On Tuesday and Wednesday one hundred and thirty members of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) met in Albany to begin work on the NYIC’s 2020 state campaigns. With so many victories in last year’s legislative session, immigrant leaders were excited to kick-off six campaigns. Here are the campaign priorities:
- New York’s Promise Package
-Invest $5 million in the New York State Enhanced Services to Refugees Program (NYSESRP) to help refugee resettlement agencies more fully serve refugees already in their communities and attract others to areas that recognize refugees as contributors to population growth and economic revitalization.
-Invest $25 million in Adult Literacy Education (ALE) to support high-quality, community-based learning for
adults.
-Invest $25 million in immigration legal services to ensure that New Yorkers facing complex immigration issues
have access to legal support and assistance. - Access to Representation
Introduce a bill that mandates access to legal services for low-income immigrants in New York State. - Coverage 4 All
Allocate $532 million to create a state-funded Essential Plan for New Yorkers up to 200% of the federal poverty level who are currently excluded because of their immigration status. - Education
Secure $4 billion in foundation aid owed to high-need schools in NYS to address the multilingual services gap, ensure bilingual educators and immigrant family engagement. - Ending Collaboration with Federal Immigration Authorities
-Pass the Protect Our Courts Act to curb predatory ICE apprehension activities in New York State Courthouses
by prohibiting the warrantless arrest of immigrants seeking access to justice in our state legal systems.
-Pass legislation to place limits on how law enforcement officers, probation officers, and other state, city, town, or village employees may engage in immigration enforcement or interact with immigration authorities. - Language Access
Pass legislation that codifies Executive Order 26 to expand the agencies covered and increase oversight protections, and increases the languages currently included to better address regional variation.
