Tag: MOIA

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the July 12th, 2025 Pro Bono Clinic in Brooklyn

AABANY extends our sincerest gratitude to the Pro Bono and Community Service (PBCS) Committee, the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY), CPC Brooklyn Community Center, and all the dedicated volunteers who contributed to the success of our Pro Bono Legal Clinic on July 12, 2025. We also express our heartfelt appreciation to our distinguished guest speakers, NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro and Lydia Li, Senior Manager of Community Outreach at MOIA, for their support and valuable participation.

Lydia Li, Senior Manager of Community Outreach at MOIA, spoke passionately about the agency’s mission to ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, have access to city resources and services. MOIA plays a vital role in serving New York City’s 3.1 million immigrants, comprising 38% of the city’s population, by connecting immigrant communities to essential resources for navigating the city’s complex system—all while protecting their privacy, including their immigration status. MOIA’s multilingual team, proficient in over eight different languages, provides diverse language assistance to those with limited English proficiency.

As an active member of the outreach team, Lydia helps dismantle barriers by giving presentations and organizing events, webinars, and panel discussions to share the resources that MOIA offers for the immigrant community. Additionally, MOIA operates immigration legal support centers that provide free and safe legal assistance in immigrant neighborhoods. One of the key resources highlighted is the 311 hotline, which callers can use to report incidents of racial discrimination, report immigration fraud, or receive referrals for legal resources. Lydia concluded her presentation by distributing pamphlets and brochures that outline the various resources available to immigrants, including their rights if approached by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. To learn more about MOIA legal support centers and resources, visit their website here.

Commissioner Castro shared his personal journey as an immigrant, highlighting the challenges of arriving in the United States and growing up in Sunset Park. His experience motivated his mission to protect the rights of immigrant communities across New York City. As an advocate, he marveled at the transformative potential of immigration, stating, “[o]ne generation can go from living in an indigenous community to immigrating here and becoming practicing attorneys. It’s tremendous and we need to honor that. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing it, and I wish everyone could experience it.”

When asked what inspired him to enter government, Commissioner Castro explained how serving in the government offers him a unique perspective on the intricacies of internal operations—insights that are not typically taught in academia. He emphasized that his role as New York City Immigrant Affairs Commissioner allowed him to interact directly with a wide range of communities, which he believes reflect the city’s diversity and strength. As an advocate, he firmly believes that this is what New York City should take pride in and strive to preserve.

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Similarly, our Pro Bono Clinic shares a commitment to providing accessible legal support and critical resources to our New York communities. During the clinic, our volunteers met with clients to give consultations on various topics such as immigration, trusts and estates, housing, personal injury, family and matrimonial matters. Our volunteer attorneys, assisted by law students, listened to each client’s concerns and legal questions, provided guidance, legal information, consultations, and, if appropriate, connected them with further resources through AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS).

College and law student volunteers also shadowed volunteer attorneys and assisted with interpretation and client intake. With the help of multilingual volunteers, the clinic is able to offer language-accessible legal information, ensuring that clients can communicate their concerns clearly and receive meaningful assistance.

Thank you again to all of our volunteers at the July 12 Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic:

Volunteer Attorneys:

Vishal Chander

Victoria Cheng 

Francis Chin

Rocky Chin 

Jenny (Wenjing) Dai

Megan Gao

Jack (Zixu) Hsia

Beatrice Leong 

Kwok Kei Ng

Shuyao (Sherry) Wang 

Carrey Wong

Gary Yeung 

Interpreters/Shadowers:

Sam Chen 

Eliana Jeong 

Emily Kam

Nandar Win Kerr

Emily Lai

Tammy Tam

Albert Tong 

Shang Zhai 

We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:

August 6th [Queens link here] from 6:30-8:30 pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355 

August 20th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002

September 13 [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Thanks once again to all our volunteers for their commitment to Pro Bono service and for making a meaningful difference in our community.

We look forward to your participation in our future clinics!

