
Immigrant Justice
What We do
More than three million immigrants live in New York City. They helped weave the fabric of the City’s history and are critical to its future. Yet these communities face unjust and unlawful barriers to living, working, going to school, and accessing healthcare. Entrenched barriers based on immigration status leave hundreds of thousands without medical care. Government agencies routinely deny access to services based on language ability—often a form of discrimination based on national origin.
Changes to immigration policy and increased enforcement have created fear of accessing government services and critical medical care. Recently proposed revisions to the “public charge” rules are projected to cause significant pullback in community members’ using government health and food security programs – even for children – because eligible immigrants are afraid of risking their status. Drastically reduced federal civil rights enforcement has left our client communities more vulnerable to abuse.
NYLPI has a long commitment to immigrant justice and to addressing the challenges faced by immigrant communities. Notable successes include our coalition efforts that achieved Executive Order 26, a statewide language access policy that demands that state agencies that interact directly with the public translate vital public documents in the most common non-English languages and provide interpretation services, and SafeRx, a law requiring pharmacy and mail-order chains to provide translation and interpretation. Our class action litigation resulted in the New York City Transit Authority’s robust language access policy for Access-A-Ride, the City’s paratransit service for people with disabilities. Our current litigation challenges the human rights crisis in healthcare for people in immigration detention. We fight for healthcare for undocumented uninsured immigrants with serious health conditions whose status should not bar access to health insurance and effective medical care. We will continue to adapt and respond to the rapid pace of changing needs of our immigrant communities.
GET HELP
If you are a person with a serious health condition and you are uninsured; in immigration detention; or denied language access at hospitals – we may be able to help. Please also call us if you are have trouble accessing any government services because of language access. Please call (212) 244-4664, Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
NEWS
NYLPI Joins NYAPRS and Advocates To Rally For 8.5% COLA and Alternatives to Hospitalization
NYLPI & Nonprofit New York Will Host Let’s Talk About Space on March 14 at Ford Foundation
Seattle Times: 2012 NYLPI Report Cited in Case of Comatose Woman at Risk of Deportation Because of Her Undocumented Status
RESOURCES
NYLPI Statement on Governor Hochul’s 2024 Executive Budget
UnDocuCare & CUP Resource: Healthcare Is For You! (English/Spanish)
2023 Medical and Healthcare Rights Calendar (Spanish)
2023 Medical and Healthcare Rights Calendar (English)
NYLPI Comments Regarding Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities
Stay up to date
Get updates on our cases and campaigns, and join us in taking action for justice…
Campaigns
Fair Housing
Rapid gentrification in New York City has created an affordable housing crisis. People with disabilities and immigrants are at particular risk for discrimination.
Health in Immigration Detention
Thousands of immigrant New Yorkers receive abysmal health care in immigrant detention facilities in and around the City.
Cases
Bonilla v. Hudson County
The family of Carlos Bonilla, a father of four who died from internal bleeding in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, has filed a lawsuit against Hudson County and those responsible for his medical care while he was confined to immigration detention at Hudson County Correctional Center.
Charles v. United States
Charles v. United States is a federal lawsuit against the United States for failing to provide mental health discharge planning to an individual with diagnosed mental illnesses who was confined to immigration detention.
Staff

Noelle Peñas
Health Justice Community Organizer
Nevien Swailmyeen
Health Justice Advocate
Arielle Wisbaum
Staff Attorney
Justin Wood
Director of Policy
Maureen Belluscio
Senior Staff Attorney
Marinda van Dalen
Senior Staff Attorney
Karina Albistegui Adler
Senior Advocate
Anthony Karefa Rogers Wright Featured at Roosevelt Institute Climate Justice Event in Washington D.C.
Anthony Karefa Rogers Wright, NYLPI director of Environmental Justice, will be featured at the Roosevelt Institute's climate justice event, "Building the Green Transition: A Justice-Centered Vision for Permitting Reform" in Washington D.C. on. March 21, 2023. Wright...

Event Recap: Let’s Talk About SPACE 2023 & Beyond
NYLPI collaborated with Nonprofit New York on a half-day summit, "Let's Talk About SPACE, 2023 & Beyond," held at the Ford Foundation on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. "It was a wonderful morning for the sector filled with fresh ideas on real estate, space and briefing...

City & State NY: McGregor Smyth Selected for City & State’s 2023 Law Power 100
CITY & STATE | MARCH 2023 NYLPI's Executive Director McGregor Smyth was chosen for City & State NY's Law Power 100 list: McGregor Smyth Executive Director, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest "McGregor Smyth is a natural choice to lead New York Lawyers...

NYLPI Joins Advocates and Activists In Urging Mayor Adams to Extend Funding for Special Education Initiatives
NYLPI joins advocates and activists in New York in signing a letter urging Mayor Adams to extend funding for the following initiatives funded by city funding that are set to expire in June and were left out of the Mayor’s FY 24 Preliminary Budget: Mental Health...

NYLPI Joins NYAPRS and Advocates To Rally For 8.5% COLA and Alternatives to Hospitalization
NYLPI joins advocates, legislators and people with lived experience of mental health from Association for Community Living, Center for Community Alternatives, Community Access, Fountain House, The Mental Health Association of New York State, NAMI-NYC, New York...

NYLPI & Nonprofit New York Will Host Let’s Talk About Space on March 14 at Ford Foundation
On March 14, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and Nonprofit New York will host a half-day summit at the Ford Foundation, featuring candid conversations and insightful panel discussions on the climate and space challenges impacting the nonprofit sector,...

Christopher Schuyler Testified Before the Committee on Transportation Regarding Fiscal Year 2024 Budget
Christopher Schuyler, NYLPI senior attorney, Disability Justice, testified before the Committee on Transportation regarding the Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2024. "Access-A-Ride, with nearly 170,000 users, remains a dysfunctional system: rides must be booked at...

Seattle Times: 2012 NYLPI Report Cited in Case of Comatose Woman at Risk of Deportation Because of Her Undocumented Status
SEATTLE TIMES | MARCH 2023 A woman in Philadelphia who is comatose is at risk of being deported back to the Dominican Republic because of her undocumented status, according to a new story in The Seattle Times. “Her husband and son have been taking turns watching over...

Paola Martinez-Boone Moderated a Supported Decision Making Training for the Education Law Task Force (ELTF)
Paola Martinez-Boone, NYLPI senior advocate and special education coordinator, moderated a presentation on supported decision making which included Sarah Lorr (Brooklyn Law School) and Kim Weisbeck (Disability Rights NY). The presentation focused on the purpose of...

NYLPI Mourns the Passing of Judy Heumann, Disability Justice Trailblazer
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Judy Heumann, a disability justice activist, pioneer, and leader. Her life and work profoundly impacted the disability rights movement and inspired countless individuals to fight...