Weeklong Immigration Call Center Opens

Now in its 10th year, a weeklong hotline has been helping immigrants get information about available services and English classes.

Phones are manned by 48 volunteers, providing information for people who have questions about their U.S. immigration status or other immigrant information at the 10th annual "Citizenship Now!" call center on Monday in Manhattan. Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times

NEW YORK—Now in its 10th year, a weeklong hotline has been helping immigrants get information about available services and English classes.

Monday marked the opening of the CUNY/Daily News Citizenship NOW! Call-in hotline, with 48 volunteers manning the phones from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Volunteers can give confidential information to immigrants seeking U.S citizenship, and “can also refer you to free and low cost immigration services in your area and provide information about English and civics classes,” according to the hotline’s website.

“I want to remind you that I am not an attorney,” said a woman who answered the hotline after about a minute’s delay on Monday. The volunteers “are only available to give information,” emphasizes the website.

Volunteers proficient in a host of languages are available, such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Ukrainian, and Portuguese.

For English, call 212-857-6221. For Spanish, call 212-857-6225. The other languages are available upon request.

Additional reporting by Benjiman Chasteen