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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Christopher Leon Johnson on Protecting Migrants and Nonprofit Funding
5:42:38
ยท
136 sec
Christopher Leon Johnson testified about the need to protect migrants selling goods in New York City and ensure funding for nonprofits that support them. He expressed concerns about potential weaponization of funding by the City Council Speaker for political gain.
- Called for protection of migrants selling fruits and other goods on city streets
- Urged the City Council to protect funding for treatment projects and government resources for migrants
- Expressed concern that the City Council Speaker might threaten to defund nonprofits that don't support her mayoral ambitions
Christopher Leon Johnson
5:42:38
Yeah.
5:42:38
Hello, chair, Ayea.
5:42:40
My name is Christopher Leon Johnson.
5:42:43
Currently right now and, I'll put it back.
5:42:46
I'm in, you know, Boston District, Adrian's District.
5:42:49
I'm doing business in the district.
5:42:50
Little Biblical Expressway.
5:42:51
But around here I'm pulling back.
5:42:53
I know I can't show the screen like that.
5:42:55
Around here, there'd be a lot of, good migrants in the city of New York be selling fruits, mangoes, and all stuff like that in the city, and they need to be protected under this Trump administration.
5:43:10
And I know the city council is doing their best to protect these guys and gals.
5:43:13
They sell us stuff on on the Vimic Expressway, but it's cold out right now, so they're not out here.
5:43:17
But they be out here a lot, especially in the summertime.
5:43:20
So the city council need to start protecting them.
5:43:23
At the same time, since we're this is the general welfare center for welfare and social services, I'm calling on the city council to protect the funding for the treatment of prox protect the funding for the treatment of the project to make sure that these guys and gals get the services that that they need while while the speaker is working for mayor.
5:43:42
And at the same time, we need to make sure that the the the government resources get protected too with the work of justice project.
5:43:49
Their funding need to be protected too.
5:43:51
At the same time, the city council need to put money into these two nonprofits to make sure that these guys and gals who are good migrants try to, survive in the city, try to do the right thing in the city, they're not committing crimes.
5:44:03
Of course, riding an e bike on the street is a is could be seen as a on a sorrow could be seen as a crime, or selling mangoes on in a in a plaza can be seen as a crime, but it's not a violent crime.
5:44:15
Let make that clear.
5:44:16
The city council needed information that they're funding to be protected in this city council budget for FY '26.
5:44:22
These two nonprofits because I have a big feeling that the speaker of the city council is weaponizing this this the the finance chair to threaten those two nonprompts to support her for mayor.
5:44:33
And if they don't support her, then they're gonna be defunded in the city council.
5:44:38
Like I said, I made sure, like, I I made sure that the and the ethics and the,
Judith Rosenfeld
5:44:41
oversight Thank you.
5:44:42
Your time has expired.
Christopher Leon Johnson
5:44:43
If she lowers the funding, I will go to a DOI in the court agent deal after for lowering the funding because she's not allowed to city council to threaten those nonprofits.
5:44:52
So thank you so much and enjoy your day.
Diana Ayala
5:44:54
Thank you, Christopher.