The Immigrant’s Journal - Vol. 123

The Immigrant’s Journal Vol. 123

Our leaders who stood for Unity & Justice

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Protecting God’s Children From Distant Lands

www.ijlef.org

July 23, 2020

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USCIS Upends the Lives of Immigrants by Refusing to Print Their Work Permits and Green Cards

BY JORGE LOWEREE

Statement on Court Ruling Requiring DHS to Accept New DACA Applications

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he Trump administration’s full-on assault on the U.S. immigration system has continued despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The president has not only pursued his agenda during the outbreak—he has, in several instances, used the pandemic as a pretext to reduce the number of noncitizens who can come to the United States lawfully. Many recent policy changes have targeted people abroad, disqualifying them from coming to the country in the first place.

But the administration is now targeting people who are in the United States lawfully—in some cases for many years— by doing things like scaling back the printing of green cards and employment

Editorial credit: Richard Thornton / Shutterstock.com

authorization documents (or work permits). These are critical documents that immigrants need to take part in many aspects of American life. Without them, people can’t work, obtain loans, or prove

they are in the country lawfully.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently cut production of these documents after its contract continued on page 2

How to Cope with Relationship Trauma Triggers ...19

The Effects of This Pandemic is Far From Over for Survivors – and Here’s How You Can Help.

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any of us feel isolated and fearful right now, and that’s understandable – these feelings are amplified for domestic violence survivors. One way to help survivors is by cultivating hope and focusing on things they can control. This means encouraging the survivor in your life to practice some form of selfcare, which could look like regular exercise, video calls with loved ones, or even spending increased time in the shower to have more time away from their abuser.

Building community around a sur-

vivor is so critical right now. If you know a survivor, or if you suspect someone in your neighborhood is experiencing concerning behaviors in their relationship,

now is a great time to connect with them. Check to see if you can be a part of their safety plan by scheduling a regular phone call, video conversation, or an emergency text system.

And for any victims and survivors who need support reading this, we are here for you, 24/7. Call 1-800-7997233 or 1-800-787-3224 for TTY, or if you’re unable to speak safely, you can chat at thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 1-866-331-9474.

You are not alone.l —hotline.org

ICE Citizens Academy Will Lead to Terrorizing of Immigrants

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HICAGO: In response to news reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will begin a ‘Citizens Academy’ in order to train civilians in Chicago in enforcement and paramilitary tactics like firearms, defense, and arrest tactics, the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), a national coalition of 41 immigrant and refugee rights organizations in 37 states,

released the following statements: Nicole Melaku, Executive Director of NPNA: “It’s outrageous that ICE would continue to implement such an aggressive program when millions across the nation are declaring that Black lives matter and saying ‘no’ to aggressive policing. This socalled ‘Citizens Academy,’ which has continued on page 2

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

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ASHINGTON, DC: FWD.us President Todd Schulte released the following statement today on the U.S. District Court ruling requiring the Trump administration to accept and process new DACA applications: “Minutes ago, a District Court made it entirely and exceedingly clear that USCIS must immediately follow the direction of the Supreme Court and accept and process new DACA applications—something the Trump administration has been pretending they don’t need to do.

“The law is clear: DACA reverts to the 2012 parameters of the program, prior to the attempted rescission by President Trump on September 5th, 2017. The Trump administration must immediately accept applications for new DACA applicants or else be in contempt of and in clear violation of a directive from the United States Supreme Court. Many of these eligible young people are now 17, 18 and 19 years old and have grown up in this country since the age of six.

“To any new potential DACA applicants, we strongly urge you to contact an attorney or legal services provider before submitting your application; it is, tragically, possible the Trump administration may try to rescind this program again.

