Know Your Rights
Know Your Rights, Know Your Power
Knowing your rights is key to ensuring that you stand strong in the face of adversity and that you are treated with the dignity and respect you deserve. OLA holds forums and trainings to help community members stay informed about rights, policies, and processes related to issues that directly affect immigrants.
Police / ICE
Tragically, the East End has seen too many raids carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which have had the damaging effects of tearing families apart, spreading fear among community members, including children, and undermining trust in government and law enforcement at all levels.
OLA helps East End immigrants to understand that they have rights if confronted by ICE agents or local police officers.
Tenant Rights
Tenants have more rights than ever before in New York State since the signing into law of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.
OLA has worked with many East End tenants, both individually and through educational forums, to make sure they are informed about their rights under this law and to prevent unlawful evictions and homelessness.
Getting A Driver's License in NY
In 2019 New York State (NYS) passed the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, also known as the “Greenlight Law,” which restored access to driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants.
OLA is proud to have been a part of the fight for this legislation that benefits so many immigrants in our region.
If you would like to learn more about how to get a driver’s license in our state, please contact us or visit the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles by clicking the links below.
Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
In addition to helping survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence navigate confusing systems, OLA also helps them understand their rights.
Both the New York State Sexual Assault Victim Bill of Rights of 2019 and the federal Survivors Bill of Rights Act of 2016 make explicit the rights that sexual assault
survivors have.
NYS also guarantees certain rights to survivors of domestic violence.