The Committees on Finance and General Welfare convened on May 26, 2025, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget for New York City, focusing on urgent funding needs for vulnerable populations, particularly unaccompanied immigrant children and families facing domestic violence.

The meeting opened with a stark warning from a representative highlighting a crisis stemming from the federal government's abrupt termination of the unaccompanied children program contract, which resulted in a loss of nearly $14 million in funding. This funding cut has left approximately 1,300 children without legal representation, significantly diminishing their chances of securing lawful status in the U.S. The representative emphasized that without legal assistance, a child's likelihood of remaining safely in the country drops to below 15%, while access to an attorney increases that chance to over 90%. The representative called for $6.3 million in discretionary funding and $5.4 million in emergency funding to stabilize the Unaccompanied Minors and Families Initiative (UMFI) and mitigate the impact of the federal funding loss.

Following this testimony, Carlin Cohen from the Chinese American Planning Council shared a poignant story illustrating the challenges faced by community members. She recounted the experience of a woman escaping domestic violence who struggled to access food assistance due to fears about how public benefits might affect her immigration status. Cohen noted that while there is a growing need for support services like SNAP and Medicaid, many individuals remain hesitant to seek help due to concerns about their immigration status.

The discussions underscored the pressing need for increased funding and support for legal services and social programs that assist immigrant families and individuals facing crises. The city council's ongoing commitment to these initiatives was acknowledged, but the representatives stressed that funding has remained stagnant for over six years, failing to keep pace with the rising demand for services.

As the meeting concluded, the urgency for immediate action to address these funding gaps and support vulnerable populations in New York City was clear, with calls for increased financial resources to ensure that essential services remain available. The council members expressed their commitment to addressing these critical issues in the upcoming budget discussions.