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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Andrew Santa Ana, Interim Co-executive Director of Asian American Federation, on Public Safety Needs of the Asian Community
9:25:47
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Andrew Santa Ana, representing the Asian American Federation (AAF), testified on the public safety needs of the Asian community in New York City. He highlighted the increasing risks faced by Asian New Yorkers due to anti-immigrant policies, ICE encroachment, and rising violence against Asians. Santa Ana emphasized the role of community-based organizations in maintaining public safety and keeping people out of the criminal legal system.
- Santa Ana urged support for AAF's Hope Against Hate campaign, which provides safety trainings, youth programs, and victim support services.
- He recommended increased funding for anti-violence and immigrant safety programs, as well as in-language services to aid victims.
- The testimony highlighted the impact of recent increases in Islamophobia and anti-Asian sentiment on Asian New Yorkers' sense of safety.
Andrew Santa Ana
9:25:47
Great.
9:25:49
Good evening.
9:25:50
I wanna thank chair Salam for holding this hearing and giving Federation the opportunity to testify on the public safety needs of our community.
9:25:58
My name is Andrew Santa Ana, and I'm the interim co executive director of AF, representing the collective voice of more than 70 member nonprofits serving 1,500,000 Asian New Yorkers.
9:26:09
My written comments are going to be much more detailed, so I just wanted to summarize here.
9:26:13
In 2025, public safety for New York's Asian community is at risk due to rise in anti immigrant policies, ICE's encroachment upon city authority, and increased violence against Asians.
9:26:25
These factors undermine the trust and systems meant to ensure safety in a city long seen as a sanctuary.
9:26:32
At AAF, we understand that during this unstable climate, community based organizations play a vital role in keeping folks out of the criminal legal system but also maintaining public safety.
9:26:43
I want to raise a couple programs that we use for your evaluation.
9:26:48
As you know, as each wave of immigrant anti Asian violence and anti immigrant sentiment ripples through our communities, many Asian New Yorkers are increasingly afraid to leave their homes.
9:26:58
They are reluctant to engage in the broader community.
9:27:00
Indeed, immigrant recent increases in Islamophobia affecting South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh communities, as well as the resurgence of anti Asian sentiment following the November twenty twenty four presidential election underscore the ongoing threats by Asian New Yorkers.
9:27:16
We encourage the city council to re up its support for AAF's Hope Against Hate campaign, which is a program that we've developed through the pandemic to sustain the essential delivery of life sustaining programs, including multi illegal safety trainings, youth programs, and victim support services.
9:27:32
Through this program and another program we hope to launch to protect immigrants and Asian Americans, we urge the city council and members of the committee to consider the following recommendations to ensure that all New Yorkers feel safe in their city: to support Asian led and serving organizations to connect them to certain necessary services, to increase funding for anti violence and immigrant safety programs like our Hope Against Hate campaign, and of course, to provide in language services to aid victims' healing and improve their health.
9:27:58
We look forward to working alongside the city council and members of this community to restore a sense of public safety.
9:28:03
Thank you.
Robert F. Holden
9:28:04
Thank you.