New York, NY—Yesterday, the New York City Mayor and the City Council enacted a $125.8 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2027. Schedule C funding was also released. The NYIC fought for a range of programs to support immigrant New Yorkers, and applauds the inclusion of several of our priorities in this deal, including immigration legal services, access to healthcare, housing support, language access, and investments for immigrant children in public schools.
The budget includes $86.4 million for legal services to protect immigrant New Yorkers from deportation by providing access to attorneys and supportive services. The budget increased support for affirmative legal services, naturalization programs, and language access programs that provide culturally competent interpretation services to the 2.5 million New Yorkers classified as Limited English Proficient. These programs include the Community Interpreter Bank and the Language Services Worker Cooperatives, which received their largest investment in the history of NYC at $4.2 million, as well as investments in the Key To The City and CUNY Citizenship Now initiatives. NYC public school students from immigrant communities will benefit from the restoration of the $4 million Immigrant Family Outreach Initiative, in addition to $2.4 million in new funding for immigration legal services, $4 million in arts education funding, and continued investments in repairing school buildings. The Council and Mayor also announced $175 million to fund the CityFHEPS rental assistance program’s long-sought expansions and implementation reforms, but the fight continues for full CityFHEPS eligibility for New Yorkers regardless of immigration status.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“This deal shows significant and vital investments towards building a New York City that works for every person who calls it home. As Trump continues to dismantle legal protections for immigrant New Yorkers, including Temporary Protected Status, increased funding for immigration legal services has never been more critical. Looking ahead, as more New Yorkers are detained by the federal government, we must continue to invest in detained removal defense as an essential lifeline to keep families together. The critical investments in language access, naturalization programs, healthcare access, housing, and safety for our kids in schools provide opportunities for New York families to fully participate in the vibrant life of our city. We thank Mayor Mamdani, NYC Council Speaker Menin, and the City Council for ensuring that the needs of immigrant New Yorkers were prioritized despite the challenging budget outlook to start the year, and we will continue to push to ensure that our community’s needs are fulfilled.”