“That said the correct moral, economic and political choice is clear: the President must follow the orders of the Supreme Court and ensure a fast and orderly processing for new DACA applicants, or he will continue a lawless path to defy federal court orders and stand with the 12% of the public who wants Dreamers deported.”l

IMMIGRATION MATTERS ICE Citizens Academy/ continued from page 1

Editorial credit: Eddie Hernandez Photos

been used in other cities and will now be introduced in Chicago, will create armed, out-of-control vigilantes wandering the streets terrorizing and injuring immigrants and refugees in their own communities. Not content with separating families, detaining them and exposing them to coronavirus, and using military-style tactics in our communities, ICE ignores the opinion of most Americans who think immigration is a good thing for the country. Instead of having a ‘Citizens Academy’, we need volunteers to naturalize millions of eligible immigrants, register them to vote, and encourage them to participate in civic life. That’s what this moment calls for. The lessons coming out of the protests are that we must move from aggressive enforcement to humane solutions centered in the transformation and healing in all of our communities. ”

Eréndira Rendón, Board Member of NPNA and Vice President of Immigrant Advocacy and Defense Project at The Resurrection Project: “The Citizens Academy that ICE is planning to hold in Chicago echoes some of the worst points of this country’s history with white vigilantism and discriminatory policing against communities of color. It will ultimately undermine public safety, equal treatment, fundamental rights, and due process protections for all. Training vigilantes to target immigrants is the last thing Chicago – a city that implemented reparations in response to tortuous policing against Black communities – needs.

Diego Iñiguez-López, Policy and Campaigns Manager for NPNA: “ICE’s Citizens Academy in Chicago is a disastrous idea that will almost certainly lead to racial discrimination, vigilantism, and violence against immigrant and refugee communities. ICE needs to shut its doors down and free them all instead of training wannabe commandos and G.I. Joes. The historical moment of now calls for a dramatic de-escalation of policing and military-style tactics in communities of color and for a national reckoning towards valuing Black and Brown lives.”

The program, which begins in Chicago but is scheduled to be implemented nationwide later this fall, is run by a branch of ICE charged with detaining and deporting immigrants.l

IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW?

Are you under investigation or accused of a felony or misdemeanor?

2 Refusing to Print Work Permits and Green Cards /from page 1

ended with a third-party printing company. Reports indicate that 50,000 green cards and 75,000 work permits have not been printed. The agency said it planned to manage the production of these documents in-house, but that its ability to do so is limited due to budgetary constraints.

The people impacted by these printing delays have already had their petitions and applications approved by USCIS. They have paid the often-exorbitant filing fees, completed the necessary paperwork, and gone through extensive background checks. Despite this, the agency says it “cannot speculate on future projections of processing times.”

This leaves hundreds of thousands of people without the documents needed to support themselves. These documents are important in normal times—but are even more critical during a worldwide pandemic.

The administration claims that its reduction in printing capacity is due to a USCIS budget shortfall that it has blamed on a reduction in fee revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, that isn’t the whole story.

While COVID-19 has had a significant impact across our immigration system, USCIS has been on a path to financial ruin for years due largely to its own fiscal mismanagement.

The agency has significantly increased its personnel costs during a period of several years when it has received far fewer applications and petitions. At the same time, it reduced its own bottom line by instituting a series of policy changes that disqualified many noncitizens from qual-

ifying for certain benefits. This includes the public charge rule and its recent expanded ban on many forms of legal immigration.

This has all contributed to a massive $1.2 billion dollar shortfall within the agency. The delayed printing of green cards and employment authorization documents foreshadows even greater challenges in the near future.

USICS plans to furlough over 13,000 employees as of August 3 at a time when its own data confirms that the agency has a backlog of over 5.7 million pending cases. While the agency has asked Congress for emergency funding, the White House has yet to submit a formal request. It is unclear if Congress will be able to step in before the long August recess.

If USCIS moves forward with these furloughs, productivity will plummet even further. Millions of cases will be left in limbo until the agency is able to fully resume operations. This includes the applications from hundreds of thousands of Dreamers impacted by the Supreme Court’s recent DACA decision.

Congress should step in to provide enough funding to allow the agency to continue its operations. But Congress also must also exercise its constitutional oversight authority to create and boost meaningful accountability, transparency, and productivity within USCIS. Congress also has an important role to challenge the administration’s ongoing efforts to use COVID-19 as a pretext to justify many of the changes to our immigration system that it has sought for years.l

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TIME FOR ACTION

3

There He Goes Again: Trump Turns to Tired, Xenophobic Playbook Again as American Public Rejects His AntiImmigrant Divisiveness

TEAM Publisher I.Q. INC. Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip Assistant Editor Marilyn Silverman Graphic & Website Designers Praim Samsoondar Anvar Sabirov Email immjournal@aol.com

