing to our city. We must not allow their lives to be upended by a system designed to remove due process and the rule of law. Thank you for your time. Thank you for allowing me to testify and for your continued commitment to all New Yorkers. >> Good afternoon, Sharon Gardion and committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Tatiana Walowitz and I'm a youth guardianship parillegal at the Children's Law Center or CLC, a legal services organization in New York City that has represented over 185,000 children in child protective legal proceedings since 1997. Our driving purpose as an organization is to empower young people through legal representation and support, a mission we feel applies just as strongly to New York City's undocumented youth. As such, we are asking for continued Iola funding specifically for our special immigrant juvenile status work. This year, CLC sought to expand our capacity to represent this demographic by creating our youth guardianship program, an initiative focused solely on the representation of undocumented youth as they petition USCIS for special immigrant juvenile status, or SIG for short, in family court. Iola funding. We have represented over 150 undocumented youth in just six months as they took the first critical step in their pursuit of legal status. As you are likely aware, Congress created the SIG designation to provide relief for young people facing desperate circumstances. Accordingly, the youth we serve are deeply vulnerable due to both their age and undocumented status and in need of holistic representation. We are so proud to say that all of our SIG clients have been granted both guardianship and special findings orders from a family court, enabling them to move forward with their immigration cases with security and illegal with the security a legal guardian provides. With the funds we received from myola in 2025, CLC has been able to provide holistic legal services to our clients by hiring two designated youth guardianship parillegals, including myself, and shifting one staff attorney into a role focused exclusively on this population. Through interviews, document drafting, and hearing preparation, our team works diligently to ensure our clients feel informed, supported, and empowered. When needed, our social workers provide therapeutic support to our clients and connect their families to essential services. We are so proud of the breadth of services we can offer our clients and have seen how impactful this work is. >> Good afternoon. Uh my name is Joshua Santangelo. I am the trial supervisor for the youth guardianship program. I'm the only attorney that represents these kids with the help of my two parallegals. And while Children's Law Center has expanded our capacity to represent hundreds more children in their family court proceedings this year, as I'm sure you're aware, Sage applications continue to rise citywide. Uh our project's Iola funding will expire at the start of July. And while we have submitted application for renewed funding, both our project and our clients have been holding our breath to see whether or not it will be granted. With renewed funding, our team could continue to use our expertise in family court to maintain a space of dignity and support immigrant youth as they seek legal status while increasing our range of holistic support for our clients emotional needs. We therefore ask more most sincerely that this body continue to advocate for a new Iola funding for this project, particularly the special immigrant juvenile status initiative, not only for children's law center, but across the nonprofit sphere to expand the impact of legal representation for hundreds more children in New York City. We work with uh ROC, legal aid society, Lutheran legal services and IARE who spoke earlier to ensure that our clients are represented even after family court in immigration court and their and that their I360s are successfully filed. All of these organizations have depended upon the special immigrant juvenile status initiative funding to do this work and this community of undocumented youth will be left with many fewer resources should the funding be cut. We also ask that this body consider establishing new sources of funding outside of the youth uh I'm sorry, outside of the special immigrant juvenile status initiative um for both legal work and social work therapy community center funding and know your rights campaigns which I know um this body has already passed some legislation on that front. Um for example, I know that this committee recently heard remarks on know your rights posters being posted in multiple languages throughout the city. our organization came to that and commends those efforts. Um, and we believe that an expansion to advise about nonprofit organizations doing this kind of work could serve not only as reactive but as proactive measures to ensure that these communities feel secure and have status so that they can continue to live in a secure atmosphere. We thank you for the opportunity to contribute to your decision-m and to highlight our our work and uh we applaud your efforts and look forward to what this committee is going to continue to do. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. Uh my name is Harold Cis. I'm the co-le director of Make the Road New York. Uh, Make the Road serves 30,000 immigrant New Yorkers and working-class New Yorkers every year uh through our wraparound services. Out of our offices in Bushwick, Staten Island, places like Long Island, and Westchester, we help individuals with all sorts of needs that that they're facing on a daily basis. I'm here because I want to continue to talk about this topic uh that that has rightfully so taken up so much time for the committee today, which is that as you all know, uh New Yorkers are living through a relentless and new chapter of immigration enforcement. Um day after day, immigrant New Yorkers are watching loved ones uh being taken away. Last year, many of them were being uh taken away from from immigration courthouse. But as we have seen in the last few months, so many individuals now are being uh arrested and detained for going about their daily lives in in the public streets of New York. RLC, the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative, of which Make the Road is a part has played a critical role in fighting back some of the most unprecedented and aggressive uh ICE enforcement tactics over the last year. Much of the work that we have been able to do has been in large part thanks to the leadership and support of the city council. We have been there. We have we play a critical uh role in the city's response. Uh