The Just Metropolis: A Debate about the Role of Local Government in the Face of Increasing Migration and Diversity

Thursday, 4/15, 6:30pm

Featuring:

Jack Jaskaran, Commanding Officer, Community Outreach Section, NYPD

Suman Raghunathan, Immigration Rights Policy Specialist, Progressive States Network

Javier Valdes, Deputy Director, Make The Road New York

Anne Frederick, Executive Director, Hester Street Collaborative

Moderated by Julie Behrens and Kaja Kuehl

Over the past 20 years, the United States has been experiencing a wave of immigration unparalled since the turn of the last century.  However, immigration policy discussions at the national level thus far have given little attention to the local nature of this phenomenon; migrants move to cities and have an impact on the communities in which they live.  While immigration policy is the exclusive authority of the federal government, national lawmakers have thus far failed to create a comprehensive legal and policy framework that reflects the reality of the current era of migration to the United States.

In the absence of clear direction or support from Washington, municipalities around the country are increasingly forced into the role of de facto immigration policy makersa role beyond the legal authority, enforcement capability and expertise of most municipal governments. The situation presents a huge challenge for urban governance as local authorities across the country struggle to adapt and provide services to a newly arriving immigrant population.

Drawing New York City’s wealth of experience as a traditional immigrant gateway city, this panel will bring together experts from municipal government, advocacy and academic communities to explore the notion of rescaling immigration policy from the national to the local level. We will discuss the challenges and opportunities for local governance in the current federal landscape and learn about how New York City’s approach to issues such as housing, public safety and access to public services and the effect on immigrant communities across the city.”

Free and open to the public

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[Studio-X is a downtown studio for experimental design and research run by the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation of Columbia University.]