Immigration advocates in New York are calling for more to be done to address the rights of immigrants seeking shelter in the state, as they argue that Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposals don’t do enough to fight deportation.
Hochul’s proposal mainly extends funding to existing programs, such as those run by the state’s Office of New Americans, that provide free legal and employment services for asylum-seekers, and refugee resettlement programs, which partner with nonprofits statewide to house refugees.
Programs that provide employment training and help with job placement will also receive more funding, according to the 278-page briefing book that accompanied Hochul’s State of the State speech on Tuesday.
But advocates argue that the plan falls short of addressing the major reform they have been pushing for: a statewide right to legal representation for people facing deportation.
The bill backed by the New York Immigration Coalition would make New York the first state in the nation to ensure immigrants have a lawyer when undergoing often labyrinthine immigration court proceedings. Because those courts deal with civil cases, people are not guaranteed a lawyer the same way they would be in criminal court.
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