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Q&A

Chair Encarnación questions family preparedness resources and language expansion

New York City Council · May 28, 2026 · starts 5:35:36 · 3 min 43 sec

Encarnación asks about family separation preparation resources and language availability. Officials note the flyer is available in 8 languages with Urdu translation underway, plus standby guardianship clinics, KYR trainings in schools, and the family preparedness phone bank.

UNKNOWN

Okay, we're going to do some rapid questions and responses.

UNKNOWN

We have until 4 o'clock.

UNKNOWN

Then we lose our translators and we can't have that.

UNKNOWN

So for family preparedness and family separation, during our roundtables, some of our CBOs shared that they are supporting community members preparing for their family separation, preparing families for possible separation.

UNKNOWN

And I know that MOIA has a flyer posted online.

UNKNOWN

It is currently available, I think, online in eight languages.

UNKNOWN

Is there...

UNKNOWN

Are there plans to expand the amount of languages that it is available for in?

UNKNOWN

Yes, so right now I think it's also available in Russian, and we are working on the Urdu translation right now, so it could be available in its top ten.

UNKNOWN

We're always open to feedback as well if there are additional languages that you might be encountering in your neighborhood.

UNKNOWN

And if I may share on the RLC, because I just got that other number, just I wanted to make the note that the data that I provided was

UNKNOWN

until the end of March, So there's more work that happened on the DOE side as well as with the rapid response to your collaborative One of the main contract there have been about 137 screenings.

UNKNOWN

I will just note that although those numbers seem low there are those are very comprehensive complex cases that require

UNKNOWN

you know, very dedicated and experienced attorneys.

UNKNOWN

She just wanted to say that because they're very traumatic cases too, that although they seem low, they're actually pretty significant in retrospect.

UNKNOWN

But thank you for letting me add that.

UNKNOWN

No, I appreciate that.

UNKNOWN

I want, and it was really about

UNKNOWN

making sure and understanding that people knew about these services and knew how to get connected and that they were availing themselves when they needed support.

UNKNOWN

And so other than the flyer and things like that, what other resources can CBOs look at MOIA to for family separation?

UNKNOWN

I can take this, Commissioner.

UNKNOWN

So part of the outreach campaign, which we do do with our outreach team, that's one bucket.

UNKNOWN

The Commissioner mentioned this at the top, but we also created, we had a MOYA legal hotline bank with ONA.

UNKNOWN

Back in April, I think April 21st, when we received about 227 calls, we understand that this is an issue that the community really cares about, and that was sort of the way that we provided that outreach.

UNKNOWN

We worked with ethnic media at the time to spread the word and awareness, so that's another bucket.

UNKNOWN

We also have the rapid response in schools in which...

UNKNOWN

Families are provided KYR on what standby guardianship and their options, as well as our legal support centers provided.

UNKNOWN

By 26, at least 14 guardianship clinics, observing a total of 364 people.

UNKNOWN

And then the last one that I'll mention is that our legal technical mentor, the Immigrant Justice Corp, also delivered a five-part training series on special immigration juvenile status,

UNKNOWN

although not directly on family separation, but it's also adjacent to the issue.

UNKNOWN

So I wanted to uplift that work as well.

UNKNOWN

Okay.

UNKNOWN

And do you coordinate with ACS at all for that?

UNKNOWN

Yes, we do.

UNKNOWN

We talk to them frequently.

UNKNOWN

I know that there are a lot of changing issues that happen.

UNKNOWN

So as the commissioner mentioned at the top, we have...

UNKNOWN

Through our interagency efforts, we do connect with them as well on any federal changes and things to that extent.

UNKNOWN

Okay.