we have a centralized system and it's through that system that we have been there. Every time that ICE has taken a loved one at immigration court last year when they decided to take a blind man out of uh Queens just because of the way he looked, it was the RLC that was there in court uh fighting to secure his release through habius litigation. When ICE first announced their unprecedented policy of ensuring that most New Yorkers would have to face mandatory detention, it was Make the Road that was there through the RLC last summer that fought back against that unprecedented and aggressive uh change in policy. We hope and and believe that the city council should trust and investment that it has made in the RLC particularly now as we face an unprecedented and evolving landscape around immigration enforcement in New York. Thank you. >> Thank you all. Calling up the next panel. Hadijatsu Muhammad from ACT. Zaniba Aigga Lady Stella Rosa Karolina Nareno and Van from Mixteca as well. The Mixteca panel. You should know what that was. All righty, we can begin. Make sure you press the Yeah. Good. Sorry. Good afternoon. Thank you so much for having me. Um, my name is Zana Bega. I'm the executive director of Sautietu Center for African Women. We're actually located in your district. It's good to see you. And today, I'd like to spend a few minutes to talk about our work. Sieru is a 20-year-old social service organization working with African immigrant women and families in the Bronx. Although we serve across the city, across our four programs, we serve over,200 women and children a year, providing services in at least 15 different African languages, excluding French, Arabic, and Spanish. And today I'm here to ask for support from the city council because for the past 3 years we've not received any city council funding and we've not been able to find out why although we've applied several times for the first 3 years and as all of you know African immigrants and black immigrants in particular are the highest group of immigrant populations that are deported easily. They are also the group of immigrants who actually have the least legal representation. And we know that because we actually spend a lot of hours every day trying to find attorneys for our survivors, especially our DV survivors and especially our you know uh family members who want representation in immigration court and every time either when they get a case to be taken they wait they wait for 3 months 6 months before that and many we know that they get picked up on the street and they're quickly deported. So the highest number of devotees, you may not know that in the media, but it's actually black immigrants in New York City. So I'm here to say first of all, thank you for the city council for having this hearing today and thank you for your investment in immigrant uh resources to support immigrants, New Yorkers, but I'm also here to ask that please uh support South to Center for African Women. Thank you. >> Hello. Well, good afternoon um Sharon Carnasion and members of the committee. My name is Lady Zar Rosa and I am the advocacy coordinator at LaMa and Stan Island. Our mission is to empower immigrant workers through organizing education, culture, and equitable economic development. We work to ensure that the immigrant um community and workers not only survive in New York City, but also thrive. Our work reveals a simple truth. Immigrants are essential to New York City's economy and cultural life. Yet too often they face barriers um to safe, stable, well-paid work, as well as limited access to the legal support that they need. By investing in immigrant worker safety, the city council strengthens not only individual families, but entire communities. These investments move us toward a more inclusive and equitable future for New York City. LANA is a proud member of the DWI coalition that works with um laborers and the New York City Coalition for Domestic Workers as well as many other initiatives. And we have applied for citywide discretionary funding and are asking the council to continue supporting our work and the immigrant community in Stan Island where we have become a beacon of hope. We continue to provide know your rights trainings and critical education to our community and at this but at the same time the need for legal services has increased significantly as more of our community members face kidnappings and detentions by ICE. We ask the for increased funding to ensure universal access to legal representation for immigrant New Yorkers because when our communities feel safe and supported they are able to contribute to New York City to grow and to flourish. We also need continued investment to ensure domestic workers are safe in their workplaces, to prevent wage theft and workplace injuries, and to guarantee fair pay and safe working conditions. Thank you for the opportunity to testify again today and for your continued commitment to supporting immigrants communities across New York City. Thank you. Hello, my name is Karolina Moreno and I am a community me community advocate at MIT. Mista is a nonprofit organization located in Sunset Park that has provided services to Latinx and indigenous communities for many years. I am here today to share the story of a community member who authorized me to share her testimony. Hello, I am Maria and I am a community member of Mistka. I am originally from Pueblo, Mexico and have lived in the park in Park Slopes neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York for 19 years. I truly love my neighborhood. At one point, I needed to see a doctor, but I didn't not have health insurance due to my immigration status. Someone recommend me recommend me that I visit Mteca and I was so grateful I did. When I arrived at their offices, I received all the information I needed to access medical care. I felt at home. Everyone spoke to me in my own language, which made me which made everything much easier. During the pandemic, Miss Tekka was the helping hand that the entire Hispanic community needed. From day one, they were there for us. I remember seeing long lines of people waiting for a bag of food, and I was one of them. Misska brought joy to my Thanksgiving table with a large turkey. In 2025, while going through a very difficult time, I came across a post on Mista social media about the program called So Mesa and I decided to attend. To my surprise, I found a strong support network of incredible women. I receive emotional and even financial support. I was also able to access counselor services or their offices which saved me a lot of time. Additionally, the the English and computer classes