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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sierra Kraft, Executive Director of Immigrant Children Advocates' Relief Effort (ICARE)
6:59:19
ยท
129 sec
Sierra Kraft, Executive Director of ICARE, testifies to request increased funding for legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children in New York City. She emphasizes the critical need for legal representation and the risks faced by immigrant children without proper legal support.
- ICARE is requesting $6,297,250 to support 2,013 children and families through legal services and essential support.
- Recent federal funding freeze highlighted the unreliability of federal support, emphasizing the need for city investment.
- With legal representation, unaccompanied immigrant children have over a 90% chance of success in their cases, compared to almost certain failure without an attorney.
Sierra Kraft
6:59:19
Hi.
6:59:19
Good afternoon, chairperson Brennan and members of the committee on finance.
6:59:23
My name is Sierra Kraft, I'm the executive director of iCare, a coalition dedicated to ensuring unaccompanied immigrant children in New York City have access to free legal representation.
6:59:33
Right now, thousands of immigrant children are stuck in a legal limbo that could determine the rest of their lives.
6:59:38
Nearly 7,000 unaccompanied children fleeing war, violence, and trauma arrived in our city last year alone.
6:59:44
Instead of safe safety, they face an immigration system so complex that even trained lawyers struggle to navigate it.
6:59:51
Yet immigrant children are expected to stand before a judge and argue their case against a government prosecutor.
6:59:56
Without an attorney, they're narrowly guaranteed to lose their case, but with an eye care attorney, they have over a ninety percent chance of success.
7:00:04
The need for legal services has never been greater, but federal funding is unreliable.
7:00:09
Just two weeks ago, a stock work order froze federal funding for unaccompanied children's legal services, leaving 26,000 children defenseless overnight.
7:00:19
Though this was reversed, it was a wake up call.
7:00:22
New York cannot depend on federal funding to protect immigrant children.
7:00:26
Court backlogs are also at an all time high and legal service providers are overwhelmed.
7:00:31
And without city investment, more children will be left vulnerable to deportation, trafficking, exploitation.
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For over a decade, City Council's investment in the Unaccompanied Minors and Families Initiative has been a lifeline.
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Eye care providers have ensured that more than 14,000 children in New York receive legal support, find stability, and build a bright future here.
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But the demand has surged and funding has remained stagnant for over six years, forcing providers to do more with less.
7:00:58
New York prides itself on protecting the most vulnerable, but protection requires action.
7:01:04
This year, iCare is requesting $6,297,250 to support 2,013 children and families through legal screenings, know your rights trainings, direct representation, and referrals to essential services.
7:01:18
These children came here seeking safety, it's up to New York to ensure they aren't put back in harm's way.
UNKNOWN
7:01:23
The time has expired.
7:01:24
Thank you so much.
Sierra Kraft
7:01:25
Thank you so much.
7:01:26
Really appreciate it.