Immigrant ID Pgm. Hits Milestone

City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) celebrated the 10,000th consulate issued identity document to an immigrant New Yorker since the launch of an ongoing school-based initiative in 2011.

This milestone was achieved through a series of Council funded multi-service events coordinated by the NYIC, in collaboration with La Union, El Centro del Inmigrante, Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, New Immigrant Community Empowerment, Queens Community House, LSA Family Health Service, Mirabal Sisters Cultural and Community Center, Food Bank, Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project, the People’s Theatre Project, Citi Community Development and the Consulates of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador and the Domini- can Republic.

Consulate IDs with a local address and passports enable immigrant families to enter our city’s public schools, obtain information to file income tax returns, apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, open bank accounts, enter government buildings, get library cards and ensure access to other crucial city services. Department of Education guidelines require every visitor who enters a New York City public school to show a valid form of photo ID; this rule poses a barrier for parents of city school children who lack proper identification.

“New York is an immigrant city, and today we’ve achieved real results for New Yorkers by helping over 10,000 immigrants receive identity documents. We are responding to the concerns of parents who have been unable to fully engage in their children’s education, and to those who want greater access to financial institutions and other government services,” said Quinn. “We look forward to continuing to work with New York Immigration Coalition and foreign consulates to make sure every New Yorker can fully participate in our city.”

The City Council has allocated $400,000 for these events to assist immigrants since 2011. Over 15,000 people, including families who have children at more than 850 public schools across the city, have attended since they started in February 2011. These 19 workshops, which were held in public schools across the city, provided a one-stop access to key services for immigrants, including:

• the provision of official identification documents like individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITIN), passports, and consular IDs;

• know-your-rights trainings;

• information and workshops on the federal government’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and comprehensive immigration reform proposals;

• workshops on college planning;

• legal screenings and referrals;

• tax preparation workshops and tax filing services;

• access to banking and credit unions; and

• recommendations for other educational and social programs.

“New York has always attracted people from across the world to come here and we must do all we can to keep our diverse immigrant communities thriving and successful. I want to thank New York Immigration Coalition for partnering with the Council to provide these vital services,” said Daniel Dromm, chair of the Council’s Committee on Immigration.