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Q&A
MOIA outlines efforts to support immigrants facing deportation amid resource constraints
0:55:45
·
6 min
Chair Alexa Avilés presses MOIA officials on their efforts to protect New Yorkers facing deportation. Commissioner Manuel Castro and Deputy Commissioner Lorena Lucero describe MOIA's current initiatives and resource allocation for legal support services.
- MOIA allocates 68% of available funds towards legal support for immigrant communities
- Officials emphasize the importance of informing immigrants about their rights and available resources
Alexa Avilés
0:55:45
I I appreciate the background.
0:55:47
And certainly, I would hope at bare minimum the conversations were happening, so I'm heartened to hear they are.
0:55:55
I'm it still leads me to the same conclusion of a very lackluster response that you don't even have a recommendation on how this program can be expanded or strengthened.
0:56:07
Given the current political environment we're in, it feels incredibly tone deaf to what is happening.
0:56:15
So I guess you'll just continue to meet behind closed doors.
0:56:21
So what does the mayoral administration actually do to protect New Yorkers who are facing deportation?
Manuel Castro
0:56:31
Well, before I answer that question, I do want to say that my office and all of us on this table are ready to work with any entity that has the power to help us meet the needs of our immigrant communities, whether it's in city government, state government, philanthropy, and beyond.
0:57:01
These are incredible needs.
0:57:02
The gap is significant.
0:57:06
And, you know, I do think that the the work of NYFAB is important.
0:57:12
The work of all the programs that provide assistance, legal assistance to immigrant communities are incredibly important.
0:57:21
Moya oversees a number of different programs which I described in my testimony.
0:57:25
At the moment, the most one of the most important things that we have been engaged in is to make sure that immigrant communities understand their rights, understand what to do in the case they are confronted with non local law enforcement, and to make sure that they under know that there is a free immigration legal hotline that they can call to get brief consultation and know your rights and connect it with one of our nonprofit legal providers.
0:58:00
This hotline is essential.
0:58:02
It has been essential for years, but especially now.
0:58:06
They can also reach us directly at Moya for any other assistance.
0:58:13
And as the deputy commissioner of programs policy mentioned, we're working very closely with other programs in our city to make sure that our communities know that these exist.
Alexa Avilés
0:58:26
So in terms of we'll talk about the hotline later.
0:58:30
As as a projected need, right, Moya's Action NYC or legal support centers, whatever the new name is, we know that the the projected need for legal representation has grown exponentially.
0:58:46
How how is Moya changing its programming to ensure that New Yorkers facing deportation have legal representation?
Manuel Castro
0:58:55
So as I share, we we do recognize that there is heightened risk amongst all the many populations that I described.
0:59:07
It's important to say here that this is a result, and I've said this here and elsewhere, is a result of our broken federal immigration system that has left so many people in such a vulnerable situation.
0:59:24
In the role of local governments, I've had to increase in having to close that gap.
0:59:31
For years, not just New York City, but other cities that we work closely with have been urging the federal government to address our broken immigration system because this is not a responsibility that we are frankly resourced to be able to take on, but we do the best we can with what we have.
0:59:50
About 68% of our available funds go towards providing legal supports to our immigrant communities.
0:59:59
But again, that's not the these are not the only programs that exist.
1:00:03
Other agencies also provide these.
Alexa Avilés
1:00:08
So you haven't you haven't made any changes to your programming to meet the increased needs for to support New Yorkers facing deportation?
Manuel Castro
1:00:19
We are continuing to work with what we have available to us.
1:00:23
Again, the conversations about resourcing and changing the amount of resources available to this is ongoing.
1:00:32
And as I stated, we we're looking we are open and willing to to work with anyone who is able to increase these resources for us.
Lorena Lucero
1:00:42
I'll add to what the commissioner said.
1:00:45
We mentioned this in the January 16 hearing, but in regards to expansion via the immigrant rights collaborative, we did add additional funding there to provide additional support and know your rights trainings for immigrant New Yorkers.
Alexa Avilés
1:01:06
Can you can you clarify your comment about MLC MLCJ MACJ, MACJ, your collaboration with them since they don't run any particular immigrant initiatives?
Lorena Lucero
1:01:22
That might be my Brooklyn accent.
1:01:24
It's OCJ.
1:01:25
Oh, okay.
1:01:26
Office of Criminal Justice, Department of Social Services.
1:01:32
And they oversee the immigrant opportunities initiative, knife up, and I believe the low wage worker support as well, and eye care.
Alexa Avilés
1:01:46
Okay.
1:01:47
Thank you.
1:01:48
Thank you for the clarification in the Brooklyn.
1:01:51
So so, commissioner, to just to be clear.
1:01:54
So because knife up is is housed at DSS, you have made no budget ask around this program to OMB.
Manuel Castro
1:02:06
Generally, the agencies that oversee the programs make those requests or have those outgoing conversations with OMB?
Alexa Avilés
1:02:13
So, yeah, Somalia has no position around NYF UP and no OMB ask around programming needs.
Manuel Castro
1:02:20
And we're in ongoing conversations with OMB about our programs and about the needs that our immigrant communities have.
Alexa Avilés
1:02:28
But related specifically to NYFOP, there is no ask because you leave that to DSS to do?
Manuel Castro
1:02:34
Yes.
1:02:35
That's the program in
Andres Moreno
1:02:36
one place.