Photo credit: NYIC
New York: In a major push for language accessibility and immigrant support, the New York 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.
These programs aim to improve language access across the city and enhance legal and social services for immigrant families facing evolving immigration challenges.
Key Facts:
- The NYC Community Interpreter Bank will centralize interpretation services and train interpreters to support legal and community services.
- The Protect NYC Families initiative has allocated over $2 million to fund 60+ nonprofit organizations assisting immigrant families.
- City Council allocated $1.4 million in Fiscal Year 2025 to launch the Interpreter Bank, ensuring language services are widely accessible.
The NYC Community Interpreter Bank will recruit and train interpreters to work in legal service providers, community navigation sites, and City Council offices.
This initiative is part of the Language Justice Collaborative’s “Language Access Workforce Initiative” and will provide employment opportunities for those trained in interpretation.
Graduates from CUNY Hostos Community College’s Interpreter Certification program and worker-owned language cooperatives will be part of this effort.
City officials emphasized the importance of these initiatives in protecting immigrant families from the effects of shifting immigration policies.
“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. “We are 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.”
With rising immigration enforcement concerns, the Protect NYC Families initiative will enhance legal services, rapid response efforts, and community training programs, ensuring vulnerable populations receive the support they need.
Community organizations, including African Communities Together and Haitian-Americans United for Progress, praised the initiative as a transformative step toward equity and inclusivity in New York City.
By prioritizing language access and immigrant support, these initiatives reaffirm New York City’s commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive city for all its residents.
Community members in need of interpretation services or legal assistance can now access expanded support through these newly launched programs.