Protecting NYC tenants

After a ten-year fight, the Asthma-Free Housing Act – which requires landlords to inspect for and address asthma triggers annually to keep kids safely in their homes – became law. The NYC Council also passed the Certificate of No Harassment legislation to prevent landlords with a history of tenant harassment from obtaining permits to demolish or renovate their buildings.

These wins came thanks to the fierce determination and leadership of Make the Road New York members.

Fighting for a clean #DreamActNow!

Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has caused a humanitarian crisis: endangering the lives of 800,000 immigrant youth and their families. Every day,  more than 100 individuals lose DACA status. Trump has also left hundreds of thousands of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders in limbo.

We’re fighting back with everything we have and demanding that Congress take action in support of a clean Dream Act and protections for TPS holders.

Standing up to the Corporate Backers of Hate!

On June 8, 2017, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer announced that the NYC Employee Retirement Systems pension funds will divest from private prison and immigrant detention companies. We have been calling attention to corporations that are profiting off of the incarceration of immigrants and people of color, and demanding financiers like JPMorgan Chase divest from CoreCivic and GEO Group.

This announcement sends a strong message: New York won’t support corporations that are needlessly locking up members of our communities.

Going to court to protect DACA

Together, with six Dreamers who are MRNY members, we filed the first lawsuit challenging the termination of DACA. In February 2018, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction in our case, Batalla Vidal v. Nielson. The court recognized the “substantial and imminent irreparable harm” that DACA recipients would suffer should the program end.

This is the second time a federal judge has validated our claims — a major victory in a case that has the potential to benefit hundreds of thousands of immigrant families and shift this country’s policy climate.

Now we’re in Westchester!

The Westchester Hispanic Coalition (WHC), which has provided trusted services to immigrants for 43 years, is merging with Make the Road New York. WHC will become the MRNY Westchester office, increasing organizing, policy, civic engagement, and media capacity in Westchester County.

Together, we have already expanded critical services in Westchester and got the local Immigrant Protection Act passed! We are excited to join forces and welcome WHC’s clients and staff to the MRNY family.