BY AMERICA’S VOICE

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esterday, [July 15] in the White House Rose Garden and in a series of interviews, President Trump delivered a mix of racism, xenophobia and fact-free incoherence. But as Trump again turns to his old playbook, there is growing evidence that the American public is rejecting his divisiveness: New Pew Research polling finds that the public is focused on real issues like Covid-19 and the economy and isn’t animated by “illegal immigration” compared to recent election cycles. Across all partisan affiliations, the public’s prioritization of “illegal immigration” as a “very big problem for the country today” has declined precipitously: nAmong Republicans, just 43% of respondents said “illegal immigration” is a big problem in the new Pew poll, compared to 67% in both 2016 and 2018 polls; nThe decline is also apparent among Independents: 44% in 2016, 42% in 2018, and 28% now; nAmong Democrats, it has decline from 25% in 2016 to 23% in 2018 to 15% now; Despite public sentiment for solutions to real problems, Trump insists going back to his ugly one-note focus.

July 2020 Gallup polling: By a 77-19% margin, Gallup finds a record-high number of Americans think immigration is a “good thing” rather than a “bad thing” for the country. Gallup has asked that question 19 times previously, going back to 2001. nThe current 77% support for “immigration is a good thing” is the highest ever recorded; nThe 19% support for “bad thing” is tied for the lowest ever; nThe 58-point margin between the two is the greatest differential Gallup has ever recorded.

Visit www.ijlef.org www.falaw.us www.cawnyc.com www.workersworldtoday.com

Editorial credit: John Gomez / Shutterstock.com

The American people stand with the Biden vision and focus on immigration.

The cornerstone of the Biden immigration approach is his commitment to introduce legislation in the early days of his administration to create a line to get into for 11 million undocumented immigrants settled in America. nThis proposal enjoys broad and deep support from Americans and stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s ugly divisiveness on race and immigration. nIn addition, a recent NYT/Siena deepdive polling identified a small but significant slice of battleground state voters who backed Trump in 2016 but back Biden in 2020. The top two reasons why?

Biden will unite the country; and Trump has made race relations worse. nDown the list some, but still making the cut as a top reason for the shift toward Biden: immigration. By a margin of more than 50 percentage points, former Trump voters “trust Biden to do a better job handling immigration.”

According to Douglas Rivlin, Director of Communication for America’s Voice: The public wants a unifying focus on the biggest issues facing the country: 1) the COVID-19 pandemic and our health and safety; 2) the ongoing racial reckoning and drive to enact related reforms; and 3)

efforts to cushion the effects of the economic crisis and sky-high unemployment.

Instead we get more ugly racism and xenophobia from Trump invoking gangs and crime in an effort to shift blame and focus away from his incompetence and mismanagement. Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda has always been unpopular outside his diehard base, but it’s growing even more so at this moment. Trump’s is a one-note presidency that reeks of failure and desperation.

Trump has forced Americans to choose sides. We have and it’s a broad rejection of Trump’s tired playbook of xenophobia. Trump’s attacks on immigrants lost at the ballot box in 2017; backfired on the GOP in 2018; and the public is gearing up to repudiate it this November up and down the ballot.l

The mission of America’s Voice (AV) and America’s Voice Education Fund (AVEF) is to build the public support and the political will needed to enact policy changes that secure freedom and opportunity for immigrants in America.

Priority goal: win reforms that put 11 million undocumented Americans on a path to full citizenship.

Volunteering at THE IMMIGRANT'S JOURNAL LEGAL & EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC. Internship positions available throughout the year.

The Immigrant's Journal Legal & Educational Fund, Inc. is an organization dedicated to the educational and economic empowerment of all immigrants and immigrant organizations here in the United States. We at the Journal recognize the enormous contribution of immigrants to this country economically, socially and politically. Since September 11, 2001, however, immigrants have increasingly been discriminated against and Congress has passed legislation curtailing the rights of immigrants here in the U.S., broadly claiming that immigrants are a threat to ''National Security.'' We at the Journal believe that these charges are unfounded, unsubstantiated and exaggerated.

