
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.
RESOURCES
2022 Medical Providers Network’s Mid-Year Update
New York Lawyers For the Public Interest Honors Recipients of the 2022 Felix A. Fishman Awards
NYLPI’s Testimony on FY23 City Budget Priorities
NYLPI’s Comments on “Public Charge” Grounds of Inadmissibility
Press Release: Detained Immigrants Report Continued Retaliation, Medical Neglect, Racist Abuse and Deplorable Conditions at New York Jail
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

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
Law Graduate
NYLPI Statement on Governor Hochul’s 2024 Executive Budget
MEDIA CONTACT: Erin Gaffney [email protected] (212) 784-5720 In response to Governor Hochul’s proposed 2024 Executive Budget, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) issues the following statement on key policy announcements impacting Disability,...

New York Focus: Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright Responds to Gov. Hochul’s Cap-And-Invest Climate Action Plan
NEW YORK FOCUS | FEBRUARY 2023 Governor Hochul's New York state executive budget -- to be approved by April -- includes a cap and invest strategy, which would make heavy polluters buy allowances for carbon emissions so that proceeds would go towards a clean energy...

IG Live with NYLPI & The Vera Institute of Justice: Help vs. Harm, Mental Health and Public Safety Policy in NY
NYLPI and The Vera Institute of Justice will present a live discussion "Help vs. Harm: Mental Health and Public Safety Policy in New York" on Instagram on Tuesday, January 31 at 5 p.m. ET. Ruth Lowenkron, director of Disability Justice at NYLPI, will be joined by...

Streetsblog NYC: Justin Wood Responds to A Brooklyn Pedestrian Fatality and Local Law 199 Implementation
STREETSBLOG NYC | JANUARY 2023 Despite plans to create a new, centralized Commercial Waste Zone program that would improve the oversight of notoriously competitive and reckless waste carters, the Department of Sanitation has not implemented them yet. Many advocates...

NYLPI’s Ruth Lowenkron Spoke at Advocacy Day Rally In Support of Daniel’s Law
Ruth Lowenkron, NYLPI's Director of Disability Justice, spoke with legislators to rally support for Daniel’s Law, a proposed law that aims to change police response during mental health crises. “The time for Daniel’s Law is way overdue. We cannot allow one more death...

Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright Testimony at NY State Senate Climate Action Council Final Scoping Plan Committee
Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright, NYLPI Director of Environmental Justice, testified before the New York State Senate Committees on Finance, Energy and Telecommunications, and Environmental Conservation regarding the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and the...

NYLPI Announces Top NYC Legislative and Budget Priorities for 2023
As Mayor Adams and City Council prepare to negotiate New York City’s budget and determine legislative priorities for 2023, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), our clients, and our partners have identified top legislative and budget priorities to advance...

UndocuCare & CUP Resource Launch: Healthcare Is For You!
NYLPI’s UndocuCare program is thrilled to announce the launch of a new resource in Spanish and English: Healthcare Is For You! Over the course of several months, NYLPI collaborated with the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) to create a foldout poster and digital guide...

NYLPI Health Justice & National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
This National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, #NYLPI calls on the Biden Administration to increase supportive services for survivors of trafficking. We strongly oppose the Biden Administration's announcement of new border enforcement measures which will make...

NYLPI’s Statement on Gov. Hochul’s State of the State Address
MEDIA CONTACT: Erin Gaffney [email protected] (212) 784-5720 In response to Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) issues the following statement on key policy announcements impacting Disability,...