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RESOURCES IN ENGLISH (Para español vea abajo)
At Make the Road NY as we face this pandemic we are shifting our work to respond to this crisis and to protect our members, staff and community.
Here’s how we have been taking action:
- Creating and disseminating accurate, bilingual and culturally competent materials on the virus to our 24k+ members and others in our communities.
- Holding Know Your Rights trainings for community members online so people have the latest information on immigration enforcement, Census participation and other critical issues.
- Waging advocacy campaigns to promote policies that protect working class New Yorkers during this time, such as imposing moratoriums on home evictions and immigration enforcement.
- Shifting our ways of working to minimize contact — moving adult literacy classes online, for example, and having video calls instead of in-person organizing committee meetings — in order to continue to meet the needs of the people we serve and keep us all safe from the virus. Starting Monday, our physical offices will be closed.
- Continuing to provide screening and legal support to individuals who might be impacted by the new public charge rule and connecting people to health care and services.
- Staffing a Coronavirus hotline for vulnerable communities.
Please visit the following websites for helpful resources:
- The CDC website, NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs’ website, and NYC Department of Health’s website contain helpful up-to-date information on COVID-19.
- Here are some fact sheets from New York City’s Department of Health
- A 6-step graphic on how to wash your hands.
OUR CURRENT OPERATIONS
Effective Monday, March 16th our community OFFICES ARE PHYSICALLY CLOSED for most uses for the time being.
However, we are providing remote support to our community members via telephone and web-based services, virtual classrooms, and online organizing. This includes classes, screenings, legal counseling, health access and other services.
To reach us, please call a Make the Road NY hotline in your area and we’ll do our best to help answer any questions:
- Bushwick, Brooklyn – (718) 418-7690
- Jackson Heights, Queens – (718) 565-8500
- Port Richmond, Staten Island – (718) 727-1222
- Brentwood, Long Island – (631) 231-2220
- White Plains, Westchester – (914) 948-8466
Thank you for your patience and collaboration.
WORKERS RIGHTS RESOURCES
Watch our recent online trainings for critical safety and Know Your Rights Information
Safety Protections for Essential Workers in a Pandemic
Workers Rights and the COVID-19 Crisis (in Spanish)
How to protect your health as a domestic worker during the COVID-19 Crisis (in Spanish)
Download this guide to learn how to apply for unemployment insurance step-by-step.
Paid Sick Leave: What Employees Need to Know
New York City
Most workers in NYC have the right to sick time. If you work in NYC for more than 80 hours a year, you can earn up to 40 hours of leave to care for yourself or anyone you consider family. You can start using your sick time 120 days after your first day of employment. You can use your time to stay home if you or a family member is sick or to go to medical appointments.
If your employer has five or more employees, you have a right to paid leave. If your employer has fewer than five employees, you have a right to unpaid leave.
Domestic workers in NYC who have worked (i) for the same employer for at least one year, and (ii) worked more than 80 hours in a year for that employer, are entitled to two paid days of sick leave each year.
Your employer cannot refuse to let you use the sick time that you have earned, punish you for requesting or using earned sick time, or make you find a replacement worker before letting you use your sick time. Your employer cannot require medical documentation for using your sick time if you are taking three consecutive days off of work or less.
To learn more or to report a problem, call 311.
Westchester
Most workers in Westchester have the right to sick time. The Westchester paid sick days law went into effect in 2019. If you work in Westchester for more than 80 hours a year, you can earn up to 40 hours of leave to care for yourself or anyone you consider family. You can start using your sick time 120 days after your first day of employment. You can use your time to stay home if you or a family member is sick or to go to medical appointments.
If your employer has five or more employees, you have a right to paid leave. If your employer has fewer than five employees, you have a right to unpaid leave.
Your employer cannot refuse to let you use the sick time that you have earned, punish you for requesting or using your earned sick time, or make you find a replacement worker before letting you use your sick time. Your employer cannot require medical documentation for using your sick time if you are taking three consecutive days off of work or less.
To learn more or to report a problem, call the Department of Consumer Affairs at (914) 995-2155.
UNEMPLOYMENT RESOURCES
- If you are not working because of COVID-19, you can apply for unemployment benefits now! Learn how to file your unemployment insurance claim online here.
IMMIGRANT RIGHTS RESOURCES
We encourage folks to remain home if they feel sick, and to continue to see their homes as safe spaces. Remember that ICE cannot enter your home without a signed warrant by a judge.
