NEW YORK, CMC – New York Metropolis Mayor’s Workplace of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro has launched what he describes as “an inventory of key wins” in 2023 for the Caribbean and different immigrant communities in New York.
Lots of the immigrants arriving in New York from the southern border of the USA searching for asylum are nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
“This 12 months, our workplace continued to work alongside metropolis companies, faith-based establishments, and group companions to satisfy the wants of the asylum seeker humanitarian disaster whereas nonetheless serving long-time immigrant New Yorkers,” mentioned the Mexican-born Castro.
“I’m proud to serve our immigrant communities, and we are going to result in battle for the rights and helps that immigrant New Yorkers want,” he added.
In January final 12 months, Mayor Eric Adams appointed Castro as MOIA commissioner, liable for working a metropolis company supporting over 3.2 million immigrant New Yorkers.
Castor mentioned MOIA works “to make sure immigrants entry culturally and linguistically responsive companies in partnership with companies throughout the town and group companions.”
In response to greater than 150,000 migrants arriving in New York Metropolis, Castro, 38, who, at age 5, had crossed the southern border of the US together with his mom to reunite together with his father, mentioned MOIA in 2023 created informational movies to help Caribbean and different asylum seekers when navigating the US federal immigration course of.
He mentioned the educational movies lined “ice check-ins, immigration paperwork, and going to court docket.”
Within the absence of what he characterised as “a nationwide technique to assist asylum seekers with their authorized wants as they enter the nation,” Castro mentioned MOIA launched the Asylum Seeker Authorized Help Community (ASLAN), a 5 million greenback funding to broaden the nonprofit group’s capability to supply immigration authorized help for newly-arrived asylum seekers.
“By means of this community, the contracted companions supplied a mix of orientation classes, authorized screenings, utility help, professional se help clinics, self-help supplies, and different companies,” he mentioned.
In persevering with to assist asylum seekers with in-person social service, the commissioner mentioned MOIA, in 2023, prolonged funding to the asylum seeker assets satellite tv for pc websites.
He mentioned the satellite tv for pc websites in all 5 boroughs of New York Metropolis present companies in a number of languages, together with job readiness coaching, complete case administration, and immigrant rights workshops.
Castro mentioned MOIA prolonged US$1.3 million in funding to the Haitian Response Initiative, which consists of seven Haitian-led nonprofit organizations rooted within the Haitian group that present group members with social and assist companies and a citywide immigration authorized service supplier that gives authorized help to group members and capacity-building coaching to community-based organizations (CBOs).
Castro mentioned that in 2023, MOIA hosted a “nationwide convening” of over 23 cities “to debate learn how to advocate for extra federal assist for the asylum-seeker humanitarian disaster.”
He mentioned advocacy factors included offering cities with extra monetary assets, expediting work authorizations for extra latest arrivals, and enacting a “nationwide decompression and resettlement technique.”
Initially often called “Public Place,” Castro mentioned MOIA renamed the historic house “Immigrant Heritage Plaza” to honor all immigrants, together with Caribbean nationals, who constructed New York Metropolis.
He mentioned the house could be used for immigrant-related occasions and that the MOIA launched an immigrant useful resource street map in over 50 languages that included “an inventory of metropolis assets and guarded rights for all New Yorkers, no matter their immigration standing.”
Moreover, “as the last word metropolis of immigrants,” Castro mentioned MOIA and the Mayor’s Workplace of Worldwide Affairs and Neighborhood Affairs hosted 35 flag-raising ceremonies, together with for Caribbean international locations.
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