Speaker Menin: Council employee Rafael Rubio granted permanent asylum
Speaker Menin announces that council employee Rafael Rubio has been granted permanent asylum after being wrongfully detained by ICE in January and placed in solitary confinement. She notes the council's $82 million allocation for immigration legal services.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Happy August.
It has been not a slow August, a very busy August.
And I want to start off with some absolutely incredible news.
Our amazing City Council employee, Rafael Rubio, has been granted permanent asylum.
This is such an incredible victory.
We were involved with his case since he was wrongfully detained by ICE back in January.
And just knowing now that he finally has permanent asylum is really, really incredible.
He can finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he can continue to live and work right here where he belongs.
So I do just want to say that the fight for him ended in justice, but he was wrongfully detained.
He was put in solitary confinement for two weeks during that detainment.
I really want to commend Rafael.
He has such an incredible spirit.
He was positive throughout this ordeal he went through, and we couldn't be happier that he is home.
I do want to say that for many other New Yorkers, they are not getting the same outcome that Rafael did, and that is why we will continue to fight for them.
That is why we fought so hard to have close to $82 million allocated in the budget for immigration legal services.
support them.