The Immigrant's Journal Volunteer Intern Program was introduced to give our volunteers the opportunity to work in an immigrant friendly environment while developing the necessary skills for college or law school. They assist our staff in resolving immigration and other legal concerns through personal interviews, radio, email and telephone contact. They also assist the public with citizenship applications and in researching whether or not children of naturalized U.S. citizens have derived citizenship from their parents. Some of our volunteers assist our legal staff by engaging in legal research and writing letters on other legal issues. Volunteer interns are also assigned various other jobs in our Youth Programs.

Hours are flexible. Email your cover letter and resume or any questions to immjournal@aol.com Tel: 718-243-9431 Fax: 718-222-3153

VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.IJLEF.ORG FOR MORE IMMIGRATION NEWS & UPDATES

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

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As Trump Defies Supreme Court on DACA, Republican Silence is Deafening

BY DOUGLAS RIVLIN AMERICA’S VOICE

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he Trump administration is now in “open defiance of the law” and the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on DACA. The Supreme Court ruled against the administration a month ago.

The proper response is for the administration to accept the verdict and reopen DACA to all of those eligible – as defined by the original program standards from 2012. Instead, the administration is defying the Supreme Court ruling and refusing to act. Now, we have the first reports of the Trump administration actively refusing to accept new DACA applications in violation of the SCOTUS ruling.

An NPR story, “Despite Supreme Court’s Ruling On DACA, Trump Administration Rejects New Applicants,” describes that a 17-year old high school student named Diego was too young to apply in 2017 when Trump closed down the program, but now fits the DACA eligibility requirements. He had his application denied by the administration: “There are hundreds of thousands of Diegos in this country — young people who would be eligible to sign up for

DACA, except that the Trump administration is still not accepting new, firsttime applications. …’That’s insane. That’s a violation of the order,’ said Bill Ong Hing, professor of law and Director of the Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic at the University of San Francisco. It’s been nearly a month since the Supreme Court’s ruling. So technically, Hing says, that order should be in full effect and DACA should be operating exactly the way it was before the administration moved to end it. ‘Legally, there’s no basis to reject any new applications,’ Hing said. ‘I’m very upset and disturbed that this is an example of politics reigning over law.’”

A new Senate letter to Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf calls on the Trump administration to comply with the Supreme Court ruling and accept new DACA applications. The letter, led by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), is signed by 33 Democratic Senators and zero Republican Senators. It notes: “The Roberts decision requires your immediate compliance. We await your prompt assurance that you will respect the Court’s decision and reopen DACA

Republican Senators, especially those in diversifying states and those who have expressed timid support for Dreamers with DACA, have been silent. Sens.

Thom Tillis (R-NC), Martha McSally (RAZ), John Cornyn (R-TX), Susan Collins (R-ME), David Perdue (R-GA), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Mitch McConnell (RKY) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) ought to be raising a ruckus and highlighting Trump’s violation of the Supreme Court order, but they seem willing to let the ‘Law and Order’ President slide again on the law and on the orders handed down by the nation’s highest court.

Editorial credit: Rena Schild / Shutterstock.com

for all eligible applicants.”

According to Douglas Rivlin, Director of Communication for America’s Voice: “For the Trump administration, the ‘rule of law’ is a weapon to wield against people seen as opponents or unwanted. They did not like the SCOTUS decision and now they are defying it.

This is not just another attack on people of color and immigrants. This is an attack on the Constitutional order. Defying the Supreme Court? They have deepened our nation’s democracy and governance crisis.

We’re not talking carefully worded tweets, or vague pro-Dreamer statements or on-background fretting about Trump’s divisiveness. Republican Senators should be standing up to Trump publicly and refusing to be complicit any longer as he tramples on the Supreme Court and the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. When the President injects needless cruelty and uncertainty into the lives of Dreamers, Republicans need to say something and do something.

Instead, their silence is deafening.”l

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CIVIL RIGHTS

5

John Lewis: US Presidents Join Tributes to Civil Rights Icon Donald Trump, however, was far more muted and came hours after messages were issued by other US politicians.

"Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family," said Trump, whom Lewis had publicly criticized.

Flags were flown at half-mast on Saturday morning and Vice-President Mike Pence called Lewis "a great man whose courage and decades of public service changed America forever".

BY ERIK OLIVERA THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER

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ewis was one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders, which included Martin Luther King Jr, and helped organize the historic 1963 March on Washington.

