New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro announced an additional eight Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation sites that will be opened across the five boroughs, in an effort to continue supporting newly arrived individuals and families seeking asylum. Eight community-based organizations have been chosen and granted $2.1 million to run these sites that will build on the ongoing work of the city’s first Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center, operated by Catholic Charities of New York.
“The city’s first Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Centers has served nearly 7,000 individuals since opening a few short months ago, and I’m proud to expand the footprint of this important work across all five boroughs to support the asylum seekers arriving in our city every day,” said Mayor Adams. “In partnership with these eight community-based organizations, these additional centers will help support the more than 26,000 asylum seekers who have arrived here in New York City with a range of services including legal assistance, medical care, and school enrollment. New York City will continue to do all we can to meet our moral and legal mandates and welcome and support asylum seekers arriving here, and these sites will play an important role delivering critical services directly to families and individuals who need them.”
“Throughout the city’s response to the asylum seeker crisis, we have worked in partnership with community-based organizations,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Today’s announcement builds upon that work and offers additional layers of support for individuals and families seeking a new home in New York City. Thank you to our partners who will continue to serve asylum seekers at satellite locations in all five boroughs.”
“New York City has led the nation’s response to the influx of asylum seekers, launching the first Asylum Seeker Navigation Center,” said MOIA Commissioner Castro. “Today, we take another stride forward by announcing several community organizations that will serve as satellite sites across the five boroughs to support our new neighbors. Through this effort, our administration will continue to lead with care and compassion and empower our newest New Yorkers with resources and services.”
The selected organizations will provide individuals and families with in-person support — in Spanish and in other languages — including a variety of supplemental services, comprehensive case management, and immigrant rights workshops:
- Aid for Aids International
- African Communities Together (ACT)
- Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York
- Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services Brooklyn & Queens
- Coalicion Mexicana
- La Colmena
- Mercy Center
- Mixteca Organization
- New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)
The city’s first Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center — located at the American Red Cross of Greater New York headquarters — will continue to operate on weekdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and provide individuals and families with in-person support. Services at the navigation center and Catholic Charities sites will be available by appointments and walk-ins are accepted in all other locations. Appointments can be made by community-based partners and certain city agencies, including city shelter staff. Since this humanitarian crisis began, the city has — largely on its own — taken fast and urgent action, managing the arrival of a rapidly increasing number of buses across New York City with virtually no coordination from states sending them — opening 57 hotels as emergency shelters and three humanitarian relief centers already.