Immigration Protection Group welcomes migrants
New York City is internationally known as the quintessential immigrant city. More than 3 million city residents were born in other countries. For centuries, the city has been the first stop for many migrants, whether they ended up settling here or other parts of America. Supporting these new neighbors has never been easy, but the influx of migrants in recent months has challenged city agencies and community service providers.
Nearly 50,000 migrants have arrived in the city since last summer, some by choice and others bussed here by Republican Governors as political props. While many have moved on, or found apartments, about 30,000 remain in city facilities.
In 2018, the Consortium for Worker Education convened the Immigration Protection Group to bring together New York City’s unions, immigrant service providers, and workforce development agencies to support the city’s immigrants amidst attacks from the Trump administration. In the succeeding years, the organizations have adjusted their services to meet new challenges and needs facing immigrants. These groups have welcomed the new migrants arriving in New York, while continuing to serve their existing constituencies.
Make the Road New York provides Know Your Rights training to immigrants
“As a city we are asking the organizations who have been serving immigrants to dramatically expand their services,” says Darly Corniel, Education Director at the Consortium for Worker Education. “As limited as the resources are, we are providing the best services that we can for immigrants. We all have to work together. That will help the immigrant community as a whole.”
Immigration Protection Group members have been on the front lines of supporting arriving migrants. Catholic Charities administered a navigation center for new immigrants. Make the Road New York distributed free cell phones and held orientation sessions to familiarize migrants with the city and their legal rights. CWE’s Astoria Worker Project holds classes where new arrivals learn how to get around New York City and use basic services.
Recently, CWE brought Immigration Protection Group members and partners like City Council Immigration Committee Chair Shahana Hanif together to share updates, discuss opportunities for collaboration, and strategize about where and how to expand services.
“With the help of the city, state, and federal government, these unions and community groups can increase their training, can increase language ability, increase computer literacy, secure immigrants’ rights, and help immigrants to gain driver’s licenses and find pathways to jobs,” CWE Executive Director Joe McDermott told those assembled. “This challenge will continue beyond the current influx of Venezuelans and new arrivals from our southern border. It's a challenge facing undocumented workers in New York City and we need to work to resolve and ameliorate the plight of these workers.”
For years, the City Council has funded Immigration Protection Group and its partners to provide educational services to immigrant communities. These services will be a key part of helping new immigrants succeed in New York. Classes include English, citizenship, computer literacy, and know your rights, and are held at organizations that immigrants trust like Make the Road New York, New York Communities for Change, Yemeni American Merchants Association, the Ansob Center for Refugees, St. Jerome H.A.N.D.S. Community Center, 1199 SEIU, and the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union.
The classes are available alongside the many other services that these organizations provide to immigrants. “Our partners don't provide services in isolation,” says Darly Corniel. “A person may come for English classes, but then they go to the food pantry and they learn about the legal services that are available. That’s the beauty of the system.”
Corniel says the challenges facing New York's immigrant service organizations will continue until they receive the funding they need to serve all of their community members in need, new and old residents alike.
“It's not a lack of will. It is a lack of resources. We can't sugarcoat that.”