offered have been incredibly beneficial for me. After completing sovereign messa program, I was able to take on meaningful projects that have posit positively impacted my life. I currently continue to receive emotional support. Thank you. Hello, my name is Van and I'm the community organizer at Mixteka. As a community based organization that provides legal and social services, we hear daily from our community members how it impacts them on their daily lives. I would also like to share a personal statement from a community member at MXCA. Hello, my name is Loose. I am an asylum seeker. Due to difficult life circumstances, I was forced to leave my home country following the loss of my only brother. a tragedy caused by the crime and terror generated by violent groups. This situation left a profound mark on my life and compelled me to seek a new beginning far from my homeland. Arriving in Florida knowing no one, I settled there alongside my husband. We lived there for a year during which time our baby was born. A little one who arrived to filled our lives with hope and joy. However, our entire immigration case was filed in that state. Nine months ago, we moved to New York and through various means, we attempted to ch to request a change of venue for our court case as we lacked the necessary resources to travel all the way back to Florida. Along the way, we encountered numerous difficulties and unfavorable experiences like limited access to health services and food when my family needed it the most. It was then that someone shared the contact information for the mix organization with me, assuring me that they would be able to provide guidance. When I reached out, I was assisted by a woman who was kind and listened to me throughout the preparation and submission of my documents. Thanks to her support and the assistance of the organization, my request for a change of venue was finally approved. This achievement has brought immense relief to both me and my family. I wish to express my heart heartfelt gratitude to the organization and to every single person who with a smile offered me their support and made me feel accompanied and truly at home. This story like many others is why the city should continue to fund and allocate as many resources as possible towards legal and social services for our immigrant communities. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. And I want to get your contact information. Okay. Uh, I'd like to call up now uh Karina Gutierrez from the Street Vendor Project, Leia Welpa from Workers Justice Project and Alejandro from also from the Workers Justice. This is the Workers Justice Project panel. I'm going start naming these panels. This is the translation panel, right? Okay. >> Yep. Oops. Yep. Um, all right. So, uh, good afternoon, Chair, uh, Incarnation and members of this committee. My name is Liia Walpa. um the executive director of the workers justice project uh which is a workers rights organization that has been organizing um delivery workers, day labors, and domestic workers for the past 16 years. And most recently, uh we're proud to be organizing and passing legislation to make sure that 80,000 app deliverers have labor rights for the city of New York. And I'm here today specifically um um to talk about the importance of supporting key initiatives that sustains um our work. One of them is a labors domestic workers. Um and we run key programs that are related with workers rights, workforce development, training uh which are opportunities for workers to get pathway for living wage jobs but also to fight um injustices in the workplace. In the past year, we have recovered more than $20 million just for app delivery workers. Um, I know Alejandra is going to talk about one of the workers rights programs that has recovered $124,000 for day labors and domestic workers. We have generated more than 600 jobs with an average minimum wage of $25 an hour. And the reason I'm here is because we want to ask for key support. One of them is a creation of a new work organizing initiative that we're launching with the street vendors drum to invest $5 million in worker organizing. Um also support for the daily labor workforce initiative. My other colleagues were asking for 4.9 for five worker centers to sustain the workers rights program. Um and also our construction site safety training program. Um you will hear more from our members who are directly uh impacted and also our organizers who are in the front lines building uh worker power. >> Good afternoon LC Incarnation and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Alejandro Graales and I am a worker leader and workers right organizer at the worker justice project. I'm here to lift up immigrant New Yorkers, laborers, domestic workers, and delivery workers who keep our city running but are too often underpaid, exploited and unprotected. I want to begin by sharing my story. I came to New York as an immigrant and I spent many years working in restaurant and delivery. I experienced wage step firsthand and like so many in my community. I live in fear of speaking up because of my immigrant status. I know what I feel like to a states island even when things are wrong but changed when I joined to worker justice project. I began organizing with Losista and today I'm proud to serve as a worker vice organizer helping other workers find their voice and fight for justice. In my work I see greedy employers exploiting the current anti-immigrant climate. They feel empowered to steal wages and threaten workers to report to immigration to keep our communities silent. This fear is real but so is our power through worker justice project. We are changing the story. We show workers they know alone that they have rights and that when we organize together we can win. In recent months we have recovered 124,000 in wages for day laborers, domestic workers and tobacco processing workers. Low delivery sunos have recovered over 20 millions in wages from delivery companies that refuse to comply with minimum pay laws. We are also creating safer workplaces. We have secured TVs a certification for workers threatening with deportation or who have experienced workplace violence giving up protection for a pat. None of this work will be possible without support of the city council and the funding that make these programs possible. Thank you. >> Uh, good afternoon. Thank you, Chair Incarnation, and your amazing team for the opportunity to testify. My name is Karina Kofmanutierrez, and I'm the co-director at the Street Vendor Project. Um, as the only organization that exclusively serves street vendors in New York City, SVP is the centralized hub for this underserved population, providing critical small business and legal services since 2001. Uh we respectfully request uh support from city council to sustain and expand our essential know your rights uh education for immigrant street vendors initiative. As a growing workforce of more than 23,000 entrepreneurs making a living from the streets and sidewalks. Uh 96% of street vendors are immigrants. 