New York awarded $8.7 million in new grants to nonprofit community providers, through the Department of State’s Office for New Americans (ONA)), to provide free services to immigrants on their way to citizenship, Governor Kathy Hochul announced last week.
These new grants will support the statewide network of ONA Opportunity Centers to provide naturalization application assistance and civics test preparation to immigrants and refugees on their path to becoming US citizens.
New! ONA Grants to Support Naturalization and Legal Services@GovKathyHochul announces $8.7 million in new ONA awards and issues proclamation for Immigration Heritage Month. Learn more:https://t.co/NBrWhC3QXs
— NYS New Americans (@NYSNewAmericans) July 1, 2022
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The grants will also support ONA Legal Advisors, a program of expert immigration attorneys who provide free immigration legal assistance to any immigrant in need, including recent arrivals from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
The $8.7 million in funding will support the launch of 35 new Opportunity and Legal Advice Center grants to build on the success of these programs, which have been in place since ONA’s inception. In 2021, ONA Legal Advisors and Opportunity Centers served 28,797 people with a variety of free services including legal assistance and naturalization support that put them on the path to citizenship. Over the past year, ONA-funded attorneys have also stepped in to help clients across the state with urgent legal matters, as well as newcomers.
Opportunity Centers ONA – Civics offer free and confidential services that include:
- Citizenship Preparation Classes
- Immigration Application Support
- Immigration Law Consultations
- Community Workshops
- Workforce References
The governor also issued a proclamation in which he declared June as Immigrant Heritage Month in recognition of the important contributions of immigrants to the diverse fabric of New York State.
“New York is built on the hard work and determination of generations of immigrants, and we will continue to support those who are trying to build a better life for themselves and their families,” Governor Hochul said. “Today’s investments in critical services for immigrants send a clear message to all: New York welcomes and celebrates you. I look forward to continuing to give immigrants the tools they need to be safe and prepared to succeed in our great state.” .
“As more and more immigrants make New York State their home, it is imperative that we continue to support and strengthen programs that help them integrate socially, economically, and politically. The Assembly Majority fought hard to increase funding for ONA and its important initiatives and continues to be a strong voice of support at a time when anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric are all too common due to the failure of our federal government to enact comprehensive immigration reform When we support our immigrant communities, we strengthen all communities across New York. These new funds do exactly that,” said Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz.
For any immigrant who needs assistance, or to connect with ONA programs, you can call the New Americans Hotline at 1-800-566-7636 from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, Monday through Friday. All calls are confidential. Support is available in more than 200 languages.
For more information, visit https://dos.ny.gov/office-new-americans
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