Damayan Migrant Workers Association Urges Continued Funding for Legal Aid and Trafficking Survivors

NEW YORK - Riya Ortiz, Executive Director of the Damayan Migrant Workers Association, testified before the New York City Council Committee on Immigration, highlighting the organization’s crucial work in protecting and empowering low-wage Filipino workers in the city.

Ortiz, speaking alongside the RISE Network, shared how Damayan continues to serve the Filipino community through life-saving programs for migrant and trafficked workers. She emphasized that many of those they help are domestic workers and caregivers who face exploitation, trafficking, and wage theft.

“Damayan’s mission is to empower workers and survivors of trafficking to rebuild their lives with dignity,” Ortiz said. “We provide escape plans, connect them to legal and social services, and help them access financial support so they can live safely and independently.”

According to Damayan’s report, the organization has:

• Helped over 80 survivors of labor trafficking secure T-visas, with 40 successfully reunited with their families in the United States.

• Recovered more than $2 million in stolen wages for Filipino and other low-wage immigrant workers.

• Forged partnerships with other Asian-led organizations to ensure multilingual and culturally competent services.

  
  

Ortiz urged the city government to sustain funding for programs such as Legal Services for Day Laborers and Domestic Workers and Immigration Legal Services for Survivors of Violence and Gender-Based Harm. She also called on the Council to streamline contracting procedures to ensure faster delivery of funds and services to those most in need.

Council Members Alexa Avilés (Chair of the Immigration Committee), Gale Brewer, and Tiffany Cabán commended the work of Damayan and its partner groups for their continued advocacy on behalf of New York’s immigrant workers.

Ortiz concluded her testimony by tying the effort to the broader observance of Filipino American History Month, reminding everyone of the contributions and struggles of Filipino migrants in the United States.

For nearly two decades, Damayan has been a cornerstone of support for the Filipino diaspora in New York, leading campaigns against human trafficking and wage theft, while building solidarity with other immigrant communities.