2016 has thus far been a difficult year for immigrant communities. Not only has anti-immigrant demagoguery filled headlines during the presidential race, but President Obama's effort to alleviate harm to immigrants with ties to their communities through executive action remains stalled as a result of a legal challenge by a group of states and governors. That case, United States v. Texas, was heard by the Supreme Court this week.
Because national immigration politics have dominated public discourse, it is possible to overlook the important work of cities in supporting their local immigrant communities while advocating for comprehensive immigration reform. In United States v. Texas, for example, Mayor Bill de Blasio was a leader in organizing Cities for Action, a national coalition of more than 100 mayors, cities and counties that filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling blocking the President's executive order.
The brief notes that executive action will provide relief to an estimated four million immigrants and their families, and contributes over $800 million annually in economic benefits to state and local governments. For New York City, an estimated 220,000 immigrants and their families would benefit from Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs. The delay in implementation has forced mixed-status families with U.S. citizen children (representing at least nine million people nationally) to continue to live in ongoing fear of deportation and separation, a situation that has profound emotional, educational and health impacts on children. Each day of delay costs local governments hundreds of thousands of dollars in unrealized revenue, while hindering the ability of local law enforcement to build trust with immigrant communities and simultaneously increase public safety.
Investing in immigrant communities benefits cities many times over. In New York, we know that permitting undocumented persons to apply for DACA improves their access to healthcare, education and jobs, thereby enhancing their prospects for independence and prosperity, all to the benefit of our city's fiscal health. These efforts are also a moral imperative, consistent with America's most cherished values of inclusion and shared prosperity.
Under Mayor de Blasio's administration, the City has also undertaken initiatives to eliminate inequities against immigrant New Yorkers by enhancing their economic, civic and social integration into the broader community and facilitating their access to justice.
One such initiative is ActionNYC, a community-based model that delivers necessary free legal services focused on the specialized needs of our immigrant population. ActionNYC ensures that immigrants needing legal advice about their status do not fall victim to unscrupulous practitioners who have preyed on the desperation and fears of immigrants uncertain of their rights. Far too many New Yorkers who are eligible for immigration relief do not know that they qualify. The National Immigration Justice Center estimates that about 14 percent of individuals screened for DACA turned out to be eligible for more permanent forms of immigration relief. And in the event that the ruling blocking the President's executive order is overturned - and we believe it will be - ActionNYC will assist New York City immigrants to gather all necessary documents and application materials so that they are ready to complete their applications for immigration relief within what may be a short enrollment period.
The solidarity of the mayors, cities and counties that have signed on to the amicus brief supporting the President's executive action represents America at its best - honoring our history as a land built on waves of immigrants who share a common aspiration for a better life. The needs of our immigrant neighbors should not be further delayed. Beyond the current case in the Court, the time for common sense immigration reform is now.
Nisha Agarwal is the commissioner of New York City's Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. Zachary W. Carter is the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York.