Administration's Work to Make NYC Most Immigrant-Inclusive City in America - March 19, 2018 Press Release - MOIA

Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs


Press Release


Mayor's Office Of Immigrant Affairs And City Council Announce NYC Immigrant Information Desk To Connect New Yorkers To City Services And Resources

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 29, 2018
CONTACT: mediabox@moia.nyc.gov, (212) 676-3013

NEW YORK—Today, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the City Council announced three new in-person resource hubs, called the NYC Immigrant Information Desk, creating central, hyperlocal resources for immigrant New Yorkers to access City services and receive referrals. This initiative provides full-time community navigators who can refer residents to services like access to health care, eviction prevention help, and IDNYC. Establishing physical spaces for New Yorkers to seek assistance, co-located at sites that provide other services, facilitates connections to important resources that make New York City more equitable for all. The three Immigrant Information Desks are administered by MOIA in coordination with sister agencies, Queens Library, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan. The desks are located in Flushing, Coney Island, and East Harlem, and are funded with support from the City Council.

“This initiative was born out of the Council’s desire to provide rapid-response assistance to immigrants in need of city services at a time when distrust of government is at an all-time high. The new immigrant resource desks will play a critical role in helping immigrant and mixed status families connect with the breadth of resources available to them,” said New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “We are proud to continue building bridges between city agencies, community based organizations, and our immigrant New Yorkers and appreciate the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs’ partnership in this endeavor.”

“The NYC Immigrant Information Desk is our latest effort to make government work better and more efficiently for city residents,” said Bitta Mostofi, Acting Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “Immigrant New Yorkers in Flushing, Coney Island, and East Harlem are now able to walk into a one-stop shop and connect with City services to address issues like health care access, immigration legal services, and affordable housing. Thanks to the leadership of the City Council and our partnerships with sister agencies and community providers, we’ve taken another step in making New York City the most immigrant-inclusive city in America.”

“The NYC immigrant information desks will allow immigrant New Yorkers easy and convenient access to early childhood education and adult literacy programs, legal advice, healthcare and other vital resources,” said Council Member Carlos Menchaca, Chair of the Committee on Immigration. “As Chair of the Committee on Immigration, it is my priority to ensure all New Yorkers have access to services provided by the city and local organizations. This is another step forward guaranteeing all our residents take advantage of programs that will help them improve their quality of life. I’m happy to see this City Council initiative come to fruition.”

“Newcomers are often unaware of how to navigate the various social service systems in NYC. The NYC Immigrant Information Desk program will provide a wide range of culturally and linguistically sensitive services to support the immigrant population of Queens, nearly 50 percent of which was born outside the United States according to Census data,” said Council Member Peter Koo. “Connecting these new New Yorkers to the different agencies and institutions will ensure their rights are protected. Thank you the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and my colleagues for supporting such a meaningful program.”

“The NYC Immigrant Information Desk will expand access to crucial services for our immigrant communities as they continue to persevere amid threats deriving from the federal government,” said Council Member Diana Ayala. “I am grateful that our City is responding to these threats by establishing a comprehensive safety-net for immigrants to resort to. All New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status, are worthy of accessing the services City agencies and non-profit partners can offer.”

“Immigrants in New York City often face unique challenges, and navigating the bureaucracy can be daunting, particularly for those who may have a language barrier. Immigrant Information Desks will provide assistance with accessing City services such as workforce development, health care, IDNYC, and legal services,” said Council Member Chaim Deutsch. “Kudos to the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson for taking the lead on this project.”

“At a time of hostile anti-immigrant rhetoric, it is crucial to ensure that all those who call New York City home have equal access to the services and programs available to them,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “We are proud to play a key role in this important initiative to help immigrant New Yorkers navigate the system in their own language and get the assistance they need.”

“Immigrants make up a third of our population and over half of our city’s entrepreneurs, making New York City’s economy one of the strongest and most diverse in the world. That’s why we are training and connecting foreign-born New Yorkers to careers in growing industries, and created a tailored guide for immigrant entrepreneurs,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services. “The new NYC Immigrant Information Desks are another way the City is making it clear that we continue to welcome immigrants with open arms.”

“The NYC Immigrant Information Desk will offer foreign-born New Yorkers the vital City services they need and deserve,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “Providing immigrants with opportunities to receive referrals for health care, workforce development, eviction prevention help and a range of other services will aid in making New York City more equitable for all. I commend the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the City Council, Queens Library, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan for launching this program.”

“DYCD was pleased to give input on the creation of the NYC Immigrant Information Desks, which will provide another way to connect our City’s immigrant communities to the important services they need and deserve,” said DYCD Commissioner Bill Chong.

