New York, NY, October 23, 2024 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Documented, a nonprofit newsroom reporting for and about New York City’s immigrant communities, are proud to announce the launch of Documented.info. This new digital platform is designed to provide asylum seekers and migrants in New York City with reliable, multilingual information covering everything from access to shelter and mental health resources, employment eligibility, and labor rights to how to navigate the asylum process and find legal support.
The increased arrivals of asylum seekers to New York City since 2022 has created a critical need for clear, accurate information. Documented.info was developed to combat widespread misinformation about work authorization, legal deadlines, and available services that can lead to exploitation and loss of resources. By offering vetted, reliable content, the platform empowers immigrants to make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes. Vetted, culturally sensitive and language-specific information also has longer-term benefits: building trust, a sense of connection, agency, and dignity.
Documented.info is an extension of Documented's journalistic mission to ensure that accurate, quality and up-to-date information directly relevant to immigrant's lives reaches millions of people looking for it. And it is an acknowledgment of a growing movement in nonprofit newsrooms aiming to create journalism that is actually responsive to the needs of people who have not been typically served by local news. Documented's community correspondents apply reporting and investigation skills to filling information gaps, and this partnership will allow them to scale that work and reach even more people.
Documented.info addresses the unique challenges asylum seekers and immigrants, especially those from underserved backgrounds, face in navigating complex legal systems and services. Immigrants can message their questions to Documented.info via popular messaging platforms such as Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger. Journalists and experts respond – in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and French at launch – and share actionable resources, vetted services and original, targeted reporting. The platform aims to close critical information gaps, counter misinformation affecting immigrant communities and build trust.
The heart of Documented.info lies not only in its technology but in the community correspondents who ensure that every piece of information is accurate and responsive to the real needs of asylum seekers.
Documented.info will also be shared through mobile welcome teams created in partnership with Afrikana and Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid (VIA), offering on-the-ground legal aid, case management and humanitarian assistance at key transit centers across the city.
IRC Representative Edith Tapia, Technical Advisor, Cross Border and Asylum Said:
“This partnership with Documented brings together two organizations deeply committed to ensuring that immigrants in New York City have the information and resources they need to thrive. Documented.info is not just a platform; it’s a bridge that connects people to life-saving services and empowers them with the knowledge they need to navigate the complexities of their new lives.”
Documented Representative Mazin Sidahmed, Documented Co-Founder and Executive Director, Said:
“Journalism has an important role to play in strengthening neighborhoods and communities. This partnership is a first of its kind in our industry and will allow us to go broader and deeper to bring reliable information to the communities we serve. Documented.info will allow more of the city’s newest New Yorkers to have access to information that will help them better navigate and understand living in the city. This will allow us to scale Documented’s existing work with this groundbreaking technology.”