Gotham Gazette – “Among a series of March hearings held by the Council on Mayor Adams’ $98.5 billion preliminary budget plan, representatives from the Mayor’s Office on Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) and advocates appeared before Council members to discuss the allocation of resources to the city’s different programs designed to support and empower immigrant communities. The hearing was led by Council Member Shahana Hanif, a recently-elected Brooklyn Democrat who chairs the Council’s Committee on Immigration.

In her opening statement at the hearing, Hanif stressed the importance of addressing the needs of immigrant New Yorkers, zeroing in on recent cuts the Adams administration had proposed to adult literacy programs and calling for restoration in funding. Adult literacy was an issue Hanif returned to repeatedly during the hearing, then elevated afterward on social media, and is among the top priorities for immigrant advocates year in and year out in the city budget process. [Read More]”