Department of Labor

Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs

This division of the State Labor Department addresses the needs, issues, and challenges of immigrants by:

• Doing outreach in immigrant communities
• Monitoring compliance with labor laws by farms and farmers in the state

Why do we need a Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs?

Immigrants are a vital and growing part of the state’s workforce. New York State ranks second in the nation in both:

• Total number of foreign-born workers
• Share of all workers who are foreign-born

Although immigrants account for over $200 billion in annual economic output in New York, they are often wary of government, which keeps them from accessing key protections and services. This is due to several factors:

• English is not their first language
• They don’t know how government can help
• They fear government (based on life in their home country)
• They cannot get to government agencies during office hours