81% vend as their main source of income and 65% live in a household with one or more children. So truly are the caretakers of their families. With the council's support, we've created vendor specific uh know your rights with immigration materials in seven languages. And our team distributes these resources to street vendors through weekly outreach to vendor carts, to their trucks, to commissary garages, to vendor hubs across the city. Last year, we went to 144 zip codes um to equip vendors with the tools they need to protect themselves while vending in public space should they have uh an interaction with an immigration enforcement agent while also connecting them with legal resources and emergency family planning kits. We distribute whistles so vendors can warn each other when ICE is in the area. We add vendors to language-based text chat so they can share and receive on the ground updates as well. And our model prioritizes one-on-one conversations with vendors so they can too share out that information to their customers. Um because we are membership based when we also work with vendors, we're engaging them. We're collecting emergency contact information should a situation arise. And just to give an example of this practice in work, uh two weeks ago, one of our member leaders was detained by ICE on a Friday around 10 p.m. She had my phone number memorized. She called from detention because we had her uh emergency contact information. We could call her family. We could connect her to legal resources. We had her medications on file. Um she didn't sign any paperwork. She knew her rights and remain silent in that situation. So, thank you for your support to continue. >> Thank you so much. Um and also just going to make a plug for our next hearing that'll be in conjunction with the small business uh committee. Uh so, hope to see you there. all of you. I'm going to call up now Maria Marcia from Workers Justice Project with Fredo from the Workers Justice Project. Dalsa Diaz from the Workers Justice Project. Maria from the Workers Justice Project. Okay. When you're ready, you can begin. Park Brooklyn. Constant. No, no. Award project. Thomas project. for the program. Good afternoon, chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to share my story. My name is Dalsa Diaz. I am from Colombia and I'm here as an immigrant worker in New York City. I work for a company called Madison number 4805 in Boro Park, Brooklyn, where I experienced very difficult working conditions. We work under constant pressure without proper time to rest or eat and an environment where our rights were not respected. I even saw minors being exposed to these conditions. Despite all the efforts many times we were not paid for work and when I decided to ask for my wages instead of being paid I was fired. I know they took advantage of me for being an immigrant and because of the fear of many of that many of us feel a lot of times that we don't have rights. I reached out to workers justice project where for the first time I understood that we do have rights no matter where we come from or what language we speak. With their support I was able to raise my voice and take action. I am still in that process today waiting for justice for the work I did. But I'm not here only for myself. I'm here for many others who through the same thing every day who go through the same thing every day and are still afraid to speak up. We are not alone. Workers justice project is often the only place where immigrant workers can find support, guidance, accompaniment and strength to defend our rights. That is why today I asked you to approve and continue strengthening funding for this work so more workers can access help, learn their rights and not have to face these situations alone. Supporting these programs is not just an option. It is an investment in the dignity, justice and well-being of our entire community. Thank you very much. is Cleaning. for Gracias project. Consequences. Good afternoon all of whom are present. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak. My name is Maria Giracha. I am from Ecuador. I'm a widow and the head of my household. I have three children who depend entirely on me. Since I arrived in this country, I have worked in cleaning. I have looked for work day by day. Working construction, in fire damaged homes, doing difficult and physically demanding jobs. It is not easy, but I do it because everything for my children depends on it. The rent, the food, and their future future. In my most recent job with a company called Cleaning Pass, I was led to believe I would have a stable opportunity. I was asked to buy my own materials and tools and I went into depth to be able to work trusting that promise. But the reality was very different. After several weeks of working when I asked to be paid instead of receiving my wages, I was blocked from this platform. I was left without work without pay and with and with depth. It was a very unfair and painful situation. But I was not alone. I was not left alone. Thanks to the support of workers justice project, I was able not only to report my case, but they also helped organize 13 other worker co-workers who went through the same situation. Through this collective effort, the district attorney's office was able to arrest the person responsible in North Carolina estrad him to New York and he has now been found guilty of several criminal charges. His sentencing will take place next month. None of this would have been possible without the support of workers justice projects. I am here today because this is not just my story. It is a reality that many workers in this city face where abuse continues to happen often without immediate consequences. That is why I ask you to approve funding to support organizations like Workers Justice Project because this support changes lives, protects families and makes justice possible. We work hard. We contribute to this city and we deserve to be treated with dignity. Thank you. