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Q&A

Council Member Joseph Questions Asylum Seeker Filing Fee Support

New York City Council · May 28, 2026 · starts 5:19:39 · 1 min 12 sec

Council Member Rita Joseph asks how MOIA is supporting asylum seekers with filing fees and communicating the availability of these funds to CBOs.

Luisa Linares

Yeah, I think we should consider that.

Luisa Linares

How are you supporting asylum seekers?

Luisa Linares

I noticed that they have a fee they have to pay by May 29, 2026.

Luisa Linares

How are you getting that word out to the communities?

Luisa Linares

One to credit the council and also some of the work that we don't say, we don't get enough praises.

Luisa Linares

Go ahead though.

Luisa Linares

I have to be honest here, but um because of the partnership that we had last year during the budget negotiations, we were able to allocate funding for fees, including for including that it's um including the some of the filing fees that you're mentioning right now, which I think is a win overall.

Luisa Linares

We have been working with our providers to ensure that they're aware that that's available to them, um, and we have been pretty successful of spending some of that funding down.

Luisa Linares

Um, how do how do communities or for example my office or non-for-profit get in touch with you to know that these fees are available for members?

Luisa Linares

Because I think today was the deadline for some of them to apply for those fees for the for the for filing.

Luisa Linares

Yeah, well, I mean, we are always available after this hearing.

Luisa Linares

I'll send you an email, uh, council member, and then we're happy to make the connections with our legal service providers.

Luisa Linares

I would love that.