NYIC March 24 Rally for NYS Immigration Reform

On Monday, March 24, the New York Immigration Coalition, immigrant New Yorkers and allies rallied with state lawmakers at the state Capitol in support of the Access to Representation Act (ARA, S141/A270) and the Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense Act (BUILD Act, A2689/S4538. They also called for $165 million in the State budget for immigration legal services and infrastructure. The ARA would be the first of its kind in the nation, guaranteeing immigrants facing deportation the right to legal counsel in New York State and ensuring they have a fair chance to fight for their freedom. 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. We hear from the emcee, Tiffany Jade Monroe of the Caribbean Equality Project; the two lead sponsors, Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigel and Assemblymember Catalina Cruz; and immigration attorney Brittany Triggs. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine