BY BILL PARRY
A crowd including formerly incarcerated people,
trans sex workers and immigrants fighting for their
communities rallied at Corona Plaza on April 3 as
Make the Road Action (MRA) and Vocal-NY Action
endorsed public defender Tiffany Cabán for Queens
District Attorney.
MRA and VOCAL-NY Action Fund, two of the
city’s leading grassroots organizations representing
immigrants and working-class people of color, join
a growing coalition of progressive organizations to
endorse Cabán, an Astoria resident whose campaign
advocating for criminal justice reform, immigrant pro-tections,
and respect and dignity for transgender
community members.
Leaders from both organizations interviewed candi-dates
in the race and selected Cabán as their candidate
because of her strong progressive platform and her
commitment to: fighting for immigrant communities,
including supporting the decriminalization of sex work;
her commitment to decarcerate; creating community-based
solutions to criminal justice reform; and protect-ing
the rights of workers and tenants.
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“As a transgender immigrant and sex worker, I
believe that Tiffany Caban is the most qualified can-didate
to address the issues facing immigrants and
people of color like me,” said Joselyn Castillo, member
of Make the Road Action and Queens resident. “From
the beginning of her campaign, Tiffany has repeatedly
recognized that sex work is work for many in our com-munity.
She brings powerful energy to this race and the
vision to lead for diverse communities across Queens.
I am excited to talk to my neighbors about why they
should support Tiffany, and I hope the enthusiasm
she’s building in our communities carries her to victory
in June, so that she can deliver for vulnerable people
across the borough as our next DA.”
One key issue that resonated with the MRA leaders
who interviewed Cabán was her intention to prosecute
ICE agents who abuse their power.
“I’ve spent most of my life criminalized because I
grew up poor and Black in New York City,” said Carl
Stubbs, a leader with VOCAL-NY Action Fund. “The
Queens DA’s office made my life worse by overcharg-ing
and punishing me when what I really needed was
support and access to resources. I lost decades of my
life to incarceration, but now at 67 years old I couldn’t
be happier to support Tiffany Cabán for Queens District
Attorney. Her bold agenda is exactly what we need to
dramatically reduce incarceration, end the criminaliza-tion
of poverty, and invest resources in communities
as a means of preventing harm.”
Cabán told the crowd she was thrilled to receive
such high profile endorsements.
“Both organizations have a long history of standing
up for the needs working-class and marginalized
New Yorkers, from demanding more from New
York’s political system to fighting for greater ac-cess
to resources,” Cabán said. “In centering the
voices of the most marginalized in our city, Make
the Road Action and VOCAL-NY Action Fund have
improved conditions for countless communities
of color. I could not ask for better partners as we
work to ensure the Queens DA’s office is one that
protects, defends, and safeguards the rights of all
Queens residents.”
Caban will face City Councilman Rory Lancman,
Borough President Melinda Katz, Judge Greg Lasak,
former prosecutors Mina Malik and Jose Nieves, and
attorney Betty Lugo in the Democratic primary that
will be held June 25.
Community News
Make the Road Action,
Courtesy of Make the Road Action
VOCAL-NYC, back Astoria resident Tiffany Cabán in Queens DA race
/www.qns.com
/www.qns.com