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Certific Brother,ch. LA.chech. Good. Can you hear me? Okay. Good afternoon, members of the immigration committee. My name is Wilfredo Batro. I am a construction worker and a member of the workplace justice project. I came to New York City from Honduras and have worked in the construction industry for the past 18 years. I currently work as a painter. In this industry, we often face unsafe working conditions due to a lack of information and training. This puts our health, our safety, and even our lives at risk. Many times because of fear related to our immigration status or employer abuse, we do not report these situations. Personally, I have been a victim of wage theft and delayed payments. Um, however, thanks to organizations like the workplace justice project, workers receive guidance guidance and training on essential issues. We are provided with important trainings such as classes to obtain health and safety certifications like OSHA as well as support in cases of wage theft among many other benefits simply by being members of the program. As immigrant workers, we have always had concerns about our rights. For a long time, I believe that because I was an immigrant, I had no rights, which made me live with fear and insecurity, especially at work. But thanks to programs like this, we are now informed about our rights and how to respond in different situations, always in accordance with the law. For this reason, I respectfully ask the council to continue funding programs such as construction safety training, the day labor workforce initiative, and the worker rights education and organizing initiative. Um, these programs strengthen New York's workforce and defend the dignity of immigrant workers. Construction workers like me take pride in our work and ask that the city continue investing in our safety, our rights, and our future. Thank you very much for listening and for supporting immigrant workers. Construction. Foreignech. Fore! Foreign! Foreign! Good afternoon, distinguished members of the committee. My name is Maria Wan. I'm a construction and cleaning worker and a member of the workers justice project. I came to New York from Ecuador several years ago with the firm intention of building a better future for my family. At first, working in construction and cleaning was extremely difficult. Low wages, exhausting hours, and great instability. I often worried about not being able to cover basic basic needs. Like many um immigrant workers, I felt fear. Fear of losing my job, of being replaced, and fear of the consequence consequences of my immigration status. Things changed when I joined the workers justice project. Thanks to their support, I have been able to find occasional jobs that supplement my income. Those jobs have allowed me to pay my bills, feed my family, and have a little stability. In addition, the workplace safety training I have received has empowered me. I know now how to protect myself and demand fair treatment. Being part of this community has given me confidence. I no longer feel alone. I know that together we can build a more just city. That's why I ask the council to continue supporting programs like the worker employment initiative, legal services for domestic workers, and the labor rights initiative. Workers like me sustain the daily life of this city. We deserve respect, opportunities, and a dignified future. Thank you for your attention and support. >> Thank you. Gracias. I'm calling in the next round of folks. So, we have Rick Rick Su Bakus from the worker corp business development initiative. Jennifer Jennifer from Nimik. Jenya also Nimic Cha Wang Cha Church World Service New York >> Repeat. Hello. Hello. Four. Thank you. >> Uh good afternoon and thank you uh committee chair and members of the committee. I'm Rick Su Bakus. I'm a senior attorney and residents at CUNI laws community and economic development clinic or we say CED clinic in short and I'm in solidarity with the worker leaders and of worker cooperatives members of the network of partners that form the worker cooperative business development initiative and the New York City network for worker cooperatives or um nickn people of New York have the capacity to thrive and support their communities if only we can dismant mantle or diminish the structural barriers and inequalities that they face. Immigrant workers in particular are more vulnerable in the endeavor for New Yorkers to have a dignified life. Worker cooperatives have been a means to help immigrant workers and and other workers increase their average pay rate, set better conditions of employment, and boost security uh uh boost their security. uh worker owners uh worker cooperatives in New York City are overwhelmingly women, immigrant, and bipac workers. With the small uh business loans, the SBA small business loans being restricted now to only citizens and nationals of the United States, WCBDI is possibly the most inclusive small business program, inclusive of all business owners and centering the needs of immigrant small business owners under the small business services program. We uh law specifically has provided for immigrant workers and worker owners in unprecedented ways given the current political situation you heard a lot about. For example, um many of the immigrant workers and worker owners fear for um their personally identifying information with the expansion on requests for different data and personally identifying information. And so we uh in that the fear there is that they are afraid that their immigration status, gender identity and other information would be outed and used against them and we use the we use uh we help them mitigate those dangers through information. Another thing that people don't think about is tariffs and how that impacted immigrants and we've also worked with them to field questions and help mitigate the effects and impacts of tariffs in um in their lives and in their businesses. CED clinic also has a body of New Yorkers that are from directly impacted communities. I'm an immigrant from the Philippines. My mom's a retired nurse. I'm a graduate of a New York City public school and a pract practitioner now at CUNI law. And we can build this bench. So supporting CD clinic is also supporting for more advocates in um for immigrants in New York. and we ask that you increase the funding for WCBI to five uh 5,97,082 and specifically for CED clinic at 340,000. Thank you so much. >> Good afternoon chair and Carnasio and committee members. My name is Jennifer Argetta, the senior program uh adult education program manager at NIMK. Our programs provide over 500 members of the community with preparation for high school equivalency exams, English language skills, and the associated wraparound services necessary to establish secure and prosperous futures. Our core catchment area is upper Manhattan and the adjacent Bronx