NEW YORK, CMC – Immigration advocates have criticized Governor Kathy Hochul for failing to address the plight of Caribbean and other immigrants in her fourth State of the State (SOS) address on Tuesday.
“Governor Hochul outlined her vision for a New York that is more affordable, where more families can make ends meet, find housing, and prosper. Yet, she failed to mention the immigrants who have already contributed so much to making that vision a reality,” said Murad Awawdeh, president and chief executive officer of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC).
The head of the umbrella immigrant advocacy organization of over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that federal politicians across the political spectrum are demonizing immigrants. The incoming president has pledged mass deportations, and Hochul “lost an opportunity to make New York a leader by strengthening protections for immigrant families and including them in her proposals.”
Awawdeh said that without the US$68 billion that immigrants pay each year in New York, the childcare, school lunches, and child tax credits that Governor Hochul is advocating for will be difficult to implement.
“Without enacting legislation like New York For All to build community trust for law enforcement, the public safety being espoused cannot be achieved,’ he said, adding, “without investing in immigration legal services and passing the Access to Representation Act, the construction workers who would build affordable housing will not be able to stay and work in New York,”
Awawdeh said it’s “time for our elected leaders to unequivocally stand up for everyone who calls New York home and fight for a future where all New Yorkers can thrive. When we support our immigrant neighbors, all of New York benefits.”
Jose Lopez, the co-executive director of Make the Road New York, said that while Hochul outlined several proposals designed to put money in people’s pockets, “we need to prioritize expansive investments in programmes that provide resources for all New Yorkers.
“We need a Housing Access Voucher Program so that everyone can have a roof over their heads. We must ensure that every child has a well-funded education and that everyone has access to healthcare to live long and healthy lives.
“With the incoming Trump administration promising cuts in federal funding, the only way we can achieve these things is if billionaires and corporations are forced to pay what they owe in taxes. We also need to ensure that all New Yorkers can live safely and in stability.
Lopez, whose immigrant advocacy group operates five community centers in New York, said this does not mean militarizing the subway, which only entrenches cycles of discrimination, incarceration, and poverty.
“It means making sure New Yorkers have an affordable place to sleep and that real, community-based safety solutions are implemented.”
With Donald Trump set to take office on January 20, Lopez said, “It is disappointing that Governor Hochul did not use her platform to champion policies that would protect immigrant New Yorkers from an agenda to terrorize and deport our communities.
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