New York Public Advocate Highlights Issues Facing Black Migrants

NEW YORK, New York – New York City Public Advocate, Jumaane D. Williams, has  highlighted what he refers to as the unique challenges faced by Black migrants as the American city continues to experience a large influx of migrants from the southern border of the United States.

Caribbean American New York City Public Advocate Jumaane WilliamsAmong the migrants and asylum-seekers arriving in New York City are nationals of Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Speaking at a City Council joint hearing of the Committees on Immigration and Hospitals, Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, said that “the stories of Black immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean often fall on deaf ears, and that this lack of prioritization leads to disparate harm.

“Black migrants have shared their experiences facing racism and anti-Blackness within a system that historically deports, detains and confines Black migrants at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group,” the public advocate said.

“These are realities the city has to grapple with; and, in order to make any progress, we must hear directly from those living these realities. From the local to the federal level, my office and I have been calling for greater resource allocation for Black migrants, and this hearing is a great starting point.”

Williams pointed to language barriers as a key component of undeserving Black immigrant communities, and urged equity in housing and other city services.

“Language accessibility is a lifeline for immigrants and opens doors to legal services, housing, economic empowerment, and other opportunities,” he said, noting that “many of these migrants are navigating an entirely new city, culture, language and systems after what may have been a long and harrowing journey just to get here.

“On top of all that, they may face increased scrutiny, xenophobia and racism just by nature of being a Black immigrant. The city, among the existing and future resources it provides and distributes, must ensure that at minimum, there is equity of resources above all else.”

Williams said while New York City has been responding to an influx of migrants since 2022, and  has done “a great deal” in responding to the crisis, “resource allocation could be more equitable than it is now, particularly for Black migrants coming from Caribbean and African countries.

“I want to make sure we lift up Sudan, Congo and Haiti in particular, who are often left out of the news, as well as some of the other nations in Africa and the Caribbean,” Williams told the hearing.

“At this juncture, the city should be well aware that, with migrants coming from all over the world, they also speak a wide variety of languages – as was mentioned, this is not a monolith. As a result, city resources should also be in-language as much as possible.

He said Black migrants particularly feel the impacts of language barriers, especially if they do not speak English or Spanish. He said they are more likely to speak languages like Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Wolof, Mandinka, or Fula, and city resources and information in these languages are more difficult to come by.

“Language accessibility is a lifeline for immigrants and opens doors to legal services, housing, economic empowerment, and other opportunities. With a preliminary survey of languages that Black migrants speak–which many CBOs (community-based organizations) already have data on–the city should increase its language capacity accordingly.”

Williams said with the city’s ongoing 30- and 60-day notices to evict migrant shelter residents that disproportionately affects African migrants “we may see and hear of more instances of migrants sheltering in storefronts and in extreme congregate settings because they have nowhere else to go.”

At the same time, Williams noted that applying for asylum is a legal way to be in this city and  urged the White House and New York Governor Kathy Hochul to do more to assist the city.

“New York City cannot do this by itself. I do know there is a gargantuan effort; and, with some of those efforts, I just want to thank the city for trying. But we do know that, even as we await more resources, we have to make sure those resources are applied equitably and humanely. And we have some work to do in those two categories.”

Last month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city has reached an agreement with The Legal Aid Society in providing additional flexibility for the “Right to Shelter” for Caribbean and other migrants.

The Legal Aid Society descrbes itself as the largest, most influential social justice law firm in New York City.

Under the agreement, individuals under 23 years of age will be provided 60 days of shelter and Adams said New York City will continue to provide “reticketing services to help more people move out of shelter and continue their journeys towards self-sufficiency.”