neighborhoods. The clients we serve are nearly 100% lowincome, 70% are foreign born, and 58% speak Spanish as their primary language. NIMK has two active adult literacy contracts with DYCD, which provides for a total of two full-time staff to support all program intake, case management, data entry, and reporting across both contracts. This is simply insufficient to address the over 1500 program applications we receive annually or provide any meaningful case management to our enrolled clients. The adult literacy forward initiative will support nearly 400 additional instructional hours across NIMK's programs. It is also an essential supplement to Nimik's dycd contracted literacy programs. This funding allows us to hire a part-time intake specialist and supports two full-time case managers dedicated to adult education clients. In FY26, our case managers help clients access child care, food pantry, immigration services, employment and training, and mental health services. As our community faces cuts in services, and attacks from the federal government, the work of our case managers is more essential than ever. While we are proud of our accomplishments, we need the need in our community remains high to support our ongoing NIMK our ongoing work. NIMK requests a renewal of in FY27 of our 240,000 adult literacy forward allocation. We also ask that the city council consider increasing total city discretionary funding for adult literacy education from 14.5 million to 18 million and consolidate the two current council discretionary initiatives for adult literacy under adult literacy forward. An increase of 3.5 million will enable the 63 programs that currently receive funding to serve thousands more adults in need. Thank you again for your time and your support. >> Hi. Um, thank you so much for having us and um, I'm really glad to be providing our testimony. Um, thank you honorable chair and committee members. Um, my name is Jaja Wong. I am the New York site director for church world service. I am also a proud resident of Queens for the last 24 years. Um church world service is global humanitarian um agency dedicated in transforming u communities around the world through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster since 1946. Church World Service New York was formally established in 2023 to meet the growing needs arising from human migration and family reunification. In our first four years, we serve over 1,200 refugees and uh unaccompanied children, Ukrainian Afghan refugees and then Haitian entrance through legal services and case management. As we both witness and directly impacted by the drastic changes in federal funding and policies, our work serving refugees and um migrants who fled violence and poverty for better lives in New York has also been significantly impacted. We asked the city council council to support our work and also to better understand the refugee resettlement model. Refugee resettlement different detainees that we cannot help because we simply do not Hello everyone and welcome back. We will now turn to virtual panelists. For virtual panelists, once your name is called, the member of our staff will unmute m unmute you and the sergeant-at-arms will set the timer and give you the go-ahad to begin. Please wait for the sergeant to announce that you may begin before delivering your testimony. Now, I will call on our first virtual panelist, Henry Laara. You may begin. Henry, if you are speaking, we cannot hear you. So, can you mute and unmute again just to make sure we can >> Okay. Can you hear me now? Yes. >> Okay. Great. All right. Well, good afternoon to all present. My name is Henry Laara. I'm the accredited representative with Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice or YMPJ. YMPJ is a community-based organization founded in 1994. We're located in the Southeast Bronx covering Bronx River, Sound View, BrookNA, and Parkchester Chester community. Presently, we are the only DOJ recognized site in the 10472 zip code and we're 5 miles away from the next recognized site. Our immigration services not only assist the Bronx committee, but accommodate all metro New York. We serve a diverse population covering all portions of our globe. From east to west, north to south, we cover it all. Since 2006, we have guided our immigrant community through the complex world of immigration. We provide in-depth consultations to evaluate the situation and we file pertinent applications like naturalization, family unification, adjustment of status, DACA and much more. All which help achieve the American dream. We also serve as leers between government and state agencies, USCIS, NVC, and the US embassies abroad. Uh we're made up of only one DOJ accredited representative and we have one on call attorney. Uh since our start, we seen thousands of clients and helped save thousands of dollars in an attorney's fees. We've also deterred our community from the services of predatory notarios. In 2016, uh, YPJ helped form, uh, the Bronx Immigration Partnership. That's BIP. BIP is a group of Bronx uh, based legal service providers who address immigration issues. We support our community. >> Time expired. >> Okay. We provide our legal services. Uh, our services are all free and confidential. Uh we thank you for your continued support. That's why we ask for um that you recognize that these feats require further assistance. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Henry. I'm louder. Um I'd like to now call on Arlette Sepa. >> You may begin. >> Hello. Thank you so much, Chair and Carnosion. and I really appreciate the time and your commitment for supporting uh immigrants and communities in in New York City. My name is Arlet Sepa. I'm the interim executive director of LaMa and uh we are a worker center located in Staten Island focused on empowering immigrant workers and their families through education, organizing, culture and economic development. Lacmena has been a reliable partner to a number of city agencies including Moya in making sure that the most vulnerable populations can access the city services and resources they deserve. This work is only possible thanks to the speaker citywide initiatives and the support of many council member initiatives that address the needs of immigrant New Yorkers. We asked the oversight committee to make sure that LANA continues to receive the the the funding that um covers the support for immigrant communities in Staten Island. We seek um to support uh this vital work and we need um we we need funding for the following initiatives. the day labor initiative, domestic workers empowerment initiative, the community interpreter bank, the culturally specific genderbased violence initiative, the food pantry, the legal services for day laborers and domestic workers, the culture and digital literacy support among other initiatives that are supported by the the council. Our organization is a trusted hope for immigrant communities in Staten Island is mostly uh forgotten. So we want to make sure that we're not forgotten. So um these the funding for these um initiative is of outmost importance during this time that immigrant communities are being terrorized by the current immigration enforment enforcement tactics by the federal government. So um I thank you so much for your continued support and we look forward to partnering with city council to support immigrant New Yorkers. