Elected Officials Demand $70 Million for Immigrant Legal Procedures in NYC

In front of the city hall, several elected officials, supported by organizations that watch over immigrants, raised their voices to demand that Mayor Adams grant 70 million dollars from the city budget so that newly arrived immigrants can carry out their legal procedures before they are too late.

“We know that our new neighbors have only one year to complete their asylum applications, but if they fail to complete that requirement it means that the city is willing to have a new generation of undocumented immigrants in NY,” said Councilwoman Shahana Hanif.

The legal process could take months and even years, so according to Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, it is important that newcomers be able to work.

“They can start contributing here as New York residents, as we want them to be here, but also as they want,” Reynoso said. “They came here to work, to look for a better opportunity, a better life, and that can’t start until they have resolved their problems with the federal government.”

And it is that the resources are less and less to keep the thousands of immigrants in shelters.

“The idea is for them to get their work permits, so they can get jobs, to fend for themselves. Something that not only benefits them but also the city and with the million-dollar expense,” said NYC Comptroller Brad Lander.

According to data from the city of NY, of the more than 70,000 immigrants that have arrived, only a minimal percentage have applied for the asylum process.

“For example, many don’t know that they have a year to apply for asylum if they don’t that can cause their application to be rejected. And the city has a responsibility to provide these important services for our new neighbors,” said Luba Cortés, of Make the Road NY.

“And we are also asking for 10 million for clinics that we call “PROSAY” where we will be able to support people so that they know how to process these applications on their own, which will help so many cases that are moving forward,” he added. Cuts.