Every day, hundreds of people across the Empire State call Catholic Charities’ phone lines to do something that New Yorkers typically find extremely difficult: ask for help.
With passion, patience, and expertise, our Catholic Charities New Americans Hotline staff and volunteers field high-stakes questions from neighbors in dire circumstances. The callers’ precarious status makes them vulnerable to detention or deportation, as well as fraudsters capitalizing on their desperation. Most of them also lack food security, stable housing, and financial resources to meet other basic needs.
On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), and the New York State Office of New Americans (ONA), partnered with Telemundo 47 to host a special event to share the news of the Hotline’s expanded operational hours. The lines are now open 8 AM to 8 PM on weekdays, and 9 AM to 5 PM on weekends.
Visit on YouTube for translated English overdub.
“Today, we are proud to continue our partnership with Catholic Charities by hosting this phone bank, serving as a direct line of support, of trust, and empowerment for our communities,” said MOIA commissioner Faiza N. Ali, who toured the call center in downtown Manhattan.
“Many of the people who call us have nothing — except a fear of immigration enforcement,” Catholic Charities of New York CEO J. Antonio Fernandez told Telemundo. “We provide that legal support, that counseling, that case management, that workforce development to ensure that people can stay here in New York and have a normal life.”
For years, the phone numbers that lead to the call center have been an essential lifeline for families navigating the immigration system, promoted widely by the city and state in their official literature and websites.
The event on Tuesday was primarily an opportunity for the media and local leaders to witness the phone bank’s everyday work. By the end of the two-hour session, operators had fielded over 200 phone calls from neighbors in need.
“Right now, immigrant families across New York are living with a level of uncertainty and fear that no parent should have to face: the fear of being separated from the children without warning,” said Julia Babayeva of the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), who heads a Standby Guardianship Program that helps families make emergency plans for the care of their children.
Also in attendance was Cindy Tremino, Deputy Director of Operations for ONA, and Diego Sandoval, Chief Legal Affairs Officer at the Mexican Consulate, who surfaced the heartbreaking reality that 15 Mexican nationals have perished in immigration custody since January 2025.
“We believe, and we share this belief with all our allies of Catholic Charities, that each life, each human life, is of the utmost value, and any loss demands attention, transparency, and accountability,” said Sandoval.
The Mexican Consulate has since been collaborating with Catholic Charities of New York on relief efforts in response to a fire that broke out in the Bronx on the same night of the phone bank event. Many members of the 80 residents left homeless by the conflagration required support in obtaining copies of important documents.
As Fernandez, who left the event early to tend to the scene of the fire, told Telemundo, “We’re heading there to provide the families with food, clothing, hygiene supplies, and whatever is needed.” He encouraged those affected to reach out to Catholic Charities of New York.
With federal funding decreasing due to changes in federal priorities, our neighbors with vulnerable immigration status are facing increasingly painful challenges in their everyday lives. The team behind the New Americans Hotline, now working seven days a week with expanded hours, is ready to meet those challenges head-on.
The work that Catholic Charities of New York does to support our neighbors is made possible by the support of our donors. Make a donation today to take a stand for the most vulnerable.
Do you want to put your skills to work serving the most vulnerable? Find a volunteer opportunity near you.
New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs hotline (Mon and Wed 9 AM–8 PM; Tue, Thu, Fri 9 AM–6 PM; Last Sat monthly 9 AM–6 PM) : 800-354-0365
New York State Office of New Americans hotline (Mon–Fri 8 AM–8PM; Sun and Sat 9 AM – 5 PM): 800-566-7636
New York Legal Assistance Group Standby Guardianship Program: 212-659-6188
Visit on YouTube for translated English overdub.
