Immigrants Rights 

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• Advocated for the Green Light Bill which provides drivers license for all New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status

 

• Organized alongside local activist groups to create municipal ID programs in the City of Newburgh and communities cross the Hudson Valley

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• Advocated for the City of Newburgh and neighboring communities to become Sanctuary cities or "Fair and Welcoming Communities" as a response the Trump administrations attack on undocumented populations

 

• Advocated for a ban of ICE in NY state and protested the detention of ICE inmates in the Orange County jail

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• Advocates for more funding for organizations that provide free legal services for undocumented populations

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• Advocated for COVID 19 information be translated into diverse languages, especially Spanish, Creole and Yiddish (Orange County's most commonly spoken languages)

 

• Believes that NO Human being is Illegal

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The rhetoric that was coming out of Washington during the Trump administration  created an atmosphere of fear and bigotry. As a proud New Yorker, I recognized that diversity is our greatest strength. That is why I supported initiatives to keep our families together. The Trump administration’s policies made millions of people live in fear. It created a political climate that instilled fear and insecurity amongst our community. It is unacceptable that now more than ever before we have families that are fearful of taking their kids to school, or going to the hospital for a routine checkup or reporting a domestic violence case out of fear of what may happen to a loved one living in their home. This is not only a moral issue, it is a safety issue. One that I worked to address throughout the past four years.

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As a community organizer, I have personally advocated on behalf of cities and towns to promote policies that are mindful of the concerns of our undocumented populations. As a city of Newburgh resident, I encouraged my local city council to become a "Fair and Welcoming" community and have since talked across the Hudson Valley to encourage other communities to do the same. I currently work with grass root organizations, such as "Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson" and the Worker's Justice Center to encourage communities to create Municipal IDs for their communities. I also advocated for the creation of the Green Light Bill in Albany and worked to get implemented in Orange County.

We must do everything to support our most vulnerable communities and make sure people are not living in the shadows or in fear of being separated from their families. Currently, the Orange County clerks office continues to restrict the ability for people to apply for driver's licenses, using Covid 19 as an excuse for her inaction. We can and must do better and I will work to prioritize  this with whomever becomes the future Orange County Clerk.