NYC Council, NYIC Launch Language Access Bank & Support for Immigrant Families Amid Federal Changes

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New York Immigration Council member speaking. Photo credit: NYIC

New York. Jan 29, 2025. In a significant step toward improving language accessibility and immigrant support in New York City, the City Council, in partnership with the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and various community organizations, announced the launch of the NYC Community Interpreter Bank and the Protect NYC Families initiative. This groundbreaking effort aims to address the diverse language needs of immigrant communities and bolster critical services for families amid evolving immigration challenges.

The NYC Community Interpreter Bank will centralize interpretation services across the five boroughs. The initiative will recruit, train, and deploy interpreters fluent in commonly requested languages to City-funded legal service providers, community navigation sites, and City Council offices. In Fiscal Year 2025, the Council allocated $1.4 million to kickstart the Interpreter Bank, which will ensure that every immigrant in the city can access services in their preferred language.

The Protect NYC Families initiative comes with over $2 million in Council funding to over 60 nonprofit organizations, enhancing legal services, rapid response efforts, helplines, and essential community training programs. These measures aim to meet the rising demand for services as immigration enforcement and policy shifts continue to impact New York City’s immigrant communities.

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“New York City is a proud city of immigrants, and we must support our city’s families from attacks by the Trump administration,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “The Council is proud to allocate more than $2 million in emergency funding for our Protect NYC Families Initiative, which will provide flexible funding for dozens of non-profit organizations that serve immigrant New Yorkers. We are also proud to celebrate the Council’s investments to create the city’s first Community Interpreter Bank, which will help ensure that services are available in the languages that residents speak. I thank my Council colleagues, the New York Immigration Coalition, and the many partner organizations whose work is critical to protecting and strengthening our city.”

Photo Credit: NYIC

Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of NYIC, emphasized the importance of language services, stating, “Language interpretation services are a vital pillar of a healthy, thriving, and diverse New York City, for both new and long-term immigrants navigating complex systems in an unfamiliar language. The NYC Community Interpreter Bank ensures these individuals can access critical services in their preferred language while also creating a direct pipeline to employment for New Yorkers trained in interpretation.”

A part of the Language Justice Collaborative’s “Language Access Workforce Initiative,” the Interpreter Bank will provide a pathway for community members to gain certification and employment as interpreters. The initiative will recruit interpreters from worker-owned language cooperatives and graduates of CUNY Hostos Community College’s Community Interpreter Certification course.

Council Member Alexa Aviles, Chair of the Committee on Immigration, highlighted the significance of the initiative, saying, “The New York City Community Interpreter Bank will greatly expand language access to our vibrant immigrant communities, enabling people to more easily receive legal services from city-funded partners, receive translation services at community navigation sites, and get support from local City Council offices.”

Council Member Shahana Hanif, a key advocate for language justice, praised the collaborative nature of the Interpreter Bank. “Every New Yorker, regardless of the language they speak, deserves to be heard, understood, and included,” she said. “This initiative will help transition our City’s lagging language infrastructure to a community-driven, comprehensive approach to language access.”

Photo Credit: NYIC

The Council’s Protect NYC Families initiative is particularly vital as immigration policies and enforcement create increasing uncertainty for immigrant families. Organizations supported by this funding will expand their capacity to provide services, legal representation, and community training in multiple languages.

Community partners, including African Communities Together, Haitian-Americans United for Progress (HAUP), and Mixteca Organization, emphasized the transformational impact of the Interpreter Bank. Maimouna Dieye of African Communities Together noted, “The NYC Community Interpreter Bank is a huge leap forward in our collective work to build a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient community here in New York City.”

The Interpreter Bank represents New York City’s commitment to language justice and support for immigrant communities. With a clear focus on inclusivity and equity, this initiative is a crucial step toward ensuring that every New Yorker, regardless of language, can access essential services and opportunities.

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy & advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York. The NYIC serves one of the largest and most diverse newcomer populations in the United States. The multi-racial and multi-sector NYIC membership base includes grassroots and nonprofit community organizations, religious and academic institutions, labor unions, as well as legal and socioeconomic justice organizations. The NYIC not only establishes a forum for immigrant groups to voice their concerns, but also provides a platform for collective action to drive positive social change. Since its founding in 1987, the NYIC has evolved into a powerful voice of advocacy by spearheading innovative policies, promoting and protecting the rights of immigrant communities, improving newcomer access to services, developing leadership and capacity, expanding civic participation, and mobilizing member groups to respond to the fluctuating needs of immigrant communities.