Over Four Years, Moia Built and Strengthened the Nation's Largest Municipal Immigrant Services System, Delivered Historic Investment, And Served Over 500,000 Immigrant New Yorkers

For Immediate Release: December 16, 2025

Contact: Shaina Torres, scoronel@cityhall.nyc.gov

New York – New York City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro today celebrated the culmination of four years of transformational impact, delivering the City's largest-ever investment in immigrant communities and expanding the nation's largest municipal immigrant affairs infrastructure.

Between 2022 and 2025, MOIA invested more than $126 million in community-based organizations and M/WBE vendors. Collectively, MOIA's programs and partnerships delivered services and critical resources to over 500,000 immigrant New Yorkers across all five boroughs and reached millions more through our multilingual communications campaigns.

Through this work, MOIA scaled legal protections, language access, adult education, and community-based infrastructure at a level never before achieved in New York City or any U.S. municipality.

Under the leadership of Commissioner Castro, a formerly undocumented immigrant and member of the first generation of DREAMers, the office navigated multiple, overlapping crises, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, unprecedented global displacement, shifting federal immigration policies, and local humanitarian emergencies, while remaining consistently focused on the wellbeing of immigrant communities.

"We took office with a simple promise: to 'Get Stuff Done,' and, four years later, our administration can say we delivered that every day for working-class New Yorkers," said Mayor Adams. "We drove shootings to record lows and pushed jobs and small businesses to record highs. We rewrote the playbook on homelessness and mental health to finally get New Yorkers living on our streets the help they need, and, after decades of half-measures, passed historic housing legislation to turn New York into a 'City of Yes.' We overhauled the way our students learn to read and do math, cut the cost of child care, and forgave medical debt. We eliminated taxes for low-income families, launched free universal after-school programming, and invested $126 million in community-based organizations as we served over 500,000 immigrant New Yorkers and managed an unprecedented humanitarian crises to help newcomers take the next steps in their pursuit of the American Dream. We got scaffolding off our buildings, trash bags off our streets, and opened up new public spaces for New Yorkers to enjoy. The haters may have doubted us, but the results are clear. On issue after issue, we brought common-sense leadership to create a safer, more affordable city, and our work has changed our city for the better; it will stand the test of time because we made New York City the best place to live and raise a family."

"New York City is truly a city of immigrants. Whether first, second, or other generations, the city is a place where language, culture, and appreciation of diversity thrives. The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs demonstrates that so fully through programs, legal supports, and honoring immigrants through events and flag raisings," said Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services, Suzanne Miles-Gustave. "MOIA also stepped up in an unprecedented time to guide policy for our newest New Yorkers over the last several years. Thank you to MOIA for all you have done and continue to do for every immigrant that calls New York City home."

"I'm deeply grateful to the MOIA staff, our nonprofit partners, and colleagues across city government who showed up through every challenge our communities faced. It has been an honor to lead alongside them, and I am proud of all that we accomplished together," said Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. "What we leave behind is not just expanded services, but an infrastructure that will continue serving immigrant New Yorkers long after this chapter."

Key Results and Impact

Historic Investment in Community-Based Infrastructure

• Invested over $126 million in contracts with community-based organizations and M/WBE vendors.
• More than doubled annual funding for immigration legal services, increasing from $9.4 million in FY22 to $20.4 million in the current fiscal year.
• Established stable, multi-year funding that strengthened nonprofit capacity across all five boroughs.

Nation's Largest Municipal Immigration Legal Services Network

• Funded 29 MOIA Immigration Legal Support Centers citywide.
• Connected 64,000+ immigrant New Yorkers to immigration legal services, including screenings, case filings, and referrals.
• Responded to nearly 200,000 calls through the MOIA Legal Support Hotline and askMOIA Hotline.
• Provided deportation defense and emergency legal support to 500+ individuals through the Rapid Legal Response Collaborative.

Rebuilding English Language Learning Citywide

• Established 100+ English Learning Centers embedded in immigrant neighborhoods.
• Supported 18,000+ immigrant New Yorkers through English classes, service referrals, and community-based learning hubs.

Responding to the Nation's Largest Humanitarian Crisis

• First to respond to the nation's largest humanitarian crisis at Port Authority Bus Terminal, with the City ultimately welcoming 240,000+ asylum seekers.
• Supported 73,000+ asylum seekers to case management services through our Asylum Seeker Navigation Sites and the Asylum Seeker Support Grant
• Connected 16,000+ immigrant New Yorkers to immigration legal services, including screenings, pro-se help, and referrals.

Citywide Leadership on Language Access

• Completed 1,000+ document translations in 60+ languages for mayoral offices.
• Delivered 600+ interpretation services at 80+ public events.
• Provided 69,000+ telephonic interpretation calls across 300+ languages.
• Delivered hundreds of hours of technical assistance, training, and implementation support to 40+ City agencies, elevating language access standards across government.

Expanded Immigrant Rights Education and Information

• Reached 59,000+ immigrant New Yorkers through 1,600+ Know Your Rights workshops delivered by community partners.
• Provided critical information on interactions with federal immigration enforcement, fraud prevention, and access to city services.

Trusted Communication Through Immigrant Media

• Convened 25+ immigrant media roundtables with 17 City agencies.
• Partnered with 30+ ethnic media outlets, reaching communities in 24+ languages.

Community Engagement at Scale

• Hosted nearly 2,000 Days of Action events, connecting immigrant New Yorkers to essential resources.
• Connected 90,000+ residents to IDNYC, NYC Care, legal referrals, and other critical services.

Celebrating Immigrant Communities and Culture

• Published 23 Immigrant Ethnic Enclave Illustrations honoring immigrant neighborhoods across all five boroughs.
• Hosted 143 ceremonies celebrating immigrant communities from around the world.

Institutionalizing Immigrant Priorities Across City Government

• Launched a new Immigrant Affairs Intranet for City employees, providing multilingual tools, Know Your Rights guidance, and practical resources.
• Embedded immigrant priorities across government through quarterly interagency coordination, convening 45+ City agencies and offices to advance language access, uphold sanctuary city laws and policies, and strengthen citywide accountability in serving immigrant communities.
• Hosted the first-ever MOIA convening bringing together City agencies and nonprofit partners to align strategy, share best practices, and strengthen collaboration.