Council to provide Free Citywide Legal Services for Immigrants in over 30 City Neighborhoods through CUNY Citizenship Now!
City Hall – Today, New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Council Committee on Immigration Chair Daniel Dromm, Committee on Finance Chair Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., and CUNY wish New Yorkers Happy Citizenship Day. Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is observed each year on September 17 to commemorate the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and to “recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.”
On October 1st, 2012, the Council will begin a new partnership with CUNY Citizenship Now! that will provide free high-quality and confidential legal immigration services to help individuals and families on their path to U.S. citizenship. The services will be offered at 30 different locations on a weekly or monthly basis over the next year.
Through the $600,000 City Council funded program, qualified attorneys and paralegals will offer one-on-one consultations and assist qualified immigrants with applying for citizenship. Services will include green card applications, deferred action, citizenship interview coaching and more.
“Immigrants make up the fabric of our city. On a day like today, we would like to remind New Yorkers of the steps the Council is taking to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to protect our city’s greatest strength,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “By partnering with CUNY Citizenship Now, we are protecting thousands of immigrants who contribute to our economy and our culture, but are often unable to pursue full citizenship because of prohibitive legal costs.”
“The path to citizenship is often difficult, and today is a great day to remind New Yorkers of our many initiatives to protect legal immigrants. Citizenship Now! is an invaluable resource immigrant New Yorkers can trust,” said NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Immigration. “I am proud to have worked closely with Speaker Quinn to secure the funding necessary to help expand the services that Citizenship Now! offers. Bringing expert counsel to the areas where reliable immigration law services are desperately needed will have a profound impact on our immigrant communities.”
“Immigrants are a vital part of our city,” said Council Committee on Finance Chair Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. “New York has always attracted people from across the world to come here and start new businesses, create jobs and contribute to our city’s economy. We must do all we can to keep our diverse immigrant communities thriving and successful. I want to thank CUNY Citizenship Now! for partnering with the Council to provide these vital services.”
“This initiative will greatly expand the availability of high-quality free legal assistance to permanent residents seeking to become U.S. citizens,” said Allan Wernick, Director, CUNY Citizenship Now! “The need is greater than ever.”
CUNY Citizenship Now! will be offered weekly at seven Council members’ offices in Queens, five in Brooklyn, four in the Bronx, three in Manhattan and one in Staten Island and offered monthly at two offices in Queens, five in Brooklyn, two in the Bronx, one in Manhattan. Locations were selected by analyzing Citizenship Now! data from years past. For more information visit http://council.nyc.gov/immigration
Weekly Service will be Available at the Following Council Member’s District Office:
Queens:
James F. Gennaro
185-10 Union Turnpike
Fresh Meadows, NY 11366
718-217-4969
Daniel Dromm
37-32 75th St.
Jackson Heights, New York 11372
718-803-6373
Ruben Wills
95-26 Sutphin Blvd
Jamaica, NY 11435
718-206-2068
Julissa Ferreras
32-33A Junction Blvd
East Elmhurst, NY 11369
718-651-1917
Leroy Comrie
113-43 Farmers Boulevard
St. Albans, NY 11412
718-776-3700
Eric Ulrich
93-06 101st Avenue
Ozone Park 11416
718-738-1083
Peter Koo
135-27 38 Ave, Suite 388
Flushing, NY 11354
718-888-8747
Brooklyn
Jumaane D. Williams
4517 Avenue D
Brooklyn, NY 11203
718-629-2900
Darlene Mealy
1757 Union Street, 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11213
718-953-3097
Mathieu Eugene
123 Linden Boulevard
Brooklyn, New York 11226
718-287-8762
Letitia James
67 Hanson Place
Ground Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-260-9191
Domenic M. Recchia, Jr.
445 Neptune Avenue
Community Room 2C
Brooklyn, New York 11224
718-373-9673
Manhattan
Margaret Chin
Chatham Green
165 Park Row, suite #11
New York, NY 10038
212-587-3159
Ydanis Rodriguez
618 W. 177th Street, Ground Floor
New York, NY 10033
917-521-2616
Melissa Mark-Viverito
TBD
212-828-9800
Staten Island
Deborah Rose
130 Stuyvesant Place
6th Floor, Room 602
Staten Island, New York 10301
718-556-7370
Bronx
Maria del Carmen Arroyo
384 E. 149th St., 3rd Ave.
Suite 300
Bronx, NY 10455
718-402-6130
Fernando Cabrera
107 East Burnside Ave
Bronx, NY 10453
347-590-2874
Council District 12
3586 Boston Road, 3rd Floor
Bronx, New York 10469
718-994-9900
Annabel Palma
1041 Castle Hill Avenue
Bronx, New York 10472
718-792-1140
Monthly Service will be Available at the Following Council Member’s District Office:
Queens
Daniel J. Halloran
166-08 24th Rd.
Whitestone, NY 11357
718-631-6703
Karen Koslowitz
118-35 Queens Blvd, 17th Floor
Queens, NY 11375
718-544-8800
Manhattan
Robert Jackson
Washington Heights
751 West 183rd Street
New York, NY 10033212-928-1322
Brooklyn
David G. Greenfield
4424 16th Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11204
718-853-2704
Brad Lander
456 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 499-1090
Vincent J. Gentile
8703 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11209
718-748-5200
Stephen Levin
410 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
District Office Phone
718-875-5200
Sara Gonzalez
5601 5th Ave S-2
Brooklyn, NY 11220
718-439-9012
Bronx
James CM Vacca
3040 East Tremont Ave.
Room 104
Bronx, New York 10461
718-931-1721
Joel Rivera
1901 Southern Blvd
Bronx, New York 10460
718-842-8100