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Press Release

Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and APNA Brooklyn Community Center Launch IDNYC "Pop-Up" Enrollment Site in Brooklyn

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 10, 2017
CONTACT: mediabox@moia.nyc.gov, 646-343-7164

BROOKLYN—IDNYC's Executive Director Colette Samman and the IDNYC team today joined Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz, Assembly Member Pamela Harris, Council Member Chaim Deutsch, and community leaders to launch a "pop-up" IDNYC enrollment site with APNA Brooklyn Community Center in Brighton Beach. This pop-up enrollment site will be open Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M to 5:00 P.M until Tuesday, October 24th. Applications will be available in more than 25 languages at the enrollment site, including Urdu, Bengali, Arabic, Russian, and Spanish.

APNA Brooklyn Community Center serves the Brighton Beach community, helping community members access resources available to New Yorkers, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).

"With this pop-up enrollment site at APNA Brooklyn Community Center, Brighton Beach residents will have another powerful tool to access their city," said Colette Samman, Executive Director of IDNYC. APNA plays an important role in connecting New Yorkers to culture and public resources like Medicaid and food stamps, and we are glad to have their support to further sew IDNYC into the rich fabric of the vibrant community."

"I would like to commend APNA Brooklyn Community Center for their service to the community and for their partnership with the City on IDNYC," said Dr. Sarah Sayeed, Senior Advisor at the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit. "At a time when many communities feel targeted due to harmful and anti-immigrant federal practices, it's so important that more people sign up for IDNYC. You may be a citizen, a permanent resident or undocumented. IDNYC levels the playing field for all New Yorkers. I urge residents of Brighton Beach and beyond to take advantage of the APNA pop-up enrollment site."

"At a time when Washington is trying to turn back the clock and target immigrant communities, New York City is stepping up and fighting back," said Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. "IDNYC is no doubt making a difference in the lives of New Yorkers, and the Department is creatively and effectively going directly into communities and reaching those who would benefit most. It's critical work."

IDNYC is the key to the city for more than 1.1 million New Yorkers. Under the leadership of Mayor Bill de Blasio, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the City Council, the City's municipal ID program is committed to increasing access to IDNYC for all New Yorkers. IDNYC has many permanent enrollment centers across the city as well as a series of temporary "pop-up" enrollment sites.

All City residents age 14 and above are eligible to get a municipal ID card, and enrollment is free for anyone who applies in 2017. IDNYC has a wide array of benefit partners across the city that make entertainment options, sporting events, zoos and museums, among others, cheaper and more accessible to New Yorkers. A full list of benefit partners is available on IDNYC's website. All IDNYC applicants must have documentation that proves identity and residency in New York City. The City is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all IDNYC card applications. For more information on eligibility criteria, benefits, enrollment centers across the five boroughs and more, applicants can visit nyc.gov/IDNYC or call 311.

"The IDNYC card is free and versatile, enabling families and individuals to take advantage of a wide array of resources and opportunities all across our borough and city," said Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz. "I encourage everyone to visit this pop-up enrollment center, which makes the process of getting the IDNYC easy and convenient for the people of our community."

"The IDNYC program provides all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, with the opportunity to obtain a legal photo ID that can be used just as any other form of identification would be, at no cost," said Assembly Member Pamela Harris. "For low-income New Yorkers or for undocumented immigrants, this can be so critically important in helping to open bank accounts and access the resources we all need to live our lives. Additionally, IDNYC has continued to provide vital opportunities for New York City residents to access quality healthcare and health benefits as well as giving them access to a variety of city programs. I encourage every New Yorker without an ID to take part in this program."

"I'm very pleased to participate in today's IDNYC pop-up site launch with the APNA Brooklyn Community Center," said Council Member Chaim Deutsch. "It's always been my pleasure to work closely with APNA and Mr. Siddiqui on the fantastic work they do in the community, and this series of IDNYC enrollments is another opportunity to provide services directly to a community with many immigrants. I look forward to a continued partnership as we ensure that our community is provided the resources and services we are entitled to."

"This pop-up is a great opportunity for our community to sign up for IDNYC," said Pervez Siddiqui, Director of APNA Brooklyn Community Center. "This has been made convenient by bringing the registration right in to the neighborhood. IDNYC is a government-issued ID available to all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status. It helps you open bank accounts, access health benefits, and gain free one-year memberships to museums, the Zoo, and even the New York Botanical Garden. You can also get discounted movie tickets and tickets for sports events. There are so many positive aspects to IDNYC, and I strongly encourage everyone to enroll."