Immigration conference held in Rye Brook

The Ellis Island Initiative, a bipartisan statewide coalition of New York labor, business, faith and advocacy organizations seeking to find ways to welcome immigrants into the area held a meeting in Rye Brook on May 29.

Hosted by the Business Council of Westchester and the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, the meeting included Westchester County Executive George Latimer and representatives from the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, the Business Council of Westchester, 1199 SEIU, Neighbors Link, and  Catholic Charities of New York.

Priorities identified during the session included:

• Strengthening partnerships and coordination between government, service providers, employers and labor unions to help newcomers navigate the path to employment;
• Expediting work authorizations for newcomers, ensuring they can help fill vital open jobs across the Lower Hudson Region;
• Increasing access to childcare, housing, transportation, and English as a Second Language classes;
• Making it easier for skilled workers with experience in their home countries to get certified to practice their trades in New York.

“In a nation built by immigrants, how we treat our most recent arrivals says a lot about who we are as a community, a state and a country,” Latimer said. “Westchester County’s response to the recent influx of asylum seekers and other immigrants has been compassionate, and smart. The quicker we help these newest residents access not just basic services, but training and job opportunities, the more they will be able to contribute to our local economy and improve the quality of life for all Westchester residents.”

Immigrants make up 24% of the population in the Lower Hudson Valley, about 335,000 of the 1.4 million people living in the region. according to the Ellis Island Initiative.

John Ravitz, executive vice president and COO the Business Council of Westchester, noted, “Immigrants are a key reason why Westchester’s economy is among the strongest in the state. With more than 200,000 immigrants calling Westchester home, they are the business owners, doctors, teachers, and service workers that keep our county running.”

Joe Chinea, Lower Hudson Valley area vice president of 1199SEIU said that the union “is always fighting to secure good paying jobs for all. We can and must do more to integrate our new neighbors to fill vital jobs in our communities so that hospitals and other healthcare providers can provide quality care. We are honored to have been part of today’s conversation and look forward to seeing how the conversations we had today will inform solutions for tomorrow and beyond.”