TESTIMONY
Harold Solis, Co-Legal Director at Make the Road, New York, on Budget Cuts Affecting Immigrant New Yorkers
3:37:05
·
3 min
Harold Solis testifies against the fiscal year 25 budget cuts that impact immigrant New Yorkers.
- Solis represents Make the Road, New York, voicing the concerns of 27,000 members on proposed budget cuts undermining essential services for immigrants.
- He emphasizes the crucial role of the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative (RLC) in preventing deportations and the importance of city-funded adult English classes for immigrant employment and education.
- Solis urges the committee to reverse proposed cuts to vital services, highlighting the inconsistency of increased need and reduced funding.
- The testimony concludes with a call for support and leadership from the committee to protect and enhance services for immigrant communities.
Harold Solis
3:37:05
Good afternoon, Cheri Villas.
3:37:07
My name is Harold Solis.
3:37:09
I'm the co legal director at Macthe Road, New York.
3:37:12
On behalf of our 27,000 members and staff, I thank the committee for the opportunity to share our concerns with the fiscal year 25 budget and its impact on all immigrant New Yorkers.
3:37:24
Make the road firmly believes in safeguarding and promoting the dignity and fairness of all across our society.
3:37:30
Having centered our work around these principles for the last 25 years.
3:37:35
However, recent times, have seen a surge in calls for the city to abandon these principles with the administration intent on slashing essential funding and attributing these cuts solely to the city's newest members.
3:37:48
In the face of escalating scapegoating of immigrants, we implore you to shift the focus towards viable solutions.
3:37:55
The city must fortify rather than undermine the critical services and funding that our our diverse communities need.
3:38:04
We asked the council to use every available tool to reverse mayors sweeping proposed cuts to vital services, which would force reductions in our city funded legal health and educational services.
3:38:16
Now I'm gonna focus on a couple of key concerns The first one that comes to mind for us are the proposed about $600,000 have been proposed to a program that's called the rapid response, legal collaborative.
3:38:31
I heard it mentioned in passing this morning, the RLC.
3:38:35
The ROC has been instrumental in safeguarding the rights of immigrant New Yorkers on the brink of deportation.
3:38:41
This is a program that's been exclusively designed to provide really highly complex immigration legal assistance to people who are on the verge of deportation.
3:38:51
I literally have attorneys on my team who've pulled thanks to their efforts, pulled people off the line who are on on their way to a plane to be deported outside of the US.
3:39:02
And a significant number of these individuals are in these situations due to the technical complexities of the immigration system and often despite having meritorious claims and defenses that would otherwise allow them to remain in the United States.
3:39:17
In recent months and the way this all ties into all of this, in recent months, the RLC has seen a substantial increase and referrals often from the city's own asylum help center.
3:39:30
This is ironic.
3:39:31
Because at a time when we are receiving, you know, nearly 60% more compared to the prior years in terms of referrals from the city, to see that number of referrals and at the same time see these proposed cuts, it's really devastating and sends the wrong message.
3:39:47
We strongly urge the committee to resist any cuts to this program.
3:39:52
2nd, our city funded adult English classes help immigrant New Yorkers find better jobs.
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And help their kids in school.
3:39:58
This is common sense.
3:40:00
Yet, we're hearing rumors about cuts.
3:40:04
And at this time, we would ask the committee to work with NYPD to make some of the changes that were requested by the New York City coalition for adult literacy.
3:40:14
It's this time when we have to ask ourselves how is it that we expect newcomers to the city to integrate and better assimilate themselves and navigate the city and at the same time, we cut vital services that they might need.
3:40:27
Our written testimony has more details, but I'll just say thank you for your support and for your leadership in this moment.