Caribbean immigration advocates hail investments to protect immigrant New Yorkers

As the Trump administration continues its onslaught on immigrants, Caribbean immigration advocates on Wednesday, July 1, applauded investments to protect immigrant New Yorkers in New York City Budget.

On June 30, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the City Council enacted a US$125.8 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2027. 

Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), told Caribbean Life that his umbrella coalition of over 200 immigrant and refugee groups in New York State, fought for a range of programs to support Caribbean and other immigrant New Yorkers.

He welcomed the inclusion of several of NYIC’s priorities in the budget, including immigration legal services, access to healthcare, housing support, language access, and investments for immigrant children in public schools. 

“This deal shows significant and vital investments towards building a New York City that works for every person who calls it home,” Awawdeh said. “As Trump continues to dismantle legal protections for immigrant New Yorkers, including Temporary Protected Status, increased funding for immigration legal services has never been more critical. 

“Looking ahead, as more New Yorkers are detained by the federal government, we must continue to invest in detained removal defense as an essential lifeline to keep families together,” he added. “The critical investments in language access, naturalization programs, healthcare access, housing, and safety for our kids in schools provide opportunities for New York families to fully participate in the vibrant life of our city.”

Awawdeh thanked Mayor Mamdani, NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin, and the City Council for “ensuring that the needs of immigrant New Yorkers were prioritized, despite the challenging budget outlook to start the year.”

Awawdeh said NYIC will “continue to push to ensure that our community’s needs are fulfilled.”

The budget includes US$86.4 million for legal services to protect immigrant New Yorkers from deportation by providing access to attorneys and supportive services. 

The budget increased support for affirmative legal services, naturalization programs, and language access programs that provide culturally competent interpretation services to the 2.5 million New Yorkers classified as Limited English Proficient. 

These programs include the Community Interpreter Bank and the Language Services Worker Cooperatives, which received their largest investment in the history of New York City at US$4.2 million, as well as investments in the Key To The City and CUNY (City University of New York) Citizenship Now initiatives. 

New York City public school students from Caribbean and other immigrant communities will benefit from the restoration of the US$4 million Immigrant Family Outreach Initiative, in addition to US$2.4 million in new funding for immigration legal services, US$4 million in arts education funding, and continued investments in repairing school buildings. 

The City Council and Mayor also announced US$175 million to fund the CityFHEPS rental assistance program’s long-sought expansions and implementation reforms.

According to NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA), CityFHEPS (the City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement) is a rental assistance program that helps individuals and families find and keep housing. 

HRA said CityFHEPS pays part of eligible tenants monthly rent anywhere in New York State for up to five years. It is administered by the Department of Social Services (DSS), which includes both the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and HRA.

“But the fight continues for full CityFHEPS eligibility for New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status,” Awawdeh said. 

Rebecca Telzak, co-executive director of Make the Road New York, another immigrant advocacy group, said on Wednesday that the budget agreed upon by Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin makes “important gains toward providing support for working-class, immigrant, Trans and queer, tenant, and student New Yorkers. 

“It is a testament to our movement — to immigrant and working-class communities of color — that we were able to secure key funding for programs to help those on the brink of homelessness, to invest in legal representation for our immigrant and queer neighbors, and to cut more than 500 officer positions in the NYPD (New York Police Department), the largest police force in the world,” Telzak said. 

“While we celebrate these policy advancements, we will continue to fight for the resources our communities deserve, and to end the disproportionate amount of funding that goes towards the criminalization of our loved ones,” she added. “Immigrant and working-class New Yorkers are struggling under the burden of skyrocketing prices, unaffordable childcare, and crushing healthcare costs.”

Telzak said these crises have grown as “billionaire-backed federal representatives slash crucial programs to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.”