NY State Governor David Patterson delivered a State of the State address on January 7, 2008 in which he detailed proposals to deal with NY’s fiscal crisis, brought on by the year-long  recession, Wall Street’s virtual implosion and a looming depression. Of the measures proposed, slashing $2.6 billion in school funding appears to be the most hurtful to immigrant children and families.

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), which speaks for hundreds of immigrant organizations and advocates, including HAUP, issued a strong statement deploring the cuts as “unconscionable.”

We staunchly oppose Governor Paterson’s proposals to slash critical services and programs for the most vulnerable New Yorkers.  We are extremely disappointed that the only two immigrant-specific programs offered by the state—the NYS Refugee Assistance Program and the NYS Citizenship Initiative—are facing deep cuts of over 50 and 20 percent, respectively.  Funding for these programs was grossly inadequate to begin with.  These cuts mean that even fewer immigrants would find the help they need to resettle in the U.S., learn English, or become citizens. 

The governor’s proposed cuts of $2.6 billion in school funding would constitute the most drastic education cuts in the state’s history, and immigrant students would be particularly hit hard.  Given the already huge achievement gap between immigrant English language learners and other students (the ELL dropout rate is among the highest in the school system, with one in two dropping out of high school over seven years), these proposed cuts are unconscionable. 

HAUP, like many other community-based organizations that rely on state and city funding to deliver deeply needed services to the greater Cambria Heights community, has been preparing itself to thrive and grow despite the many obstacles that current economic situation has placed in its path. We are prepared to tighten our belt while delivering essential services. Cutting funds to schools that have long suffered from State underfunding could very well jeopardize economic recovery. Investment in education and essential services is a sine qua non for economic growth and social stability in our community. For the immigrant newcomer from the Caribbean, Haiti in particular, English-as-a-Second-Language classes are essential  to their rapid integration into American life and enhance their productivity.

We join others in urging the Governor to reconsider its budget proposals, and to do so in consultation with the constituencies that may be most affected by ill-advised and counterproductive measures.