A coalition of pro-immigrant organizations today accused Mayor Eric Adams of “erasing” the immigrant community from his Agenda for Working People that he presented on Thursday and for cuts to his budget proposal for the new fiscal year, a fact that – they assure – will harm the services that this community needs.
The groups, convened by the Immigrant Coalition, demanded “justice” for immigrants and newcomers from the steps of City Hall holding signs reading “Don’t leave us behind” or “Immigrants are New York.”
“By making us invisible, it failed to recognize a large proportion of New York’s population and the crucial role our communities have played in keeping the city open for business during this pandemic,” said Coalition Executive Director Murad Awawdeh. .
Awawdeh said that for the past few weeks the mayor has been using the immigrant community as a “scapegoat” in connection with the city’s “inability” to manage itself well and has used “violent” “dangerous” language against them, and specifically against Latino immigrants, “which has been very discouraging.”
“We know what happens when elected leaders use violent language,” he warned.
He referred to the mayor’s remarks that the massive arrival of immigrants, mostly Venezuelans, and to whom he has provided shelter and other services, has created a humanitarian and economic crisis because the city does not have the resources to deal with it.
“We are gathered at City Hall to protest Mayor Eric Adams’ austerity budget and the exclusion of immigrants and asylum seekers from the City State. Mayor Adams has effectively erased immigrants from his vision of New York City , which is immoral and WRONG!” the New York Immigration Coalition wrote in a social media post.
🗣️We’re gathered at City Hall to protest the Mayor Eric Adams’ austerity budget and exclusion of immigrants and asylum seekers from the State of the City. Mayor Adams has effectively erased immigrants from his vision for NYC, which is immoral and WRONG! pic.twitter.com/lVWnpP1PlX
— New York Immigration Coalition (@thenyic) January 27, 2023
The mayor also questioned this week, something he had never done before, that the thousands of migrants who have arrived in recent months have the right to public shelters, which immediately drew criticism from pro-immigrant groups.
“We are asking him to stop his horrible rhetoric and really start meeting the demand for what the community needs” for housing, education, employment and social services, the activist said.
According to the immigrants, the new budget proposal for 2024 presents cuts that will affect the lives of immigrants such as 290 million for the area of education, which they assure will have an impact on programs such as learning to read and computers, or English reinforcement classes.
In his State of the City message, Adams mentioned immigrants to reiterate that aid will continue but the situation facing the city is a national crisis and should not be just for New York.
The groups are ready to lobby the new budget with councillors, who have to approve it and in the process make changes.
