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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.

Campaigns

Transplant Equity Campaign

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.

Coverage4All

As part of the Coverage 4 All Coalition Steering Committee, we pursue health coverage for all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status.

UndocuCare

For the 250,000 immigrant New Yorkers who are undocumented and uninsured, access to healthcare is deeply limited.

Cases

Sosa v. Hudson County

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.

Jorge v. NYC Transit Authority

For years, the New York City Transit Authority refused to make Access-A-Ride available to people with disabilities who had limited English proficiency.

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.

Charles v. Orange County

Charles v. Orange County is a federal lawsuit challenging Orange County, New York’s unconstitutional “discharge and dump” policy targeted at New Yorkers with mental illness in immigration detention.

Staff

OP-ED: “The slow pace of renewable energy harms our health” by Sarah Blas and Justin Wood

OP-ED: “The slow pace of renewable energy harms our health” by Sarah Blas and Justin Wood

SI LIVE | AUGUST 2023 Justin Wood, director of Policy at NYLPI, and Sarah Blas, executive director of Staten Island Therapeutic Garden, published an op-ed in SI Live which lays out the issues of New York choosing to maintain some state's most harmful oil and gas power...

The 33rd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The 33rd Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Turns 33 on July 26, 2023. Passed in 1990 after years of lobbying and protesting by people with disabilities, elected officials, and other allies, this landmark federal civil rights law prohibits discrimination against people...

NYLPI Board Chair Lorraine McGowen Interviewed by Law360

NYLPI Board Chair Lorraine McGowen Interviewed by Law360

NYLPI Board Chair Lorraine McGowen was interviewed by Law360 about both her new position and her experience in the legal field. "I was overjoyed, amazed and humbled that I was asked to take on the role of being chair of the NYLPI. It is one of the premier community...

The City: Brad H. Featured in Story About Mental Health Services Access and Rikers

The City: Brad H. Featured in Story About Mental Health Services Access and Rikers

NYLPI and Urban Justice Center's 2003 class-action case, Brad H., is at the center of discussion around Mayor Adams' implementation of services for people formerly incarcerated at Rikers. New York's Correctional Health Services will distribute phones with...

NYLPI Statement on SCOTUS Ruling in 303 Creative vs. Elenis

NYLPI Statement on SCOTUS Ruling in 303 Creative vs. Elenis

The Supreme Court's ruling in 303 Creative vs. Elenis is a troubling blow to the basic tenet that the state has a duty protect all individuals from discrimination, segregation, and exclusion in spaces serving the public. Going forward, we must ensure that the Court’s...

NYLPI Comments on Critical Need for More Inclusion in New York State’s 1332 Innovation Waiver Essential Plan Expansion

NYLPI Comments on Critical Need for More Inclusion in New York State’s 1332 Innovation Waiver Essential Plan Expansion

NYLPI submitted comments regarding New York State's Section 1332 Innovation Waiver Essential Plan Expansion, urging the State to include immigrants in the Essential Plan. NYLPI would like to raise three issues for your consideration as you review New York’s...

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