An Inclusive New York for Immigrant Families
Over the last two years, immigrant frontline workers bore the brunt of this devastating economic crisis and global health pandemic. The Excluded Worker Fund (EWF) was a critical intervention in 2021 that began to provide life-saving relief to thousands of New York’s working families. However, too many members of our communities across the state still have received no relief. New York State has long been a beacon of hope for immigrants; as a state, we need to live up to our reputation by ensuring immigrants can access the social safety net and engage in our democracy.
Every resident of New York deserves to feel safe and secure in their home. The hardworking immigrants who are part of the fabric of our communities must feel safe and be able to go to their jobs, schools, and government offices without fear. When Donald Trump was president, I stood strong on the frontlines to stop his aggressive deportation forces. Years before that, I helped to incubate the immigrant youth organizing that advanced, and ultimately passed, the New York Dream Act in 2019. But our work to protect immigrant families is far from over. We need to provide deportation relief to parents of U.S. citizens, fully fund the legal services fund for undocumented immigrants, end courthouse raids, and investigate detentions of activists. Alongside Governor Jumaane Williams, I will ensure that every immigrant in New York can live with respect and dignity.
As your Lt. Governor, I would fight to:
Ensure immigrant neighbors are protected by passing #Coverage4All, creating a state-funded Essential Plan for all New Yorkers up to 200% of the federal poverty level who are currently excluded because of their immigration status
Fund excluded workers by allocating $3 billion for the Excluded Workers Fund to ensure everyone who is eligible for the program has access to it.
End the criminalization of undocumented communitites by passing New York for All, prohibiting all local law enforcement and state agencies from conspiring with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP)
End immigration detention by barring ICE from contracting with New York state and local jails and passing the Dignity Not Detention Act.