The CARE for Immigrant Families coalition rallied with Caribbean and other immigrant rights advocates earlier this week, demanding a US$165 million investment in immigrant legal services funding.
Advocates called for the passage of the Access to Representation Act and the Bolstering Unrepresented Immigrant Legal Defense Act for the 2025 New York State Legislative Session.
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As New York families remain under threat of mass deportations and detentions from the Trump administration, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) said the state must stand firm in ensuring due process and access to justice for immigrant New Yorkers.
“Our state must remain a beacon of unity and justice, standing strong against federal anti-immigrant attacks with bold action,” Murad Awawdeh, NYIC’s president and CEO, whose organization represents over 200 immigrant groups in New York State, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
“The Access to Representation Act would be a first-in-the-nation, guaranteeing immigrants facing deportation the right to legal counsel in New York State–ensuring they have a fair chance to fight for their freedom and justice,” he added. “The BUILD Act lays the groundwork for ARA by investing in the critical legal infrastructure needed for service providers to create, maintain, and expand programs to protect immigrant New Yorkers.”
“With Trump back in the White House, immigrant communities in New York are living under the realities of mass deportations, detention, and family separation,” Awawdeh continued. “For too many, the immigration system is a fast track to deportation, not justice.”
Without legal representation, he said, “the system is stacked against immigrants, denying them a fair chance to fight to remain in their homes and contribute to our culture and economy.”
Awawdeh said New York has “the power to fight back and ensure our communities have a shot at freedom.”
Bypassing the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act, he said the state can ensure that immigrant New Yorkers have the legal defense they need “to stand up against an administration determined to strip them of their rights and humanity.
New York State Assemblymember Catalina Cruz said, “New York has always been a sanctuary for those seeking safety, opportunity, and justice.
“But without legal representation, too many of our immigrant neighbors are forced to fight for their futures alone in a system designed to push them out,” she said. “As we confront the renewed threats of mass deportation and family separation, we must meet this moment with action.
“Passing the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act is not just about policy—it’s about standing up for the fundamental right to due process,” she added. “Our state must invest $165 million in legal services to ensure that no New Yorker is left without a fighting chance. (CMC)
