(Bronx, NY) - Yesterday, State Senator Gustavo Rivera joined Jesenia Ponce, Coordinating Attorney for Policy & Advocacy of the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) and staff to present them with a $67,500 check to support their wide array of free legal services, provided at no cost to local residents. 

A close partner of Senator Rivera’s office, NMIC has delivered an integrated range of services designed to address the most pressing needs of the most vulnerable residents in The Bronx and Upper Manhattan since 1979. Their mission has resulted in significant impacts across housing, education, immigration, domestic violence support, and tenant organizing in Senator Rivera’s district. 

Over the years, NMIC has become one of Senator Rivera’s closest community partners. Since 2023, their monthly legal clinics at his district office have assisted hundreds of constituents with timely immigration and housing legal support. 

Given the tumultuous immigration landscape unleashed by the Trump administration, NMIC’s immigration support services have been critical in a district with a large immigrant community. In 2024, NMIC’s clinics assisted 150 residents from District 33, including 10 immigrants who obtained U.S. Citizenship.

“I’m incredibly proud of the $67,500 that I secured for NMIC’s exceptional housing assistance and especially their immigration services," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “In these challenging times for our immigrant neighbors, NMIC’s legal team serves as a beacon of hope, which must continue to shine. It is truly an honor to present them with this funding as a Bronx representative serving a district with so many immigrants and their loved ones. I am committed to fight to protect my community and to ensure New York lives up to its promise as a sanctuary for all.”

"We are deeply grateful to Senator Rivera for his partnership. His investment strengthens NMIC’s ability to provide crucial programs and services to community members, ensuring residents have access to the support they need to be empowered and to continue to build a strong, resilient community," said Jesenia Ponce, Coordinating Attorney for Policy & Advocacy of the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation.