ALBANY -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered state agencies Thursday to translate documents and provide interpreters in six languages for immigrants seeking public services.
The $1.5 million effort covered by state and federal funds will also provide the translations to illegal immigrants, depending on what services they seek, Cuomo said. Immigrants won't be asked about their federal immigration status.
The project will translate documents and websites from agencies including social services and motor vehicles into Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Russian, French and for French Creole speakers, who can immigrate from Canada or migrate from the Louisiana area. The group New York Lawyers for the Public Interest estimates 2.5 million immigrants in New York require help understanding English. The new initiative includes state workers as translators and translators from a hired service.
"This is only enabling people to not try to assimilate because the government will take care of them, which is only increasing the cost of government," said state Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long.
-- Associated Press
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