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Message from the Commissioner

Bitta Mostofi

To my fellow New Yorkers,

New York City is home to over 8.6 million people, including more than 3.1 million immigrants. Immigrant New Yorkers speak over 200 languages, own over half of our small businesses, and are integral to our ability to thrive as a city. Mayor de Blasio is committed to advancing fairness and equity for all New Yorkers, and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs plays a critical role in helping to realize this vision for our immigrant sisters and brothers.

Under Mayor de Blasio’s leadership, MOIA has implemented a range of programs and policies that seek to alleviate the distinct barriers immigrant New Yorkers may face. We are immensely proud of this work. With over 1 million cardholders, IDNYC is now the largest municipal identification card program in the country and available to all city residents -- offering access and a deep sense of belonging for city residents, regardless of immigration status. Our office is strengthening language access rights in our multilingual city, providing New Yorkers critical information in more languages than ever, while also building on our award-winning English language learning program We Speak NYC. Mayor de Blasio’s unprecedented investment in immigration legal service programs is helping to keep families together and decrease exposure to fraudulent attorneys. ActionNYC offers free, safe immigration legal help, and our citizenship program, NYCitizenship, helps New Yorkers get on the path to citizenship with no-cost, confidential application assistance. These efforts complement the work of our sister agencies, ensuring that City services are available to all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status. And with our office’s focus on advocacy for inclusive immigration policies at all levels of government, we take collective action with partners and cities across the nation to fight for policies and programs that allow our communities to live in safety and dignity.

New York City’s economic, cultural, and civic vitality depends on our immigrant communities. I am humbled by the honor to serve as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, and deeply committed to leading the Administration’s work to bring innovative and equitable policies that promote the well-being and inclusion of our immigrant communities.

Sincerely,
Commissioner Bitta Mostofi

Commissioner's Biography