Council Member Lewis begins remarks on Resolution 626
Chair Encarnación turns the floor to Council Member Farah Louis for remarks on Resolution 626. Louis thanks the chair, greets Commissioner Ali, and acknowledges advocates including the Haitian American Lawyers Association and 1199.
I will now turn it over to Councilmember Lewis for brief remarks on her bill.
Thank you, Chair and Connoisseur, for your support of this resolution and for convening today's hearing.
Good to see you, Commissioner Ali.
And I want to thank some of the advocates that are here today, the Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York.
You have President Rodney Pippe here and Cheryl John from 1199.
I want to begin by saying this plainly.
Resol 626 is personal to me, Haitian Americans, to the broader Black diaspora in New York City, and to every friend and ally of the Haitian community.
I am a proud Haitian-Bahamian American woman representing one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the United States, in central Brooklyn.
When I speak about TPS recipients, I'm not speaking about statistics.
I'm speaking about my neighbors, my constituents, my family.