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Thank you so very much. I'm now calling on Edund Ly. >> You may begin. >> Um, good afternoon, Chair Incarnion and members of the Committee on Immigration. Uh, my name is Edund Loy and I'm testifying on behalf of the Charlesby van community health center. Uh, we are federally qualified health center with locations in Chinatown and Flushing. Um, in 2024 we served over 65,000 patients. Uh the overwhelming majority of our patients are a limited English proficient and low income with 60% of our patients being uninsured or relying on Medicaid coverage. Um like many immigrant serving organizations around the country that you've heard from today, uh we're facing funding cuts. Um limited uh sorry, continued support through city council discretionary funding is critical to ensuring that we can remain open and continue to serve our communities. Um through the immigrant health initiative, we provide culturally responsive and linguistically accessible health services uh to immigrant populations all across New York City uh with a particular focus on Asian immigrants. Uh our services include free health screening such as blood pressure, bone density, and BMI checks as well as essential vaccinations for influenza and COVID 19. Uh we also provide multilingual health education through radio uh television, social media and community workshops to promote preventative care and help individuals navigate the health care system. Um we all know it's difficult enough to access healthcare in English. Um but for many non-English-speaking immigrants, accessing health care is overwhelming um due to the language and cultural barriers. Uh CBWCHC is a trusted resource where AAPI uh patients can receive care and information in a language and setting that feels familiar to them. Um continued funding for the immigrant health initiative is essential to addressing health disparities and ensuring uh that there's equitable access to care for immigrant New Yorkers. Um thank you for your time and consideration and for your continued support of immigrant health. I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have. >> Thank you so much for your testimony. I am going to call now on Milat Seu. >> You may begin. >> Thank you. Good afternoon, honorable chairperson and distinguished members of the New York City Committee on Immigration. My name is Mati and I'm the director of policy advocacy and strategic partnerships at the New York Network of Workerown Own Cooperatives, also known as Nicknock. We're the memberled trade trade association representing worker cooperative businesses and democratic workplaces in New York City. I'm here alongside my colleagues from the Democracy at Work Institute, Kuni Law, Center for Family Life, Workers Justice Project, and our Advocacy Council members representing eight other organizations that make up the worker cooperative business development initiative. As many before us have shared, we are here during these unprecedented times to support our immigrant worker owners in New York City, asking the city council to continue supporting the expansion of worker ownership in next year's budget and firmly into the future. Since the inception of the initiative 11 years ago, we've launched over 200 cooperative businesses and created more than 1,200 jobs, delivering not only higher hourly wages, but also opportunities to build wealth and assets for individuals that are majority immigrant women. We have seen firsthand how this initiative has served to bolster our sector, strengthening existing cooperative businesses and creating new ones. The initiative partners have collectively worked to create a comprehensive ecosystem of support for cooperative businesses that not only ensures the creation of new cooperatives in low-income areas, but also the technical assistance needed to sustain businesses and create jobs, as well as the education and outreach needed for communities, interested entrepreneurs, and allied organizations. We did a lot of work during the pandemic um especially during the early years, we brought in over 20 million in grants and loans to cooperatives to keep them afloat. And we did this with a 3.7 million budget. We're here asking the city council to enhance our funding to $5,97,000 in order to for our initiative to double down on the essential long-term economic recovery for cooperative businesses uh that we will need to claw ourselves out of this current crisis that we are collectively facing. >> Thank you. Your time expired. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. I'd like to now call up Rick Zang Grong. You may begin. >> Namaste. Thank you for this opportunity. My name is Rick Sanang Gurong and I am a case coordinator at Adikar. Adikar meaning rights in Nepali is the only woman led worker and community center for the Nepali speaking community. We organize for worker right, immigrants right, access to healthcare, language justice and youth development. We are the first place our members go to find help, get on the job training and learn English. Our members live in Jackson Heights, Woodside, East Elmerst, Elmerst Corona Maspet Sunnyside Reachwood, Jamaica, and Flatbush. We are nail salon workers and nannies, gas station attendants, and small business owners. We are students and home health aids. We are your neighbors. We're asking you, the committee on immigr immigration, to invest in the safety and protection of the people who make the city run. Many of Adikar members came to New York after the political crisis in Nepal in the early 2000s. Other others came in the months after the 8.0 earthquake in 2015. Some of us were granted temporary protected status or TPS as we worked, studied and contributed to this economy. The recent termination of TPS designation for Nepal and increased collusion between immigration enforcement and the police are making our members care. Our healthcare and jobs are being lost. Almost overnight TPS holders have been at risk of detention and deportation. This decision comes despite the threat of returning to Nepal at a time of political instability back home. Individuals who relied on the TPS status are now forced to navigate a terrorizing immigration system. The fear of ICE extends to everything we do. With the support of the city council, Adikar has expanded our immigration legal services through uh rapid response work which has involved know your rights and safety planning workshops. We have also developed relationships with legal organizations and built a referral network which has resulted in 100 plus referrals with adjustment of status and change of status questions. Adikar has also been hosting monthly ask me anything legal info sessions. >> Thank you. Your time expired. