NEW YORK, United States (CMC) Earlier this week, the CARE for Immigrant Families coalition, alongside Caribbean and other immigrant rights advocates, rallied to demand a US$165 million investment in legal services for immigrants. The coalition is pushing for the passage of two key bills for the 2025 New York State Legislative Session: the Access to Representation Act and the Bolstering Unrepresented Immigrant Legal Defense Act.
With immigrant families in New York still facing the looming threat of mass deportations and detentions under the Trump administration, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) stressed that the state must ensure immigrant New Yorkers have due process and access to justice. Advocates argue that these bills are essential in protecting the rights of immigrants, providing them with the legal support needed to navigate the increasingly hostile immigration landscape.
“Our state must remain a beacon of unity and justice, standing strong against federal anti-immigrant attacks with bold action,” Murad Awawdeh, NYIC’s president and CEO, whose organisation represents over 200 immigrant groups in New York State, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
“The Access to Representation Act would be a first-in-the-nation, guaranteeing immigrants facing deportation the right to legal counsel in New York State–ensuring they have a fair chance to fight for their freedom and justice,” he added. “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.”
“With Trump back in the White House, immigrant communities in New York are living under the realities of mass deportations, detention, and family separation,” Awawdeh continued. “For too many, the immigration system is a fast track to deportation, not justice.”
Without legal representation, he said “the system is stacked against immigrants, denying them a fair chance to fight to remain in their homes and contribute to our culture and economy.”
Awawdeh said New York has “the power to fight back and ensure our communities have a shot at freedom.”
By passing the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act, he said the state can ensure that immigrant New Yorkers have the legal defense they need “to stand up against an administration determined to strip them of their rights and humanity.
New York State Assembly member Catalina Cruz said, “New York has always been a sanctuary for those seeking safety, opportunity, and justice.
“But without legal representation, too many of our immigrant neighbors are forced to fight for their futures alone in a system designed to push them out,” she said. “As we confront the renewed threats of mass deportation and family separation, we must meet this moment with action.
“Passing the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act is not just about policy—it’s about standing up for the fundamental right to due process,” she added. “Our state must invest $165 million in legal services to ensure that no New Yorker is left without a fighting chance.
