During the past five years, requests for interpretation by phone that were answered by the city’s Language Line or with an on-site interpreter increased more than five-fold in the Department of Homeless Services shelter system, jumping from 18,660 in 2020 to 107,083 in 2024.
“With legal services to obtain work authorizations, language access so they can navigate our government bureaucracy, childcare so they can go to work, and education so their kids can get on the pathway to future success, immigrant families will be able to contribute even more to our city.”
During the last two years, over 189,200 migrants have come to New York City and about 64,400 are currently under the city’s care; of those, roughly 17 percent are from African countries, according to City Hall.
The planned budget cuts, including some scheduled for the next fiscal year that starts in July, include reductions for programs offering English-language classes and legal help for people at risk of deportation—at a time when demand for those services is only increasing, providers say.
A patchwork of agencies, stakeholders and community groups help provide language-specific educational materials and translation services around city elections, what experts say is essential to making sure residents aren’t locked out of the democratic process.
Spanish translators were missing at two Queens polling places that City Limits visited Tuesday morning, while interpreters for other languages said they had interacted with very few voters.
According to the DOE, 43 percent of NYC’s students spoke a language other than English during the current school year. The Immigrant Family Communication program, which had been budgeted for only one year, was renewed in the 2023 budget but was not expanded to the $6 million requested by advocates.
Eric Adams introduced his plan for immigrant communities called WeRISE (Raise Immigrant Safety and Empowerment) while campaigning for office in June 2021. After three months in office, little progress has been made so far.
‘Limited English Proficient (LEP) parents have a legal right to have access to information in their preferred languages. This is not an optional service for the NYC Department of Education, it’s the law.’
“We’re trying the best we can.” A poll site in Queensbridge was missing its Spanish- and Chinese-language interpreters Tuesday morning. Workers handed out translated info cards instead, while the Korean-language interpreter was using Google Translate to assist voters.
City Limits uses investigative journalism through the prism of New York City to identify urban problems, examine their causes, explore solutions, and equip communities to take action.
Founded in 1976 in the midst of New York’s fiscal crisis, City Limits exists to inform democracy and equip citizens to create a more just city. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by foundation support, ad sponsorship and donations from readers.
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