Senators Question Why 2018 Law Establishing NYS Complete Count Commission Was Never Created and Status of Missing Report on Funding Recommendations

New York is Projected to be the Only State to Lose 2 Congressional Seats

ALBANY, NEW YORK (2/6/2019) – Today, members of the New York State Senate Majority and advocates called into question why Governor Cuomo failed to convene the 2020 Census Complete Count Commission required by legislation he signed into law in March of 2018, and want to … (read more)

Last month, the Department of Homeland Security publicized a proposed Public Charge rule that would punish immigrants going through official immigration processes and their families for applying for or receiving government benefits for which they are legally eligible. This would take away vital government assistance programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, and housing assistance from low-income immigrant families, including U.S. citizen children. Denying access … (read more)

November 2, 2018. On Monday the Fiscal Policy Institute joined members of the New York Counts 2020 coalition in front of Federal Hall to call on the governor and the state legislators to include $40 million in the state budget to fund community-based organizations working on maximizing participation in the 2020 census.

Congressmember Jerry Nadler spoke powerfully about the reasons this census count will be especially challenging, with a federal government creating barriers to participation. Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO … (read more)

November 2, 2018. Earlier this year, the Pew Research Center published a report showing that refugee resettlement was scaled back in the United States more dramatically in the United States than in any other country.

In 2018, however, the refugee resettlement numbers have dropped even more dramatically.

With data through the end of October already available, we can calculate pretty reasonably what the full year will look by extrapolating from the first 10 months of the year. For comparison, below … (read more)

November 1, 2018. The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, NALEO, keeps track of how many Hispanics serve in different government offices around the country. In New York, the numbers have been rising, but rising very slowly, over the past two decades.

Over 20 year ago, in 1996, two of the 33 United States representatives New York sent to Washington were Hispanic, both serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2018, the total number of representatives was … (read more)

October 30, 2018. 

In a new report, the Fiscal Policy Insititute details the resources community-based groups will require to maximize participation in the 2020 Census among “hard to count” residents across New York State. FPI proposes that the governor and legislature include $40 million in next year’s state budget for community-based organizations to do outreach around the 2020 Census. FPI notes that this should be in addition to whatever funds the state commits to its own outreach and media campaigns … (read more)

October 10, 2018. Today, the Trump Administration published its proposed reinterpretation of a previously arcane rule, known as “public charge.” The new interpretation would radically restrict access to green cards and various types of visas for immigrants who do not have a high enough income, or who have used public health, food, or housing supports they are otherwise qualified to receive. Without input from Congress, the Trump Rule would fundamentally change this country’s approach to immigration, making income and use … (read more)

Join FPI and others for a discussion on the devastating implications of the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the reduction to the U.S. refugee cap and of immigrant arrests, deportations and family separations. FPI’s Deputy Director and Director of Immigration Research, David Dyssegaard Kallick will join other presenters including Emily Ngara, from the Deportation Defense Clinic Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, and Saul Guerrero, from the United Food and Commerical Workers … (read more)

September 11, 2018. The Trump administration’s decision to decrease the number of refugees admitted and in general slow down the refugee resettlement process means that only a trickle of refugees are coming into the United States. As FPI noted in our recent reporton refugee employment, the United States is on track to resettle just 20,000 refugees in 2018, down from 97,000 in 2016.

This is a tragedy for refugees, who languish in resettlement camps or live in horrific danger. … (read more)

July 30, 2018. For many decades, refugees were not at the center of attention in immigration debates. Refugee resettlement was viewed as a duty to the United States that we handled quietly and with pride. There were debates about how to handle border enforcement, interior enforcement, visas for farm workers, visas for high-skilled workers, and of course constant wrestling about a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Refugee resettlement, never a big share of overall immigration, was seen as a … (read more)