New York has long served as a refuge for immigrants seeking safety. However, the surge of new immigrants, parolees, and asylum seekers over the past year has put a strain on available immigration legal services. As of January 2024, over half of all individuals in New York's immigration courts lack representation. Most new arrivals cannot afford legal counsel or fall prey to phony legal service providers. Many don't know their legal rights. Often, many with valid legal cases to push back on deportation end up in immigration detention or deported.

To address this challenge, law school immigration clinics and nonprofit legal service providers, already overextended, are expanding their services to offer aid but cannot meet the demand. At Riverside, we are partnering with our volunteers and field partners with legal expertise to provide our community one-on-one referrals and legal clinics. As we have often done, we are adapting to creatively meet the emerging needs of our participants. Ultimately, New York needs a comprehensive, long-term legal services infrastructure bolstered by social workers. Last year, the New York Legislature allocated $63 million for immigration legal services. However, more funds are needed to maintain a robust legal support system.

We encourage our community to support The Campaign for Access, Representation, and Equity (CARE) for Immigrant Families. This broad coalition of elected officials, advocacy organizations, and impacted families is proposing a $150 million investment to ensure that New York State expands critical immigration legal representation services. The coalition is also advocating for the passage of the Access to Representation Act (S9999A/A170A) - a bill that guarantees access to lawyers for immigrants at risk of deportation in New York. You can take action here.