In a bold move to strengthen support for its diverse immigrant population, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) has unveiled what it calls the largest and most comprehensive municipal legal and community support network of its kind in the United States—specifically targeting Caribbean and other immigrant communities.
The initiative, backed by more than US$30 million in multi-year investments, will deliver free immigration legal services, immigrant rights education, and social support directly within the neighborhoods where immigrant New Yorkers live and work. With many Caribbean nationals calling New York home—especially in boroughs like Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens—the effort is expected to provide a crucial lifeline to those navigating complex legal pathways.
“This effort is the realisation of a long-held vision: a more integrated, community-rooted approach that connects NYC government to immigrant neighborhoods across the five boroughs,” said Manuel Castro, MOIA Commissioner, in a statement to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
The expansive network includes 38 MOIA Immigration Legal Support Centers across the city, offering immigration screenings, full legal representation, pro-se assistance, and access to other city services. An additional seven centers have been specifically designated to support members of the Haitian community—one of New York’s most prominent Caribbean diaspora groups—through a US$1.65 million allocation.
“This builds upon three and a half years of hard work navigating unprecedented challenges and multiple crises that have deeply impacted our immigrant communities,” Castro said, adding that MOIA has never before invested this level of funding into nonprofit partners.
Among the other Caribbean-inclusive features are immigrant rights education sites in 17 trusted neighborhood organizations (US$443,600), rapid response support centers (US$500,000), and collaboration with NYC’s library systems to deliver rights-based English classes and immigration resources in over 60 branches (US$600,000).
MOIA is also rolling out the Legal Technical Mentorship Programme (US$1.2 million over three years) to enhance consistency in service delivery, along with an Immigration Legal Support Hotline (US$632,500) for legal guidance and referrals.
“This layered, citywide model is designed for both scale and depth,” MOIA said in a statement. “It blends high-capacity legal hubs with culturally specific services and broad community access points, ensuring that immigrant New Yorkers, regardless of borough, language, or immigration status, have meaningful, trusted pathways to legal help and city resources.”
The program’s adaptive design positions it to respond to evolving immigration needs, while offering long-term, durable support systems for future generations of immigrants—including those from the Caribbean, whose roots in New York run deep.
“This isn’t just about today,” Castro emphasized. “It’s about building lasting infrastructure that will serve our communities for years to come.”
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