The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) hosted a roundtable discussion with more than 20 community organizations on September 7 at the Sisters of St. Joseph campus in Brentwood, in the continuing effort to strengthen its 200-member coalition and augment the work of Long Island partners.
More than 30 attendees engaged in collaborative discussion, representing NYIC member organizations and community allies like CARECEN, SEPA Mujer, the Empire Justice Center, and the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. Together, they identified local issue areas, including the need for an increase in legal services; transportation and access to driver’s licenses; addressing access to and fear of using public programs; wage theft; and collusion between school officials and law enforcement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
NYIC experts also helped to break down the latest issues on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), refugee numbers, public charge, and the legal limbo that more and more immigrants are finding themselves in.
The NYIC is expanding its resources and focus on Long Island in this trying time for immigrants everywhere. Marton Dioszegi has recently been hired as the new Manager of Member Engagement for Long Island to help unify and magnify the work of the immigrant advocacy community in Nassau and Suffolk counties. He can be reached at mdioszegi@nyic.org.
The NYIC extends a special thanks to the Sisters of St. Joseph for hosting the event.