Barack Obama is among those who have praised Lewis's legacy.

President Donald Trump later said in a tweet that he was "saddened" to hear of the former congressman's death.

A petition to rename a bridge in Alabama that played a pivotal role in Lewis's life has drawn more than 400,000 signatures.

'Conscience of the nation' Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, described Lewis as "truly one-of-a-kind, a moral compass".

Mr Biden said he had spoken to Lewis in the days before his death.

"His voice still commanded respect and his laugh was still full of joy. Instead of answering our concerns for him, he asked about us. He asked us to stay focused on the work left undone to heal this nation."

New York, NY / USA - July 17, 2020: John Lewis Memorial on Digital Screen in New York's Times Square. Editorial credit: Xackery Irving / Shutterstock.com

Each of the four living former US presidents paid tribute to Lewis.

"Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way. John Lewis did," Barack Obama said. "And thanks to him, we now all have our marching orders - to keep believing in the possibility of remaking this country we love until it lives up to its full promise."

His predecessor George W Bush said Lewis had "worked to make our country a more perfect union", while Bill Clinton described him as "the conscience of the nation".

Jimmy Carter, meanwhile, noted that the former congressman had "made an indelible mark on history through his quest to make our nation more just".

The response from current President

Civil rights activists spoke of their sorrow at Lewis's death.

"John Lewis is what patriotism and courage look like," civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson, who first met Lewis during protests in 1960, said.

Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the civil rights activist, told CNN: "From a historical standpoint, there are few who are able to become giants...

John Lewis really became a giant through his examples that he set for all of us."

A number of foreign leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron,

VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.IJLEF.ORG FOR MORE IMMIGRATION NEWS & UPDATES

continued on page 6

MONEY MATTERS

6

Promises for Lower Credit Card Interest Rates Weren’t True

John Lewis/ continued from page 5

BY AMY HERBERT, FTC

W

hen you’re having trouble paying your credit card bills, getting a lower interest rate to keep your balance in check could be a game changer. Unfortunately, companies that promise to get you those lower rates often end up leaving you deeper in debt.

Today, [July 16] the FTC and Florida Attorney General announced a complaint against Orlando-based YF Solution for allegedly defrauding people by promising to substantially and permanently lower the interest rates on their credit cards. According to the complaint, callers from YF Solution often pretended to be connected with people’s credit card companies and told people that — for a fee — they could get them rates that would save them thousands of dollars in interest.

But after people paid, the company didn’t get them a lower rate. Instead, YF Solution opened up new credit cards with low introductory interest rates in people’s names — without their permission.

People also had to pay YF Solution up to $4,995 for its services, and were also often left to pay undisclosed balance transfer fees that could total three to five percent of the total amount of money

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

have also paid tribute.

transferred to the new credit cards. As a result, people often ended up with more debt than when they started.

If you’re looking for a lower interest rate on your credit cards, here’s what you need to know:

it yourself for free. Call the customer service number on the back of your credit card and ask the company directly for a lower rate. nReport credit card interest rate schemes at ftc.gov/complaint.l

nIt’s illegal for a company to charge you a fee before performing a debt relief service. nThe best way to get a lower rate is to do

Amy Hebert is the Consumer Education Specialist at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The Edmund Pettus Bridge The bridge crosses the Alabama river in the state's town of Selma.

In 1965, John Lewis led hundreds of protesters over the bridge on a peace march to Montgomery.

State troopers attacked them, and Lewis was left with a broken skull on what became known as Bloody Sunday.

He walked across the bridge with then President Obama 50 years later.

The bridge was named after a Confederate general and later Ku Klux Klan leader in Alabama.

The petition on change.org cites the recent movement to remove statues and monuments to the Confederate past in the wake of the death in police custody of African American George Floyd.

"As we wipe away this country's long stain of bigotry, we must also wipe away the names of men like Edmund Pettus," the petition argues.l

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7

HOW TO GET A GREEN CARD

I am a Permanent Resident. How Do I Renew or Replace My Permanent Resident Card?

A

Permanent Resident Card (USCIS Form I-551) is proof of your permanent resident status in the United States. It also serves as a valid identification document and proof that you are eligible to live and work in the United States. Although some Permanent Resident Cards, commonly known as Green Cards, contain no expiration date, most are valid for 10 years. If you have been granted conditional permanent resident status, the card is valid for 2 years.

