Immigrant ARC Responds to Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address
New York, NY - January 9, 2024 - Immigrant ARC is disappointed that Governor Hochul made nearly no mention of the needs of immigrants in her “State of the State” address today, especially as growing immigration court backlogs have continued to exacerbate the crisis of representation and delay access to long-term status and work authorization for thousands of immigrant New Yorkers.
As of November 2023, more than 174,000 immigrants in New York are fighting for their rights in immigration court without access to legal representation. Detained immigrants are at least ten times more likely to win their cases if they have a lawyer compared to those without legal help. New York became a leader when it established the first statewide publicly funded deportation defense program, and now we call on the Governor to include $150 million in funding for the implementation of the Access to Representation Act (ARA) in her proposed budget, so that New York can continue being a leader in free community-based legal services. The bill, introduced by Assembly Member Catalina Cruz and Senator Brad Hoylman-Siegal, would be a first in the nation law establishing a state-based right to counsel for New Yorkers facing deportation.
In response to Governor Hochul’s address, Camille Mackler, Executive Director of Immigrant ARC, made the following statement:
“If Governor Hochul wants to ‘empower all people to live their lives with optimism and hope’ then it is imperative she provide funding for immigration legal services as it is one of the most meaningful ways our State can support its existing and new immigrant communities. It is essential we provide immigrant New Yorkers with the tools they need to make informed decisions about their legal options and to help them obtain legal status. These investments are not only the morally right move to make, they are also an investment in New York’s economic future. Providing access to legal help is the best way to ensure that immigrants can obtain long-term status, work authorization, and access to resources that will include them in our cultural, civic, and economic life. New York has always been a home to immigrants, it is our state's greatest strength and resource and if we ensure that our immigrant communities receive the services they need to flourish, our state will grow and flourish with them.”
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Immigrant ARC is a collaborative of over 80 organizations and professional associations providing legal services to New York’s immigrant communities throughout the State. Born out of the legal effort at JFK Airport during the Muslim Travel Ban in 2017, our mission is clear: to mobilize New York State’s legal service providers by facilitating communication and information sharing to better support our immigrant communities; to organize and respond to issues as they arise by coordinating resources and fostering best practices among providers; and to resist and challenge anti-immigrant policies by shining a light on injustices and confronting inequalities faced by our communities in the legal system.