New York Legal Assistance Group, advocates for asylum seekers in NYC, face looming budget cuts
NEW YORK - We're taking a deep dive into New York City's budget cuts, including how it will affect New Yorkers.
The cuts come at a time when New York City is seeing a record number of asylum seekers arrive.
A program that helps them get temporary protection status and work authorization is being cut.
"We just won asylum for a trans immigrant seeking asylum and protection in the United States," said Jodi Ziesemer.
Ziesemer, of the New York Legal Assistance Group, provides services to low-income New Yorkers in need. The nonprofit group receives funding from the city and state, and has an immigration unit with 63 people.
"We're focused on serving vulnerable immigrants, including recently arrived immigrants to New York," Ziesemer said.
Over 150,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City since last spring. NYLAG says in addition to the city's immigrants they're already working with, they've been helping about 100 more a month. That's compared to about 10-15 the same time last year.
"[The] city is looking to us to serve and to preserve these people's rights, and they have cut our funding specifically for this program almost in half. We are trying to serve double the number of people with half the resources," Ziesemer said. "We're still trying to figure out what this budget cut is going to mean - whether it's reducing the number of staff that we have or reducing the hours of our service."
Attorneys at NYLAG say without their assistance, many asylum seekers will be at risk for deportation.
"We are seeing hundreds of people who have been ordered deported before they have a chance to apply for asylum or receive their work authorization," Ziesemer said.
The city maintains a 5% budget cut across all city agencies is the only way to help with the influx of asylum seekers arriving every month, but attorneys with the group say cutting $306,000 on top of a previous $183,000 earlier this year will only make things worse.
"We are helping a deaf, mute woman who was ordered deported because she couldn't communicate with the court. We've helped children who have been unaccompanied who are denied entry to the courthouse," Ziesemer said.
We're told the mayor's 30-day stay limit at shelters is also making it harder for the city's newest New Yorkers to navigate the legal system. That includes receiving mail and notices; many are missing court hearings at no fault of their own. That's another reason why attorneys say legal aid is crucial for them.