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Know Your Rights
Source: Daily News
Subject: Immigration
Type: Media Coverage

EXCLUSIVE: Advocacy groups say City Hall can do more to help New York’s struggling immigrants, report says

City Hall is not doing enough to help New York’s struggling immigrants, a new report says, and needs to commit millions more for adult literacy programs, protections against abusive employers and legal assistance should President Obama’s immigration reforms move forward.

The report, set to be released Thursday by advocacy groups, Make the Road New York and the New York Immigration Coalition, outlines a long list of priorities — including $9 million to help prepare immigrants to apply for relief programs contained in Obama’s executive orders, which are currently held up in court, and an increase from $750,000 to $5 million for literacy efforts.

“The de Blasio administration has made unprecedented investments to support New York City’s immigrant communities,” said mayoral spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick.

Joselyn Mendoza, who dropped out of ninth grade in her native Mexico because she had to work, said taking free courses to get her GED in Spanish and learn English at Make the Road’s Queens office has been life-changing.

“It had been 23 years since I carried a notebook,” said Mendoza, 41. “Now I can speak, and understand when people are talking to me in English.”

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