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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Karla Ostalaza, Managing Director of the Immigration Practice at The Bronx Defenders
4:40:00
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120 sec
Karla Ostalaza from The Bronx Defenders testified about the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) and requested increased funding to combat the rise in immigrant detentions and deportations. She highlighted the program's success and the challenges faced by immigrant New Yorkers.
- NYIFUP providers are requesting $11,060,000 for each organization, double their current budget.
- There has been a significant increase in detentions, including the opening of new detention facilities.
- NYIFUP staff are fighting against new federal policies, including the Alien Enemies Act and expedited removals.
Karla Ostalaza
4:40:00
Hi.
4:40:00
Good afternoon.
4:40:02
I'm Carla Solasa.
4:40:03
I'm the managing director of the immigration practice at the Bronx Defenders.
4:40:06
And thank you so much for the opportunity to testify today.
4:40:09
This council's leadership ambition made possible the launching of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project twelve years ago, ensuring universal access to representation for detained immigrant New Yorkers.
4:40:20
Together with Brooklyn Defender Services and the Legal Aid Society, we're requesting $11,060,000 for each organization, double our current budget to ensure we have resources proportional to the mass detention and deportation campaign we are fighting against.
4:40:35
Since January we have witnessed a staggering increase in detentions, a trend that will continue to escalate given the recent opening of the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark with 1,000 bed capacity as well as the new detention space in Nassau County.
4:40:50
Our recent clients include long term green card holders detained at JFK, undocumented parents and spouses of US citizens swept up in home raids and asylum seekers detained at ICE check ins in front of their children while doing exactly what our government asked them to do.
4:41:05
Our NYFFOP staff has also stepped up to defend New Yorkers against new and expanded uses of federal law.
4:41:10
We're litigating against implementation of the Alien Enemies Act which targeted hundreds of Venezuelans for renditioning to notorious prisons in El Salvador.
4:41:18
We're challenging attempts to use expedited removal to deport New Yorkers without due process.
4:41:23
We're fighting back against active attempts by ICE to bring back deportation cases of NIFAB clients which have been closed for nearly a decade.
4:41:31
We urged its council to act now to ensure we have the resources to continue fighting back.
4:41:36
Access to NIFA representation increases detained immigrants chances of success by more than a %.
4:41:42
We also lowered the social economic cost of homelessness, foster care and unemployment created by immigration detentions and avoidable deportations.
4:41:50
We have represented thousands of detainee Yorkers and have the expertise to train new advocates and build capacity to meet this moment with the council's support.
4:41:59
Thank you.