New York State Ensures Full Funding for Immigration Legal Providers in FY2022 Budget

Contact: Alexandra Russo
press@immigrantarc.org
518-898-0456

www.immigrantarc.org

Immigrant ARC  

Albany, NY; April 8, 2021 - Immigrant ARC (I-ARC) commends New York State for ensuring that full funding for immigration legal providers were included in the final budget for FY2022. The funding, which includes $10 million for the Liberty Defense Project, as well as 6.4 million for initiatives run through the Office for New Americans, supports critical services to immigrant New Yorkers and has helped create a network of assistance in underserved areas since its creation in 2017. 

“As we enter a new era of immigration policies, our work is far from over,” stated Camille Mackler, Executive Director of Immigrant ARC. “ A lot needs to be done to make communities that have been at the centerpoint of punitive enforcement efforts whole again. By investing in them now, and ensuring welcoming services are available to new arrivals, New York can tap into the economic, social, cultural, and civic potential immigrants have always brought to our state. New York has been a national leader in these efforts for the past few years, and we thank the Governor and the State legislature for ensuring this legacy continues strong. We are ready to roll up our sleeves alongside our community members, get to work, and ensure that we continue to be a state by and of immigrants, for the benefit of all.”

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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.