Opinion: Immigrant Youth Are New York’s Future. It’s Time We Invest Like It

“If we expand those investments, five years from now, we can have a larger generation of students — especially Black, brown, and immigrant youth — prepared and inspired to lead.”

This past summer, you could find Juan at the Mercedes Club pool, perched on a lifeguard stand and scanning the water with steady focus. A little shy and incredibly tenacious, he had landed one of the hardest summer jobs for New York City teens. The summer before, he worked further uptown with Futures Ignite’s Urban Ecology Lab, testing air and water quality at Sherman Creek through our partnership with the New York Restoration Project.

Juan is a senior at the Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School, the son of Dominican immigrants, and a quiet, determined leader. Since 10th grade, he has immersed himself in Futures Ignite: researching with the Clean Air Green Corridor Lab, testing water quality with the Urban Ecology Summer Institute, and joining college trips. 

His persistence shows up in small moments. At our Urban Ecology Summer Symposium, when his team was missing a crucial water sample, Juan hopped on a CitiBike, collected it from the Harlem River, and returned in time for his team to finish strong. Now, he is applying to college, dreaming of studying computer science and finance, while continuing to grow as an environmental and STEM leader.

At Futures Ignite, our mission is to partner with high schools so every student can explore, lead, launch, and persist in bold college and career futures. Each year, we support more than 1,500 students in northern Manhattan and the Bronx with after-school, summer, leadership, and career experiences that open doors and make those futures possible. We believe all young people deserve the investment and support to set bold goals—and the opportunities to achieve them.

Half of all New York City youth have at least one immigrant parent. In neighborhoods like Washington Heights and Kingsbridge, the number is even higher. These are the communities where Futures Ignite works every day—and where the stakes could not be higher.

Immigrant families are under attack. Across the nation, and even here in New York City, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained high school students. We must prevent this from happening again.

New York City has taken important steps. Our sanctuary school policies ensure ICE cannot enter schools without a warrant, offering a critical layer of protection. But schools are more than buildings that keep agents out—they are the lifelines of our communities. True safety must go further: belonging for Black and brown students in a school system still deeply segregated and unequal; freedom from gun violence; investment in restorative justice; and schools that affirm culture, language, and identity. Above all, safety must mean spaces where every young person is supported to dream, to lead, and to thrive.

The Department of Education’s Future Ready NYC initiative is another step forward, expanding career pathways and strengthening college connections. It shows what’s possible when the city invests in young people’s futures. But Future Ready must grow into a far greater investment that reaches all students, not just some. If New York is serious about being a sanctuary city, it must mean more than keeping ICE out of school doors—it must mean investing in the everyday safety, leadership, and futures of immigrant students inside those doors.

Schools, families, and community organizations are already showing what this looks like. Teachers and leaders stand shoulder to shoulder with families, advocating far beyond the classroom. That solidarity is powerful—and we need more of it. At the same time, we cannot let crisis define our vision. While we fight to defend our young people, we must also invest in them—ensuring they not only survive, but thrive, lead, and shape the future of this city.

Juan shows us what that looks like too. A teenager applying to college and planning his future, he scrolls through feeds filled with attacks on immigrants and hears leaders question his family’s right to be here. The ordinary milestones of adolescence unfold against a backdrop of exclusion and doubt—yet he keeps moving forward, focused on his goals despite the noise around him. His persistence is proof of what becomes possible when families, schools, and community organizations stand with young people and invest in their futures.

If we expand those investments, five years from now, we can have a larger generation of students—especially Black, brown, and immigrant youth—prepared and inspired to lead. That means free, dynamic after-school and summer programs, meaningful leadership opportunities, internships and job training, and individualized college/postsecondary counseling.

When students like Juan are supported, they thrive. They become lifeguards, lead science research, prepare for college, and give back to their communities. Their leadership isn’t in question—they are already part of New York’s strength today and the leaders our city needs for tomorrow.

We can fight today’s fires while planting the seeds for tomorrow. If we want New York to remain a city of promise, we must double down on long-term investments in immigrant youth. That means Future Ready, Futures Ignite, and the work of other after-school, summer, and community-based programs building pathways to college, career, and leadership. Together, these programs don’t just remind young people like Juan that their dreams are worth backing—they help those dreams take root and grow.

Because when immigrant youth thrive, all of New York City thrives, and so does its future.

Molly Delano is the executive director at Futures Ignite.