The NYC Immigrant Information Desk responds to a need for a single location where immigrant New Yorkers can feel comfortable asking questions in the languages they speak, and full-time staff can facilitate access to resources aimed at tackling a range of needs. To administer this initiative, the City will employ seven staffers, including one program manager and two on-site navigators at each of the three locations. The navigators will connect immigrant New Yorkers with resources and make direct referrals to additional support services. Through funding from the City Council, the following legal and community-based organizations will accept direct referrals from the NYC Immigrant Information Desk: Brooklyn Alliance, CAMBA, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New York, Catholic Migration Services, Center for Family Representation, City University of New York/LaGuardia Community College, New York Legal Assistance Group, Public Health Solutions, and South Asian Council for Social Services.

The NYC Immigrant Information Desk provides assistance to New Yorkers on key City priorities, including:

Eviction prevention

Immigration legal services

Health insurance navigation

Case management/social services

Workforce development

In 2018, the NYC Immigrant Information Desk is available in the following locations:

Flushing Library
41-17 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11355
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM; Sunday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Coney Island SNAP Center
2865 West 8th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11224
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

NYC Health + Hospital/Metropolitan
1901 1st Ave
New York, NY 10029
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

“Many of Brooklyn’s small businesses are owned and run by New York City’s thriving, immigrant community. Helping immigrant New Yorkers access city services is a win for Brooklyn and its economic development,” said Andrew Hoan, President and CEO of Brooklyn Alliance. “We are excited to be a community partner with the NYC Immigration Information Desk and congratulate the Mayor and City Council for recognizing the need to connect this community to these resources.”

“CAMBA is grateful to the City Council and the Mayor’s Office on Immigrant Affairs for spearheading this ground-breaking initiative to meet the ever-changing needs of New York City’s immigrant community through community based, centralized, accessible resources,” said Joanne M. Oplustil, President and CEO of CAMBA. “We are eager to support this important program’s launch as it grows and strengthens the communities we serve.”

“Catholic Charities’ long tradition of welcoming New York’s most vulnerable newcomers is rooted in its mission to uphold the dignity of every individual, worker, and family seeking safety and the opportunity to contribute skill and energy in building their communities,” said Mario Russell, Director of Immigrant and Refugee Services at Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of New York. We are excited to partner with New York City in the new Immigrant Information Desk initiative, and proud of the accomplishments that, together, we have achieved in helping so many children and families find stability, safety, and a new future.”

“New York prides itself on being a welcoming city for immigrants from around the world, and the NYC Immigrant Information Desks are another important step in achieving that goal,” said David A. Colodny, Director of Legal Services at Catholic Migration Services. “Catholic Migration Services is pleased to be partnering with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the City Council to ensure that immigrants have access to critical services for their families.”

“As an agency that serves 3,000 parents every year with needs for legal and social work services in family court, criminal court, and housing and immigration matters, we are delighted to be able to expand the number of New Yorkers we can serve through this promising new program,” said Michele Cortese, Executive Director of Center for Family Representation. “We applaud the Mayor and City Council for continuing to explore innovative ways to reach immigrants and their families.”

“CUNY is proud to join in supporting the linguistic and economic integration of New York City's immigrant populations,” said Donna Linderman, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at The City University of New York. “Through its many instructional programs and services for immigrants, CUNY has long provided an open door and served as a point of educational access for generations of immigrants.”

“NYLAG is thrilled to be a part of NYC Immigrant Information Desks -- another innovative idea developed on behalf of immigrants by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Human Resources Administration under the leadership of the City Council,” said Beth Goldman, President and Attorney-in-Charge at the New York Legal Assistance Group. “These one-stop hubs will provide a range of vital resources to immigrants in safe, accessible locations across the City. There has never been a more critical time to make sure that the immigrants of New York City know that government agencies, community organizations and advocates stand with them and are committed to providing the range of legal and other services and support they need.”

“As a leading enroller of health insurance and SNAP benefits in New York City, Public Health Solutions is proud to partner with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the City Council on the NYC Immigrant Information Desks, which are providing vital resources to our immigrant communities,” said Lisa David, President and CEO of Public Health Solutions. “These groups often don’t know they are eligible for a wide array of services in New York City—and many don’t even know they exist—meaning they are not reaping the life-changing benefits of these programs. The new information desks will serve as a vital bridge between immigrant communities and organizations such as Public Health Solutions that can provide them with the help they need.”

“South Asian Council for Social Services is excited to be part of this vital initiative,” said Sudha Acharya, Executive Director of South Asian Council for Social Services. “This will assist our clients who are in dire need for critical services that could be provided in a trusted environment in their own languages.”