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. We're now calling up Moral Abas. >> You may begin. Good afternoon, council member and members of the committee on immigration. My name is Marala Boss and I'm the health partnership coordinator at the Coalition for Asian-American Children and Families and I'm here today to urge the council to increase funding for the Access Health NYC initiative to $4.5 million in the upcoming budget. This investment is critical for protecting immigrant New Yorkers in a time when escalating fear, exclusion, and barriers are preventing our immigrants from getting their essential services. Texas Health supports a network of 37 community based organizations, many of which have actually attended this committee today. So, thank you all to those who have that all represent across the five bureaus and provide culturally responsive, language accessible health education, outreach and navigation. These organizations serve immigrant, limited English proficient, uninsured, LGBTQ plus, and disabled New Yorkers and helping them access care and benefits regardless of their immigration status. And every year they facilitate more than 1500 connections and care in over 30 languages, meeting people in their own spaces, places of worship, and trusted networks. For many immigrants, these organizations are the only safe and trusted pathway to care, providing health education, combating misinformation, and connecting them to essential services. And this includes, for example, deploying community health workers at consulates, and training trusted pharmacists or salon workers to really reach communities through these culturally informed approaches. And today, our communities are facing a worsening climate of fear. Heightened enforcement, confusion around policies like public charge, public charge, and proposed federal cuts are discouraging many from seeking the care that they need. And as a result, families are delaying treatment, opting out of benefits, and turning to emergency care only when conditions become severe. And at the same time, language barriers and misinformation continue to isolate these communities while economic hardships force many to dep prioritize basic needs over health. In this environment, our our organizations are the only backbone of support sometimes, and they provide trusted guidance, connect people to care without fear, and offer critical insight into the challenges our immigrant communities face. At a time when our New Yorkers are being pushed further into the shadows, this city must invest in trusted infrastructure that keeps them connected to >> Thank you. Your time expired. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. I'd like to now call up Vladimir Tali. >> You may begin. Hola, good afternoon everyone. Thank you chairing carnian members of the immigration committee. My name is Vladimir Lalai and I'm an immigrant and the senior policy strategist at the New York Immigration Coalition. We represent over 200 organizations that partner at good New York New York. Our communities face unprecedented attacks on the federal government. Investing in the protection and advancement of immigrant communities is an investment in the people who keep New York City running. Let us remember that immigrants generate 3% 37% of New York City's total income. As our community has witnessed mask urgence in unmarked vehicles detaining, kidnapping and disappearing our neighbors and families without due process, we urge the city council to invest 269 million to protect New Yorkers from federal overreach. This includes 189 millions for immigration legal services, 65 million for a family support fund and 50 million for restorative justice programs. The affordability crisis and shifting eligibility rules for childcare and workforce development programs keep our communities in financial distress. We request 119 million for economic justice, including 50 million for adult literacy, 54 million for childcare for all children and 15 million to protect immigrant workers for federal overreach. To advance the fair political representation and participation of our communities, we need 111 million for civic inclusion, including 60 million for a census campaign to ensure every New Yorker is counted. Five 5.8 million to support language access, 3 million for multilingual emergency services, 20 million for naturalization programs, and 22 million for voting education. Finally, we must prioritize the safety and the health of students and families. We call for an 840 million investment education funding to address school building hazards and support in language learners and their families as well as the 100 million for New York City Care to ensure healthcare access for those losing coverage in 2026. 4.5 million for access health and 100 million for food connection. These are investments in keeping our city running not expenses. We urge the city council to stand with us in creating an inclusive, affordable and thriving New York City for all. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, we have now heard from everyone who has signed up to testify. If we inadvertently missed anyone who would like to testify in person, please visit the sergeant's table and complete a witness now. If we inadvertently missed anyone who would like to testify virtually on Zoom, please raise your hand. No one. Seeing no one else, I would like to note again that written testimony, which will be reviewed in full by committee staff, may be submitted to the record up to 72 hours after the close of this hearing by emailing it to testimony@counsel.nyc.gov. I want to thank everybody who participated today and I also want to really uh thank the translators who helped today uh translate not just here in person but also in the room for people online. Thank you so much and that is the end.