It was Hizzoner to help solve immigs’ issues
A HANDFUL of shocked callers to the CUNY/Daily News Citizenship NOW! hotline received advice from an unlikely source Thursday — Mayor de Blasio.
“We are going to help you,” Hizzoner told a Ukrainian woman who was struggling with visa issues.
De Blasio was among a slew of top officials — including Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. — who stopped by the annual immigration and hotline headquarters at Guttman Community College in Manhattan.
After taking his calls, de Blasio hailed the volunteers.
“We know what people feel when they’re going through the process of being an immigrant in this country,” the mayor said. “We know a lot of the fear people feel, a lot of the confusion.
“So, I think it’s a really wonderful thing that you — every one of you — is representing the best of New York by reaching out to people and saying we’re here to help you, and we can help solve your problems,” de Blasio added.
For the fourth day in a row, phones were ringing off the hook. In all, some 400 volunteers have fielded more than 9,400 calls since Monday.
People have one more day to receive free and confidential citizenship and immigration information — between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. — from multilingual volunteers supervised by expert attorneys.
Vance said the hotline plays a critical role in preventing immigrants from being victimized by con artists.
“It’s a really important area of work we do in New York City,” he added. “We couldn’t do it without our partners — the Daily News, (CUNY). So I thank them, and I especially thank the volunteers.”
Since its launch in 2004, Citizenship NOW! has helped more than 152,000 callers.
Among the city pols, dignitaries and business leaders to visit the center Thursday were city Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Nisha Agarwal, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Assemblyman Ron Kim (DQueens).
“People are sometimes confused, especially because there are fraudulent services that are out there taking advantage of vulnerable immigrants,” Kim said.
“That’s why this service is so valuable.”
Brewer suggested Donald Trump’s hateful language may have helped boost the “impressive” volume of calls.
“I assume that horror, Donald Trump, is adding to that because people are scared,” Brewer said. “He’s making them scared. It’s ironic that his idiocy and nastiness is contributing to the participation, but it is great that you’re able to counter with the facts.”
Volunteer Riz Cabio, 28, a recent law school graduate who became a citizen a year ago, said he relishes the opportunity to give back. “It’s something that I went through, so I can help a lot of people,” Cabio said. “My process was straightforward, but others aren’t.” The roster of guests who have made appearances at the hotline headquarters includes Timothy Cardinal Dolan, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Some of the visitors have come to share their own extraordinary immigrant stories.
Businessman Jaime Lucero, 58, reached the U.S. from Mexico in 1975 by swimming across the Rio Grande at age 17.
Lucero landed a dishwashing job in Queens and later succeeded in becoming a citizen thanks to Ronald Reagan’s 1986 amnesty program. He’s now the millionaire owner of a clothing-import business based in New Jersey.
“I want to thank all the volunteers that are here. For every caller helped, there is a family behind them,” Lucero said. “The economic and political empowerment of these immigrants is crucial, and that’s what this day represents.”
I think it’s a really wonderful thing that you ... (are) representing the best of New York by reaching out to people and saying we’re here to help. — Mayor de Blasio