FPI in the News

March 13, 2019. This article discusses the march and rally in Suffolk county, New York to support the Green Light New York bill, that would allow all New Yorkers access to driver's licenses regardless of immigration status if passed. The author highlights that the bill is pending in the New York State legislature and that New York is falling behind 12 states, plus D.C. The article went on to quote many advocates about the benefits of allowing access to driver's licenses for all, including the [...]

March 12, 2019. This article discusses the rally at the New York State Capitol, organized by the New York Immigration Coalition, that called on lawmakers to allow undocumented immigrants access to driver's licenses. The coalition argues that it will make New York's roads safer and bring in additional revenue. Hundreds of activists from across New York are traveling to the Capitol on Tuesday to call on lawmakers to allow driver's licenses for immigrants in the country without legal permission. The New York Immigration Coalition, an organization [...]

March 10, 2019. This article discusses the support by many high raking individuals who support allowing all New Yorkers access to driver's licenses regardless of immigration status, including the Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark and the Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. The author highlights that the licenses for undocumented immigrants will help the police identify who they pull over and that the program would generate revenue for the state. The author goes on to note that people in opposition to the bill argue that undocumented [...]

March 8, 2019.  New York is one of the country’s largest states with one of the most notoriously hard-to-count populations. California is one of many state's that have begun planning for the upcoming census count, allocating $100million in their state budget to prepare for the decennial survey. This article discusses why planning for the census is important for New York and why the state needs to take action in this budget cycle. Need of at least $40 million The Fiscal Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank [...]

March 4, 2019. This article discusses the efforts of advocates in a statewide coalition calling on the governor and legislature to include $60 million in the executive budget for 2020 census preparation. The article quotes advocates who argue that this funding is needed to handle a variety of challenges due to the census being administered online for the first time and to ensure an accurate count by providing funding to community based organizations who are trusted by the hard-to-count population. The Cuomo administration has previously [...]

February 26, 2019. Refugee service providers from across the state rallied on the Capitol's Million Dollar Staircase Tuesday to urge the legislature to double funding to support newcomers as the federal government cuts refugee arrivals and aid. On Tuesday, refugees, representatives from each of the 14 organizations, and Fiscal Policy Institute Deputy Director David Dyssegaard Kallick joined Democratic Assembly members Patricia Fahy from Albany, Marianne Buttenschon from Utica and Sean Ryan from Buffalo to rally for funding. Find the article on The Times Union.

February 19, 2019. This article discusses the rally where advocates, the New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and the Fiscal Policy Institute came together to show support for a bill that would all undocumented immigrants access to driver's licenses if passed. The author highlights that there is a possibility that the bill will pass since the whole government is now controlled by Democrats. Advocates opened a new push Friday to get drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants now that the entire state government is controlled by Democrats. [...]

February 19, 2019. This article discusses the need and support for New Jersey to pass a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. According to the article 76,204 arrests were made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that were the result of traffic offenses. The author highlights the fear that undocumented immigrants have to drive due to the threat of deportation, but they need to for daily activities such as going to school, buying groceries and medical emergencies. The article also highlights [...]