Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
REMARKS
Importance of protecting immigrant communities and opposing harmful policies
0:03:30
·
93 sec
Chair Alexa Avilés emphasizes the critical need to protect immigrant communities in New York City and strongly opposes the Trump administration's immigration policies.
- Highlights the vulnerability of over 470,000 undocumented immigrants in New York City
- Condemns the Trump administration's xenophobic agenda and rhetoric
- Stresses the importance of increasing protections for immigrant New Yorkers, including access to city services and legal representation
- Calls for New York to be a leader in opposing growing threats to immigrants
Alexa Avilés
0:03:30
The Trump administration has made it abundantly clear that they will do everything in their power to detain, deport, undocumented immigrants which would be devastating for the over 470,000 immigrants in New York City who do not have immigrant legal status and have lived and worked and built our city for many, many years and and those who are part of mixed status families.
0:03:54
As the Trump administration's xenophobic agenda continues to close any pathway to citizenship, our immigrant communities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to detention, deportation actions from the federal government.
0:04:09
The rhetoric from the Trump administration painting undocumented immigrants as criminals is overwhelmingly disturbing, irresponsible, horrible.
0:04:19
I can't think of so many words I can say.
0:04:21
And attempts to let those inhumane characterizations sway policies in a city where nearly 40% of our residents are foreign born, and we will not accept that.
0:04:32
We must do everything in our power to protect our most vulnerable residents and that includes increasing the protections for immigrant New Yorkers to seek care and city services without fear, improving access to legal services, encouraging access to identification for all residents, and being able to speak out against the heinous actions of the Trump administration against our neighbors.
0:04:55
New York must be a leader against the growing threats to immigrants, and this legislation should only be the beginning of those efforts.