It is important to keep your card up-todate. Without a valid card, it may be difficult for you to prove that you are a permanent resident, and this could also affect your ability to travel or to prove your eligibility to work in the United States.

When do I need to renew my Permanent Resident Card?

You should renew your Permanent Resident Card if you were issued a card valid for 10 years that has either expired or will expire within the next 6 months.

If your Permanent Resident Card is valid for only 2 years, you are a conditional resident. You will need to file a petition to remove the conditions of your

residence before the card expires. You may file this petition 90 days before your conditional green card expires.

If your petition is approved, you will be sent a new Permanent Resident Card valid for 10 years. You do not need to file Form I-90. This is discussed below.

If your card does not have any expiration date on the front, then you have a very old version. Most old versions are no longer valid. Even if your card does not have an expiration date on it, we recommend you apply to renew it.

When do I need to replace my Permanent Resident Card?

Apply to replace your Permanent

Resident Card if any information on your card needs to be changed, or if your card has been lost, stolen, or damaged.

Also, if you became a permanent resident before you turned 14 years old, you are required to replace your card when you become 14 years old.

How do I remove conditions on my 2year conditional Permanent Resident Card?

Do not use Form I-90 if you are a conditional resident and your status is expiring. If you are a permanent resident who was granted conditional permanent resident status, you are required to file a petition to remove those conditions within 90

This guide provides basic information to help you become generally familiar with our rules and procedures. Immigration law can be complex, and it is impossible to describe every aspect of every process. You may wish to be represented by a licensed attorney. days of your card expiring.

If your conditional status was based on a marriage, file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.

If your conditional status was based on being an investor or entrepreneur, file Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status.

If you do not file the petition to remove the conditions before your card expires, you may lose your permanent resident status. l

VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.IJLEF.ORG FOR MORE IMMIGRATION NEWS & UPDATES

—uscis.gov

July is BIPOC Mental Health Month Formally recognized in June 2008, Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed each July and was created to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face regarding mental illness in the United States.

Bebe Moore Campbell was an American author, journalist, teacher, and mental health advocate who worked tirelessly to shed light on the mental health needs of the Black community and other underrepresented communities.

People and language evolve, and Mental Health America (MHA) has chosen to remove the word “minority” from our toolkit and will be phasing it out on our materials. Instead, we are using a different designation – BIPOC – that we believe more fairly honors and distinguishes the experiences of Blacks, Indigenous People, and People of Color.

9

HEALTH

How to Make a Positive Impact in Your Community by Donating Plasma

P

lasma donations are essential.

Used to produce life-saving medicines that treat rare and serious diseases, your plasma donation can help save lives. Experts say that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not only safe to donate plasma, but that doing so is vital. By donating plasma today, you can help make a difference not only for patients that need plasma therapies, but to your local community.

Here are a few of the most common questions and answers about plasma donation:

in the last four months, has a valid identification and a permanent address, and otherwise meets eligibility requirements, can donate plasma at a CSL Plasma Center.

Why is plasma donation so important?

Patients worldwide use plasma-derived therapies to replace missing or deficient proteins that enable them to lead healthy, productive lives. Many of these patients require regular infusions or injections throughout their lives.

When is the best time go? No appointment is necessary, so consider going as soon as possible. Qualified CSL Plasma Center donors can receive up to $400 each month. To learn more and find a CSL Plasma collection center, visit cslplasma.com.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s vital that people continue to donate plasma,” says Scott Newkirk, divisional director, Plasma Operations at CSL Plasma. “Our team is taking numerous precautions to keep donors safe.”l (Statepoint)

Is donating safe? Plasma donation is performed using a decades old process called plasmapheresis that separates the plasma from the blood, collects it in a bottle, and then returns the other parts of the blood back to the donor.

Plasma donation centers are considered essential businesses, which is why

What if I’ve had COVID-19? If your doctor has confirmed that you’ve fully recovered from COVID-19 and you are no longer contagious, consider donating plasma at a CSL Plasma collection center to directly benefit the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance in its efforts to help develop a treatment.

they’re open and operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure high health and safety standards, consider visiting a CSL Plasma location. Their safety precautions include mandatory temperature checks, enhanced disinfecting protocols, use of Personal Protective Equipment and social distancing.

