Two-Day Immigration Hotline, Town Hall meeting to support immigrant communities

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The following is a press release from the New York Immigration Coalition:

On Thursday, June 30, a group of immigration advocates and media partners held a town hall to provide community members with information about the Supreme Court ruling on Administrative Relief. The town hall, a collaborative effort by New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), Univision, ABC7, El Diario, Radio WADO, Catholic Charities NY, the New York State Office of New Americans (ONA), and American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), to help inform community members about what the Supreme Court's 4-4 tie on immigration relief means and what next steps are for immigrant communities. The Town Hall took place at the New York Public Library in Manhattan.

Last Thursday in disappointing decision, the Supreme Court announced a 4-4 ruling in US versus Texas, the case determining whether President Obama's 2014 immigration relief programs can go into effect. The tied decision from the Supreme Court means that the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals' decision is upheld, and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and the expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA+) programs will not be implemented. In light of the deadlock, the two-day hotline and the June 30th town hall was a hub for immigrant communities to receive the most up-to-date information about next steps in the fight to keep families together and in the push towards broader comprehensive immigration reform.

Steven Choi, executive director at the New York Immigration Coalition said, "The Coalition and our partners have been preparing this town hall for months to ensure that New Yorkers have the most accurate information about the Supreme Court ruling on immigration relief. Despite the disappointing outcome last week, we have not lost hope. Today, accredited legal representatives are sharing key information about how to protect oneself against deportation and other legal remedies that may be possible despite the set back of the ruling. We are also setting the stage for our broader fight for comprehensive immigration reform and we are humbled by the resilience of our communities who will not rest until we finally have a fair and just solution to our broken immigration system."