If you hear a knock at your door and you believe that it is ICE DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. A good practice is to always ask who is behind the door before opening it. If you hear a knock and then hear “police” it very well could be ICE. Always ask to see a warrant.
No one should be afraid to go to the doctor and seek medical care, regardless of their immigration status. Your health is important. You cannot be denied emergency services based on your ability to pay. There is no ICE presence in hospitals, and you do not need to disclose your immigration status when going to the emergency room to access services. They may ask for this information though for benefit enrollment purposes.
IMMIGRATION UPDATES
These are the most recent updates for NEW YORK as of March 19, 2020.
Case Processing
- ALL immigration court hearings in NY for people who are NOT detained are canceled. People with canceled hearings should receive a new hearing notice in the mail, but should also be in contact with their attorney and/or check 1-800-898-7180 to make sure they receive prompt information about the new date. This is very important because there are many reasons why a new hearing notice might not actually make it to the person. We do not know when the courts will re-open
- ALL immigration court hearings in NY for people who are detained continue to move forward
- ALL interviews, biometrics appointments (fingerprints and photos), and naturalization ceremonies scheduled at USCIS in NY between now and at least April 1 are canceled. People with canceled dates should receive a new date in the mail
- However, for now, USCIS, immigration courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, etc., continue to review and issue decisions on some applications/cases, so it is possible people will receive written, time-sensitive notices that still require a response.
Enforcement
- ALL check-ins (when a person needs to report in-person to ICE or a private company [BI], including ISAP) scheduled between now and April 14 in NY are canceled. People will receive information about a new date by phone or in the mail, but should speak with their attorney or get advice from an attorney if they are unrepresented.
- While ICE has announced a potential shift in who is a priority for arrest, ICE continues to arrest people. MRNY has signed on to several demands that ALL arrests stop.
- Conditions in detention are deteriorating. MRNY has signed on to several demands that ALL people detained be released. MRNY is preparing release requests for particularly vulnerable individuals.
Getting Help
- If a person has an attorney, they should contact that attorney
- People can continue to call 311 to request an appointment through ActionNYC — the appointment will be telephonic. This is a good option for someone who does NOT have an attorney AND is NOT detained.
Immigrant Protestors in NYC
Immigrants, including undocumented people, have a deep history of engaging in protests in order to fight for liberation. There are many guides to know your rights when interacting with police and all should read them! But if you live in NYC, and are not a U.S. citizen, here is some additional information, just for you:
HOUSING RIGHTS RESOURCES
UPDATE ON HOUSING COURT CLOSURE & MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS AS OF MARCH 15, 2020
NY State Housing Courts will be CLOSED starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020. We still do not know how long they will be closed. Cases on the calendar for Monday, March 16, 2020 will be administratively adjourned to a later date.
There is an indefinite moratorium on evictions, which means that no one can be physically evicted from their home at this time. In addition, courts have NOT been issuing default orders against parties who do not appear in court on their court date. It is unclear how long these policies will be in place.
There will be one Emergency Housing Court developed to handle only very limited, emergency cases. There are no details on the Emergency Housing Court at this time.
If you have an attorney at Make the Road, please contact them directly or wait for them to contact you. If you have an attorney elsewhere, please contact that person. If you do not have a case in Housing Court but have questions, we will be sending out updates as they become available.
UPDATE ON HOUSING MORATORIUMS AS OF MAY 7, 2020
Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order on May 7, 2020, which extends and changes a previous order for an eviction moratorium. The Order, in effect, created two separate moratoriums. The information available about these moratoriums is confusing and sometimes contradictory. For this reason, we urge tenants to speak to an attorney to better understand their rights during this health crisis. You can arrange a consultation with a lawyer at Make the Road NY by speaking to an organizer, or you can call 311 for legal services in other parts of NYC.
We strongly recommend speaking with an attorney if you have received any kind of notice, are being harassed by your landlord, or are worried that you could be evicted.
FOOD PROGRAM RESOURCES
Food Programs in the times of COVID-19
There are currently a variety of food programs throughout New York City, Westchester, and Long Island that help provide food to families, including food pantries, grab-and-go meal distributors, and food delivery programs.
Pandemic EBT Benefits
P-EBT are temporary food benefits to help cover the cost of meals children would have otherwise received at school. These benefits are NOT food stamps (SNAP).
To learn how to apply and the benefits of P-EBT:
Please check here periodically for more updates!
DONATE TO OUR COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUND
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