Am I eligible? While these days, donations from those who’ve recovered from COVID-19 are important, providing antibodies that may help treat COVID-19

patients, it remains vital for healthy individuals who have not contracted the coronavirus or COVID-19 to donate their plasma to help save and improve the lives of people suffering from rare and serious diseases such as primary immune deficiencies, hereditary angioedema, inherited respiratory disease, hemophilia and other bleeding and neurological disorders.

Anyone in good health, between the ages of 18-65, who weighs at least 110 pounds, has no tattoos or piercings with-

DO IT FOR THEM. Get tested for COVID-19.

FREE, confidential and safe. No insurance needed.

Visit NYC.Gov/COVIDTest

10

EDUCATION

Kids’ School Schedules Have Never Matched Parents’ Work Obligations and the Pandemic is Making Things Worse

BY TARYN MORRISSEY THE CONVERSATION

W

hether I’m looking at the question of why it has always been hard to be a working parent in the United States as a mother with two children under 7, or as a scholar of child and family policy, one reason stands out. The hours employers demand and public school schedules have always been incompatible.

While children attend K-12 public schools for an average of 1,195 hours per year, a full-time working parent averages twice as much time, about 2,450 hours per year, working and commuting.

This fall, it looks like millions of U.S. children will spend no hours at school at all. And for nearly every parent, the usual complicated dance between their jobs and their kids’ daily schedules has become even more complex, as school systems adjust their plans in accordance with what’s possible during the COVID19 pandemic.

As of mid-July, for example, New York City – the country’s biggest school dis-

trict – was planning to have children in classrooms only two or three days a week once the new school year gets underway.

Los Angeles – the second-largest – was planning to keep learning fully online.

An issue of inequality Finding affordable and reliable child care is especially hard for parents with infants

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and toddlers, those whose children have special needs, or those working nights, weekends or unpredictable schedules.

Public pre-K programs and the federally funded Head Start program together enroll only 47% of 4-year-olds and 17% of 3-year-olds and most of these programs are only “half-day,” meaning that they run for four hours at most.

Once children are ready for elementary school, only a handful of states require full-day kindergarten.

Wealthy and high-earning parents bridge this gulf for their children of all ages with elaborate – and expensive – webs of paid people and programs that can include in-school after-care, enrichment activities, babysitters and nannies.

Parents who can’t afford those things and have few choices rely instead on their relatives, neighbors and friends to fill the gaps schools don’t cover with more informal arrangements.

Now even worse Since March 2020, most U.S. parents have faced the daunting task of working full-time while caring for – and at least attempting on school days to help teach – their children all week long.

This challenge is widespread. An estimated one-third of U.S. workers have child care obligations.

With schools and child care programs largely shuttered, most summer camps canceled or online, and families understandably reluctant to rely on elderly relatives, the hours of child care have gone, in many cases, to zero. But for the workers lucky enough to remain employed, work hours have held steady.

Moreover, social distancing guidelines discourage associating with others outside of the household – which can include nannies and babysitters.

Moving on I anticipate that many parents, mostly mothers, will be forced to miss work, cut their hours or quit their jobs. Taking this step might make help make life less hectic and ensure care for their children in

the short term. But it also takes a toll on their current and future economic security.

I don’t think juggling work and parenting has to be this hard, or that things should ever have been as hard as they were before this crisis. After the pandemic ends, the U.S. shouldn’t aspire for parents to return to the expensive, exhausting jujitsu of 2019.

I argue that the nation should, in the long term, ensure that everyone has access to affordable, high-quality options that span from infancy through the teen years through a combination of child care subsidies and more funding for care for children before and after the school day.

More spending on infant and toddler care and summer activities – a time of year during which families often struggle to find and pay for care – could help reduce income gaps in children’s readiness for kindergarten and summer learning loss.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed parents’ delicate, very difficult and unsustainable balancing act.

