Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
REMARKS
Clarification on the hearing's focus and support for bonafide legal service providers
0:08:41
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151 sec
Council Member Avilés clarifies the focus of the hearing and emphasizes the council's support for legitimate legal service providers. She distinguishes between the hearing's purpose and recent federal actions targeting immigration lawyers.
- The hearing is not a wholesale attack on bonafide legal service providers
- The council stands with organizations offering expert legal assistance to immigrants
- The hearing will examine the city's efforts to connect immigrants with legitimate providers
- The city must ensure immigrants access proper professional legal services and can report fraud
- The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) will testify, but the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) will not attend
Alexa Avilés
0:08:41
I've just covered some of what this hearing will be about and I will now take a moment to describe what this hearing is not about.
0:08:50
A wholesale attack on our city's bonafide legal service providers.
0:08:55
The president recently issued an executive order purporting to target immigration lawyers with additional scrutiny and legal sanctions in retaliation for lawsuits filed against their administration.
0:09:09
Let me make one thing abundantly clear.
0:09:13
This council stands with organizations and providers who offer expert legal assistance and compassionate wraparound services to our immigrant community members and their families.
0:09:25
In fact, immigrant serving organizations are some of the only institutions standing in the breach as ICE disappears community members from our neighborhoods.
0:09:36
The council has a proud history funding these experienced and courageous providers of immigration services and will continue to do so in the months and years to come.
0:09:47
This hearing will examine the city's efforts to connect individuals to seeking immigration services with those bonafide providers and help them steer clear of the unaccredited ones.
0:09:59
The city must ensure that immigrants are accessing proper professional legal services and not led astray by unscrupulous actors or non legal service providers.
0:10:11
The city must also ensure that immigrants who are victims of fraud are able to submit a complaint and find some resource that relieves them for some of the damages that incur.
0:10:22
We look forward to hearing from the administration on how they are informing, empowering, and protecting our immigrant communities.
0:10:31
At the council's last hearing on this topic in 2021, the committee heard from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and the mayor's office of immigrant affairs.
0:10:41
I'm grateful that DCWP will testify today and look forward to hearing their testimony.
0:10:49
I'm disappointed however that Moya has elected not to attend today's important hearing.
0:10:57
It is a shame that the public will not be able to hear Moya share their work, their office is doing to combat immigrant services fraud.
0:11:05
I understand that Moya will be submitting written testimony and I look forward to following up with them with questions.