To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.

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Public Charge Rule Phone Bank on February 11 and 12

In light of the public charge rule that will go into effect on February 24, 2020, Catholic Charities Community Services will be hosting a phone bank in partnership with MOIA, ONA, Univision, Legal Aid, NYLAG and Hispanic Federation for a two-day phone bank on February 11 and 12, from 5pm – 8pm. 


The purpose of the phone bank is to answer questions, dispel fears for those who will not be affected, and urge those who will be impacted to seek legal advice and assistance with their applications. If anyone has questions about the public charge rule, please call the phone bank at the NYS New Americans Hotline at 1-800-566-7636. There will be language assistance available. 

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Hurricane Relief – New Employment & Grant Opportunities

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I hope all is well. We have additional updates and opportunities for you about the city’s ongoing hurricane relief and recovery efforts.

1) MOIA’s Resource Guide

We have compiled a comprehensive and up-to-date resource guide, which provides detailed information on overnight shelters, warming centers, food distribution sites, disaster assistance application info, and important contact numbers. The most updated version is attached to this e-mail. Read here. Also, please check www.nyc.gov or call 311 for the most updated information.

2) Hurricane Clean-Up Employment Opportunities

The United States Department of Labor awarded the New York State Department of Labor grant funds to hire workers to assist in the cleanup of Hurricane Sandy. The grant will be used to help clean up impacted communities in Bronx, Kings, New York, Richmond, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Westchester counties. You must be unemployed prior to or as a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

Apply here: https://labor.ny.gov/secure/neg/2012-hurricane-sandy-form.asp

3) Hurricane Relief Grants

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, small volunteer-led groups responded quickly to meet the needs of local residents. Does your neighborhood of school group need immediate emergency funding? Citizens Committee of NYC is awarding grants to volunteer-led groups providing relief to areas hit especially hard by Hurricane Sandy. Grants of up to $5,000, Immediate notification upon application submission. Please apply here: http://www.citizensnyc.org/programs/grants/hurricane_relief_grants.html  

4) FEMA Mobile Application Registration Sites

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), is launching mobile Application Registration Sites across New York City. FEMA will be sending trained staff out to sites for 1-2 days to guide community members through the FEMA disaster assistance application process. Disaster assistance is financial or direct assistance to individuals and families whose property has been damaged or destroyed as a result of a federally-declared disaster, and whose losses are not covered by insurance. It is meant to help with critical expenses that cannot be covered in other ways. We are seeking community-based organizations and houses of worship to host FEMA’s mobile Application Registration Sites. Please let me know if you would like to host FEMA!

5) NYC Restoration Centers

NYC Restore helps New Yorkers in the areas most affected by Hurricane Sandy get access to important information and services to help them recover. For more information, visit: http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/dasc.html. NYC Restoration Centers provide the following types of assistance:

  • NYC Rapid Repairs
  • Food and Nutrition Assistance
  • Temporary Housing Information
  • Health and Medical Benefits
  • Business Restoration
  • Counseling Services
  • Financial Assistance
  • Personal Records and Information

6) Volunteering/Donating

Please see www.nyc.gov/service for current opportunities:

Volunteer on an ongoing basis with New York Cares, Red Hook Initiative, NYC Coalition Against Hunger, UJA Federation, OEM, P.S. 84, St. Virgilius Church, American Legion Hall, etc. in impacted areas.

Ongoing Parks & Recreation clean ups: http://www.nycservice.org/press/view/post/142

Donate food to City Harvest, Food Bank NYC, and Met Council.

Donate materials to Salvation Army, Housing Works, and Catholic Charities.

Donate cash to www.nyc.gov/fund. 100% of donations will go to relief efforts.

If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to contact me!

Best,
Sarah

Sarah Flatto | Project Manager, One NYC One Nation | NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
(212-341-9075 | (646-912-2496 |*sflatto@cityhall.nyc.gov | nyc.gov/immigrants

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