By Phil Corso
Following President Barack Obama’s June 15 announcement that young, undocumented immigrants could apply for work permits, New York state lawmakers have allocated about $450,000 in grants to programs to help them navigate through the application process.
State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) said $150,000 from the enacted state budget will go to three organizations, including the New York Immigration Coalition, Make the Road NY and Legal Services NYC.
“This is a profoundly humane policy for hundreds of thousands of young people who know no other home than the United States and who live in perpetual fear of deportation,” Silver said. “With the implementation of this policy, it is critical that we get information out to our immigrant communities so that people will know who is eligible for deferred action.”
The $150,000 grants will go on to fund various legal services, including support clinics and workshops, Silver said.
On Aug. 15, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will begin accepting applications from young immigrants looking for deferred action for a period of two years.
