Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
REMARKS
Current challenges faced by immigrant-serving organizations
1:31:08
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73 sec
Organization representatives highlight additional challenges faced by immigrant communities and the organizations serving them. These include difficulties in passport renewals, concerning emails to attorneys, and the critical need for accessible legal services.
- Difficulties in renewing passports due to lack of appointments
- Reports of attorneys receiving emails suggesting clients without legal status should leave
- Emphasis on the need for language-accessible legal services to address fears and misinformation
- Concerns about immigrants avoiding essential services due to fears around public benefits, public charge, and immigration status
Lynn C. Schulman
1:31:08
No.
1:31:08
And please make sure to reach out to us if we can be helpful at all, even to help you with our federal partners and all of that, so which is really important.
1:31:17
So thank you.
Mohammad Razvi
1:31:17
Just real quick.
1:31:18
So right now, it's difficult to get a renewal of a passport.
1:31:22
People are calling me.
1:31:23
Literally, they cannot renew.
1:31:24
I mean, they're going online.
1:31:25
There's no appointments.
1:31:26
No nothing.
1:31:27
And sadly, our attorneys are telling us they are receiving emails.
1:31:32
You know?
1:31:35
If your client is not legal, tell them to leave.
1:31:38
You know, those exact emails that everyone's getting That's disgusting.
1:31:42
Yeah.
Andrew Sta. Ana
1:31:42
I just
Mohammad Razvi
1:31:43
want to see There's no what are you gonna do?
1:31:45
How are gonna represent anyone?
1:31:46
But that is happening.
Andrew Sta. Ana
1:31:48
Yeah.
1:31:48
I'll just say, of course, I know this was mentioned at the last panel as well, but the need for immigrant legal services.
1:31:52
Because what's happening is because of the mis and disinformation, folks just don't have that basic language accessible, language accessible legal services so they can ask those basic questions about those fears around public benefits, those fears around public charge, those fears around naturalization or showing up to interviews.
1:32:08
So that affects their choices.
1:32:10
And I think many folks are deciding to not seek food or not seek shelter or not get protection from domestic and sexual violence as a result.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:32:19
Thank you very much.
1:32:20
Really appreciate it.
Lincoln Restler
1:32:21
Yeah.