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District 39

Shahana Hanif

Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill-Gowanus-Red Hook, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace-South Slope, Sunset Park (West), Green-Wood Cemetery, Prospect Heights, Borough Park, Kensington, Flatbush (West)-Ditmas Park-Parkville, Prospect Park

NY 1 – Immigration Committee Chairwoman Shahana Hanif said the Department of Homeless Services, Health and Hospitals, the mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and other agencies were asked to testify to the council about a policy limiting shelter stays for migrant families to 60 days.

Hanif said they declined, and that left the education department to answer for a policy that isn’t their doing [Read More].

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City + State – The policy – which involves the city notifying many migrant families that they have 60 days to leave the shelter system or reapply for a new placement – has caused concerns about the potential ramifications on an already vulnerable population of students. While New York City Mayor Eric Adams has insisted that no child’s education will be interrupted as no child will be forced to transfer schools, advocates said the new shelter limits will force families to make difficult decisions about whether to keep their child at their current school despite facing what could be a much longer commute from their new shelter placement.

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Politico -Immigration lawyers and elected officials have raised concerns with the forced moves, noting migrants could miss key correspondence related to their immigration cases.

“I don’t think they’ve thought this through, which is why there’s a ton of precarity here in the applications being denied if you’re moving around a lot,” City Council Member Shahana Hanif, chair of the body’s immigration committee, said [Read More].

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Documented – With so many asylum seekers looking for employment, workplace exploitation — already common in jobs like construction and cleaning where they generally work — is on the rise. Hanif said the city has seen an “uptick in workplace harassment,” including wage theft, lack of paid sick leave and workers being prevented from joining unions. 

A worker’s bill of rights would help educate newly arrived immigration about their rights and protections, Hanif said.

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City Limits – To date, New York City has welcomed well over 120,000 asylum seekers, with more than half still in our city’s care. These tens of thousands of asylum seekers have fled war in Niger, conscription in Russia, and gang violence in Guatemala. Despite coming from different continents, these disparate communities are searching for similar opportunities for safety and have endured unthinkable hardship to reach the five boroughs.

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Politico – Still, critics say Adams’ actions sends a message lacking in compassion.

“What we’ve witnessed from this administration — even if they’re not directly saying ‘you’ve got to get out of here’ — is that they’ve consistently created hysteria and chaos and confusion and have not used a tone of inclusivity and welcome,” City Council member Shahana Hanif said in an interview.

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Gothamist – “Mayor Adams has left no stone unturned to ensure that these new New Yorkers get the legal support necessary to thrive,” said Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro.

Councilmember Shahana Hanif, who chairs the immigration committee and has long criticized the administration for failing to help new migrants apply for asylum and work permits in large numbers, applauded the city’s latest efforts.

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