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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Tania Mattos, Executive Director of Unlocal, on Immigration Legal Services Funding
4:46:45
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120 sec
Tania Mattos, Executive Director of Unlocal, testified to request support for preserving funding for immigration legal services, including initiatives like the Pro Se Plus project, Rapid Response Legal Collaborative, and Unlocal's work with the New York State Dream Act. She emphasized the importance of these programs in providing vital support to immigrants facing legal challenges.
- The Pro Se Plus project, a collaborative effort among several organizations, provides essential support for individuals who must represent themselves in immigration court.
- Unlocal served thousands of clients and their families last year, many of whom would have faced deportation or family separation without this assistance.
- Mattos stressed that cuts to these programs would result in more people going unrepresented in court, leading to drastically worse outcomes for immigrants.
Tania Mattos
4:46:45
Good afternoon chair, and members of the committee.
4:46:49
My name is Tanya Matos.
4:46:50
I'm the executive director of UnLocal.
4:46:53
UnLocal is a nonprofit providing free immigration legal services to New Yorkers.
4:46:58
I'm here today to ask you for your support in preserving funding for immigration legal services including critical initiatives like the pro say plus project, the rapid response legal collaborative, and also on locals work with the New York State Dream Act.
4:47:15
The Pearl State Plus project is a collaborative between a local NILAC, Central American Legal Assistance Group, Catholic Migration Services, Massa African Communities Together, and Venezuelans Immigrants Aid.
4:47:26
This program, is a lifeline for people who must represent themselves in immigration court alone.
4:47:34
Often because of the there aren't enough immigration attorneys, to meet the overwhelming need.
4:47:39
The Prostate Plus project was created to give these individuals the tools, guidance, legal screenings, and help filing, complete filings and improving their chances of staying safely in the country with support in their court immigration hearings.
4:47:54
It's an efficient cost effective way to provide meaningful support to more New Yorkers.
4:47:59
Just last year alone, our organization served, thousands of clients and their families, many of whom which would have otherwise faced deportation or family separation without this vital help.
4:48:13
Cuts to this to these programs would mean more people go fully unrepresented without any guidance and where outcomes are drastically worse as we're seeing day by day.
4:48:26
So I thank you for for your support, for your continued support for the immigrant community, and really invite you to invest and defend the Prostate Plus project that we have going on here.
4:48:41
Thank you so much and again thank you again for your commitment to the immigrant community.