Commissioner Ali introduces herself and addresses ICE enforcement climate
Ali shares her background as daughter of immigrants from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. She describes the atmosphere of intimidation at 26 Federal Plaza and the city's commitment to protecting all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status amid aggressive ICE enforcement.
Great, thank you so much.
Good afternoon and thank you to Chair Encarnacion and members of the Committee on Immigration as well as Chair Lee, Deputy Speaker Dr.
Nantasha Williams and members of the Committee on Finance for this opportunity to testify today.
My name is Faiza Ali and I'm the Commissioner for the New York City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs or MOIA and I'm joined today by my colleagues Lorena Lucero, Deputy Commissioner of Programs and Policy as well as Jasnia Sanchez,
Acting Chief of Staff and Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Strategic Initiatives.
As the daughter of immigrants from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, I understand deeply the role that local government must play in ensuring communities are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.
Across the country, aggressive ICE enforcement operations have sown fear and uncertainty in immigrant communities.
And in this moment, New York City must be clear.
We remain committed to protecting all New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status.
At a time when immigrant families are increasingly being met with disdain or contempt and hostility, local government must be a source of stability, clarity, and protection.
That requires investment, operational capacity, and sustained support to meet our responsibility to immigrant New Yorkers.
Today I will provide a brief update on MOIA.
and highlight six key areas of our work.
Immigration Legal Services, the Immigration Legal Support Hotline, the Haitian Response Initiative, Rapid Response Collaborative, Language Justice and English Language Learning, and the Community Engagement Programs.
During a recent visit to 26 Federal Plaza, I watched immigrant New Yorkers arrive for a routine immigration proceedings only to encounter an atmosphere of intimidation.
Hallways were filled with families lawfully seeking status while enforcement agents moved through the building in masks.
It was deeply unsettling and a stark reminder of what is at stake for the communities that we all serve.