IMMIGRATION & UNITY

Throughout his career, Robert has fought for justice and equality for all and against bigotry and intolerance everywhere. As someone who grew up poor, he intimately understand the destructive power of discrimination, and take the commitment to eradicate it everywhere and for everyone personally. He has worked to end the fights among us by fighting for all of us.

As a School Board President and a City Council leader, he represented and served one of the most diverse districts in the City. He pushed for all groups to be treated fairly and have equal access to opportunities. As a parent in school district 6, he sounded the alarm about the bias in our state aid appropriations that denied our children much needed basic resources by initiating the Campaign for Fiscal Equity.

As a Councilmember, he focused on improving and expanding opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses; helping small businesses from being priced out of their communities through pushing for the Small Business Survival Act; fighting for immigration reform and increased legal protections and city services for immigrants; advocating for a Muslim School Holiday; Equal Partners Benefits Act and more.

And as State Senator, he sponsored passage of The Green Light bill enabling undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, extending the human right of mobility and lowering insurance premiums for all who drive in NY State. We also passed the DREAM Act, supporting undocumented students in college and the Farmworkers’ Bill of Rights, ensuring these vital workers a day of rest, overtime pay, workers’ compensation, decent housing, and the ability to form a union.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Sponsored The Green Light bill that now enables undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, extending the human right of mobility and lowering insurance premiums for all who drive in NY State.

• Supported undocumented students in college with the passage of the DREAM Act.

• Led fight for Farmworkers’ Bill of Rights that ensures these vital workers a day of rest, overtime pay, workers’ compensation, decent housing, and the ability to form a union.

• Worked with community organizations across the city who have contributed to enhancing the quality of life of the Dominican Community.

• Sounded the alarm about the bias in our state aid appropriations that denied our children much needed basic resources by initiating the Campaign for Fiscal Equity.

• Fought for immigration reform and increased legal protections and city services for immigrants.

• Advocated for a Muslim School Holiday; Equal Partners Benefits Act and more.

• Joined a group of Dominican doctors and respected companies on humanitarian missions to the Dominican Republic. These missions have provided direct aid particularly to pregnant women and children, made a real difference in the health and well-being of communities served and directly led to the clean-up of the toxic site in Haina that was poisoning Dominican children.