Immigrant ARC Statement on New York Governor Hochul’s Proposed Budget
Albany, NY; January 21, 2022 - Immigrant ARC (I-ARC) commends Governor Hochul for recognizing the critical need for immigration legal services by increasing funding for the Liberty Defense Project,from $10 million to $12 million in her Executive Budget for FY2023. However, to meaningfully address the desperate shortage of affordable legal help faced by immigrant New Yorkers, we urge the Governor and the Legislature to increase the Liberty Defense Project funding to $15.3 million and provide an additional $3 million from economic development funds to provide legal services for recently resettled Afghans.
Statement by Immigrant ARC’s Executive Director, Camille Mackler:
“New York has been a national leader in funding immigration service providers thus promoting access to counsel and access to justice. Now is the time for New York to once again model the essentiality of robust funding for immigration services through an increase in Liberty Defense Project funding to $15.3 million. This is necessary to support communities still reeling from the punitive enforcement efforts of the last administration and struggling to navigate the backlog created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the wake of the sudden withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and the subsequent resettlement of Afghans across the state, New York should also pass $3 million in economic development funding for resettle Afghans. Immigrant New Yorkers have always contributed to the vibrant culture, civic life, and economic prosperity of New York. Providing this funding through Empire State Development funds will continue the legacy embracing immigrants in New York and allow resettled Afghans to help drive the economic recovery efforts outlined by Governor Hochul in her State of the State address.”
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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.
