Release #014-97

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Jack Deacy (212) 788-2969

The Mayor was joined by members of the Coalition, which includes business leaders, educators, writers, artists and representatives of community and immigration organizations from virtually every ethnic community in America. Representing the Coalition at the press conference were Manuel Matos, executive director of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Dennis Walcott, president of the New York Urban League, renowned mezzo soprano Teresa Stratas, and bestselling author Frank McCourt.

"What better place to launch our campaign for the rights of immigrants than here on Ellis Island, the golden door through which millions of immigrants passed on their way to a new life in a new land," Mayor Giuliani said. "I want to thank the concerned Americans and New Yorkers and the 63 community and ethnic organizations who have stepped forward to be in the vanguard of a nationwide campaign to defend immigrants and immigration as vital to the economy and spirit of America."

To underline how important immigrants are to New York City, Mayor Giuliani and City Planning Commission Chairman Joseph B. Rose released The Newest New Yorkers, 1990-1994, a comprehensive report which outlines immigration trends in New York City during the first five years of the decade when 563,000 legal immigrants arrived in the city. (See Mayoral Press Release 016-97 for details of the report.)

The Immigration Coalition's first order of business will be to call on Congress and the President to repeal provisions of the recently enacted welfare and immigration laws that discriminate against immigrants. On October 11, 1996 the City of New York filed suit in United States District Court against the federal government and its provisions concerning immigrants. The City continues to press the court case.

According to Mayor Giuliani, New York City will also be hosting a national immigration conference early this spring to plan a national strategy to fight the widespread cuts in benefits to legal immigrants. Mayors and County Executives from localities with large immigrant populations will be invited.

"The U.S. accepts over 700,000 legal immigrants every year," the Mayor said. "We invite them here to create better lives for themselves and their families and the overwhelming majority of them take great advantage of their new opportunity. In return for the privileges of American residence, immigrants pay federal , state and local taxes at the same rate as American citizens. Under the new laws, the federal government will now largely abandon them if they experience the same problems and difficulties some American citizens face. Withholding these benefits from immigrants , who are here legally and whose taxes help pay for these very programs, is arguably unconstitutional and certainly unfair."

MAYOR RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI'S IMMIGRATION COALITION
List in Formation
January 9, 1997

Prominent Individuals (25)

Herman Badillo, Celia Cruz, Rita Di Martino, Milos Forman, Bill Fugazy, Alan Greenberg, Oscar Hijuelos, David Henry Huang, Bianca Jagger, Ang Lee, Cho Liang Lin, Peter Max, Frank McCourt, Zubin Mehta, Roberto Mendoza, I.M. Pei, Itzhak Perlman, Carlos Santana, Hans Schindler, Ron Silver, George Soros, Isaac Stern, Teresa Stratas, Preston Robert Tisch, Jacqueline Weld.

Accion Latina
ACDP (HighBridge)
Afghan Community Center
Alianza Dominicana
American-Bangladesh Friendship Association
The American Jewish Committee
Arab-American Family Support Center
Asian American Bar Association of New York
Asian-American Business Development Center
Asian-American Federation of New York
Asian-Americans for Equality
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Asociacion Benefica Cultural Father Billini
Association of Hispanic Arts
Caribbean American Center of New York
Caribbean American Chambers of Commerce
Caribbean Women Health Association
Center for Immigrant Rights
Center for Migration Studies
Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council
Children's Aid Society
Chinese-American Planning Council
Citizens Advice Bureau
Coalition for Asian-American Children & Families
The Coalition of Voluntary Mental Health Agencies, Inc.
Council of Jewish Federations
Crown Heights Youth Collective
Dominican Women's Development Center
The Educational Alliance
El Diario
Emerald Isle Immigration Center
Hamilton-Madison House, Inc.
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
Hispanic Federation of New York
Hispanic Women's Center
Human Services Council
Immigration and Refugee Services of America
Japanese-American Social Services, Inc.
Korean American Family Service Center
Medgar Evers College
Metropolitan Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty
Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund
The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
National Asian Peace Officers Association
National Korean American Service and Education Consortium
National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
National Council of La Raza
National Immigration Forum
The National Immigration Law Center
New York Immigration Coalition
New York Association for New Americans
New York City Partnership and Chamber of Commerce
New York Urban League
Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights
Noticias del Mundo
Organization of Chinese Americans
Polish & Slavic Center
Refugee Woman Council
Spanish Broadcasting Systems
Supreme Council for Asians in Law Enforcement
Telemundo
UJA--Federation of New York
Victim Services/NY Immigration Hotline
WADO Radio

Una Clarke, Councilmember
Lloyd Henry, Councilmember
Claire Shulman, Queens Borough President