
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
NYLPI’s 1332 Waiver Written Comments, Dec. 1 2023
A Crisis In Special Education: New York City’s Failure Educate Students Classified with ‘Emotional Disability,’ A Proposal for Systemic Change
NYLPI Statement: NYC Council Introduces Legislation to Create Office of Transplant Equity
Special Education Remote Learning Information/Contacts/Resources/Links
Letter to Mayor Adams Regarding the Right to Shelter
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.
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

Sophie Dalsimer
Co-Director of Health Justice
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
Karina Albistegui Adler
Co-Director of Health Justice
El Diario NY: “Promueven Proyecto de ley en la Gran Manzana Para Garantizar Mayor Equidad en Trasplantes de Órganos”
EL DIARIO NY | NOVEMBER 2023 NYLPI's Karina Albistegui Adler and New York City Councilmembers Mercedes Narcisse and Lynn Schulman were featured in a story in El Diario regarding the need for equity in organ transplants for all New Yorkers, especially underserved...

Crain’s New York Health Pulse: Karina Albistegui Adler Talks Organ Transplant Equity Alongside Councilmember Narcisse
CRAINS NEW YORK | NOVEMBER 2023 Karina Albistegui Adler, senior health advocate, NYLPI, was featured in Crain's New York Health Pulse newsletter, responding to the urgent need for organ transplant equity to better support underserved populations such as undocumented...

NYLPI Board Member Julie Fink of Kaplan Hecker & Fink Wins 2023 WIPL Award
Julie Fink, managing partner, Kaplan Hecker & Fink, and NYLPI board member, received the Law Firm Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion Award at Corporate Counsel's 2023 Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards. "The most valuable leadership advice I have...

Ruth Lowenkron Submitted Testimony to the NY City Council Committees on Education and Public Safety
Ruth Lowenkron, director of Disability Justice at NYLPI, submitted testimony regarding necessary amendments to City Council Int. 0003-2022, which seeks to regulate responses to students in emotional crisis in public schools. "Incredibly, the New York Police Department...

Ruth Lowenkron Shared Testimony at Daniel’s Law Task Force’s First Stakeholder Engagement Session
Ruth Lowenkron, director of Disability Justice at NYLPI, joined advocates and community members in sharing testimony at the first Stakeholder Engagement Session in Rochester as part of the Daniel's Law Taskforce. According to the NYS Office of Mental Health, this was...

Op-Ed: “TLC’s New Policy is a Wrong Turn for People with Disabilities and Drivers” by Justin Wood, NYLPI, and David Alexis, Drivers Cooperative
CITY LIMITS | NOVEMBER 2023 Justin Wood, director of Policy at NYLPI and David Alexis, director of community partnerships and a driver at the Drivers Cooperative, a worker-owned for-hire vehicle (FHV) service in New York City, penned an op-ed in City Limits regarding...

NYLPI Releases Statement on New Transplant Equity Legislation Introduced by NY City Council
New legislation was introduced by the New York City Council to create a program that would pave the way for life-saving and money-saving organ transplants for all New Yorkers, including members of immigrant and low-income communities. The bill would create a new...

NYLPI Board Member Olga Lucia Fuentes-Skinner, Glenn Agre Bergman & Fuentes, Honored in NY Business Journal’s 2023 Women of Influence List
Olga Lucia Fuentes-Skinner, founding partner at Glenn Agre Bergman & Fuentes LLP and NYLPI board member, was chosen as one of New York Business Journal's 2023 Women of Influence honorees. "The false narrative that a woman has to “act like a man” in order to lead...

NYLPI’s Justin Wood Quoted in NYC Comptroller’s Report on Inequity of City Service Concentration
Justin Wood, director of Policy at NYLPI, was quoted in New York City Comptroller Brad Lander's new report on requirements for City services and facilities. The report cited, among other issues, the City's failure to provide basic transparency about its concentration...

News12 The Bronx: NYLPI and Electrify New York Coalition Partners Featured in TV Segment
NEWS12 THE BRONX | NOVEMBER 2023 NYLPI and Electrify NY coalition partners NYC Environmental Justice Alliance, Jobs to Move America and Tri-State Transportation Campaign were featured in a News12 The Bronx segment about their report launch event at City Hall Park on...