Bill > A02689

This bill enacts the Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense (BUILD) Act, which establishes a grant program to support and expand legal representation for immigrants facing deportation in New York State. Beginning in 2025, the Office of New Americans will award competitive grants to eligible community-based organizations, nonprofits, and educational institutions that currently receive Office of New Americans funding and either provide immigration legal services or recruit and train legal service providers. The grants can be used for various purposes including workforce development, such as recruiting and training lawyers, social workers, and community navigators; technical assistance like skills-based training and language support; local coordination services to connect immigrants with legal help; strategies to improve staff retention; recruiting diverse legal staff; expanding legal services in rural areas; and developing physical and technological infrastructure. A nine-member advisory committee, appointed by the governor, speaker of the assembly, and senate president, will collaborate on grant design, prioritization, and implementation. Grant recipients must focus on providing high-quality, holistic, and linguistically appropriate legal representation regardless of an individual's ability to pay or background. The grants will have a four-year term and can be renewed, with annual reporting requirements to track the program's progress and outcomes.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A2689