The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs announced today that IDNYC enrollment centers will serve as even more critical community hubs by hosting ACCESS HRA self-service desks onsite, connecting New Yorkers directly with information on, and applications for, essential benefits. Through this partnership, the City is making applying for and receiving benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) even easier for New Yorkers to navigate.

Senator Serrano joined his colleagues in Government in celebrating the opening of the Cornell Tech Campus on Roosevelt Island. Cornell Tech is the first campus ever built for the digital age, bringing together academia and industry to create pioneering leaders and transformational new research, products, companies and social ventures. When fully completed, the campus will include two million square feet of state-of-the-art buildings, over two acres of open space, and will be home to more than 2,000 graduate students and hundreds of faculty and staff.

Senator Serrano joined Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Gale A. Brewer, Manhattan Borough President, and New York State Senator Brian Benjamin at a ribbon cutting for the new MTA New York City Transit 2nd Ave Subway Phase 2 interactive Community Information Center in East Harlem. The information center serves as an educational resource where local residents can learn all about the Second Avenue Subway and a place where community members can speak one-on-one with project representatives.

Senator Serrano joined his colleagues and Governor Cuomo in announcing the Bronx Civic Center neighborhood in the South Bronx will receive $10 million in funding and investments as the New York City winner of the second round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order that prohibits state agencies from inquiring about individuals' immigration status, restricts sharing of information about immigration status between state and federal authorities, and prohibits state officers from using resources to apprehend individuals for civil immigration offenses.

Senator Serrano joined Governor Cuomo and elected officials from all over New York in announcing the Statewide Empire State Relief & Recovery Effort for Puerto Rico. The effort brings together a wide range of civic, business and industry partners to provide needed services, goods and funds to help the people of Puerto Rico recover and rebuild, and provides opportunities for New Yorkers to contribute to the relief efforts.

Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C,I,REF-Glenville) today announced he has secured a new $50,000 state public safety grant to help save lives on the Mohawk River and Erie Canal by building a new rescue boat launch and dock for the Vischer Ferry Fire Department (VFFD) on the shore of the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve in Clifton Park.

The VFFD currently has a rescue boat but no permanent launch and dock. With the grant secured by Senator Tedisco, the VFFD will be assured access to the river during emergencies.