Stand up for our immigrant neighbors
Brad understands that immigrant New Yorkers are the economic engine of our city and will stand up for our neighbors against authoritarian attacks from the Trump administration.
He will ensure immigrant New Yorkers have access to the legal services they need to get work authorization, ESL, job training, and case management. This is the most compassionate, cost-effective way to decrease NYC’s shelter population in contrast to the Adams Administration’s cruel shelter limit policies. Back to Issues
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As a City Council Member, Brad worked under the leadership of Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to pass new policies protecting immigrants from deportation. He was also an early supporter of the effort to expand opportunities for street vendors and to create the New York City ID to help immigrants get access to financial, employment, and other services.
Brad helped lead the effort to establish the successful Promise NYC program, which provides child care for families seeking asylum. He passed significant legislation to support immigrant workers and communities, including laws that protect and support Uber and Lyft drivers and other gig-workers, carwasheros, fast-food workers, and vulnerable tenants facing harassment and displacement.
As Comptroller, Brad has pushed for a common-sense management approach that uses City dollars more efficiently while setting new arrivals up for success. In July of 2023, Brad urged City agencies to keep prices down and improve services by replacing costly no-bid emergency contracts with vendors selected through a competitive bid process. In September 2023, he used his powers as Comptroller to reject the Adams Administration’s $432 million no-bid contract with DocGo, a for-profit medical staffing company with no experience providing shelter or services for asylum seekers, ultimately leading to its cancellation. His audit of Adams’ no-bid staffing contracts found millions of wasted dollars.
Brad’s investigation into the Adams Administration’s implementation of its 60-day shelter limit for asylum-seeking families revealed that City Hall has subjected over 37,000 people to repetitive screenings for shelter alternatives, disrupted families’ efforts to obtain work authorization and legal status, and uprooted children from the schools where they made connections.
Despite their differences, Brad initiated an effort with Mayor Adams to partner with philanthropic foundations that have raised millions of dollars to support community-based efforts to help asylum seekers find work and get on their feet.