This complex crisis offers a time of reckoning. Americans have an opportunity to re-imagine how the government can support family life – to make raising children less expensive, less stressful, more socially just and simply better for everyone.l Taryn Morrissey is an Associate Professor of Public Administration and Policy, American University School of Public Affairs

IMMIGRATION

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11

FAMILY MATTERS

Protect Your Child's Health: Don't Delay Well-child Visits

O

Which vaccines does my child need?

Check out CDC's easy-to-read childhood immunization schedule to see the vaccines recommended for each age and the diseases they prevent.

ver the past several months, families have been helping stop the spread of COVID-19 and keeping their loved ones safe by staying home as much as possible. As communities across the country begin to reopen, you can help your child stay healthy by keeping any scheduled appointments for wellchild visits and rescheduling appointments that may have been missed.

What if I can't pay for my child's vaccines?

The Vaccines for Children program provides free vaccines for children who are Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, underinsured, or American Indian/Alaska Native. If you need help paying for vaccines, ask your child's doctor for more information about the program.

During these challenging times, remember that you have the power to keep your child healthy by seeing their doctor and getting routine vaccines.l(BPT)

At these essential appointments, you have an opportunity to: * Track your child's growth and developmental milestones * Discuss any concerns about your child's health * Get your child vaccinated to protect them from 14 serious diseases In recent years, some of these diseases – particularly measles and whooping cough – have caused outbreaks. These contagious illnesses can pose serious risks and complications for infants and young children. For this reason, CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that every child continue to receive routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Here are some answers to questions you may have about well-visits during this time: Can I take my child to the doctor safely?

Talk to your child's doctor to see what measures they have in place during the COVID-19 outbreak. Offices and clinics

across the country are taking proactive, protective measures to help you and your child stay safe during your visit. These steps may include scheduling sick visits and well-child visits at different times and in different locations, and reducing crowds in waiting rooms by asking patients to wait outside until called.

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JOBS & RECESSION

12

Thinking about Becoming a Freelancer? 6 Things to Consider Before Making the Jump

C

onsidering the economic challenges the world is faced with today, including some of the highest unemployment numbers in recent history, now could be an excellent time to begin a career as a freelancer.

Recent nationwide furloughs and layoffs caused by the struggling economy and the social distancing necessitated by COVID-19 make that particularly true.

But statistics show the number of freelancers has been growing over the past decade, partly because people enjoy the flexibility, control and better work-life balance that can come with the role. And independent contractors span a range of professions these days, from law to graphic design to engineering.

In a survey conducted in the nation's top 30 cities for freelancing last year, for example, some six million independent contractors were collectively earning $150 billion. Some of the largest markets for freelancers these days? New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Nashville and Austin are also upand-comers, with the population of skilled freelancers growing by 26% and 27%, respectively, between 2012 and 2017. Miami's skilled freelance work-

force contributes most to its overall city GDP, making up a full 2.3%.

Here are notable advantages to consider if you're mulling a move to the freelance lifestyle.

Control over your schedule Freelancing empowers you with much more control over your workload and when you choose to complete it. Not only can you accept or decline assignments based on your availability and preferences, but in many cases you can finish them during the hours most convenient to you. That can be invaluable

when you're juggling other family or business commitments or simply wish to reserve certain time periods for other endeavors.

Relaxed work environments As your own boss, you establish your own work space, rules, dress code and core values. Having that kind of flexibility in this uncertain world can be a huge boon to your health, comfort and sense of individuality.

Unprecedented reach Digital technology enables work-at-

Job satisfaction Those who freelance often see their work as more rewarding than others. In the Fiverr survey, for example, seven of 10 U.S. freelancers called their work highly satisfying, compared to about half of U.S. workers in general. The primary reasons for that added satisfaction? The freedom to work from home, the flexibility of the work schedules and the interesting nature of their work.

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home capabilities for those who may not have had that option in the past, allowing those in many professions to work entirely online while keeping a safe distance from COVID-19 and other possible threats. Though many people find their freelance work through word-of-mouth or social media, a full 18% now find their clients through online marketplaces such as Fiverr, according to the survey. Last year Fiverr connected 2.4 million customers with independent contractor clients from more than 160 countries across the globe.

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Healthy paychecks Because they can control their own pricing, profit margins and productivity, many freelancers earn more working for themselves than for others. And they're not expecting their revenues to change significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic; the Fiverr survey found that 59% of independent contractors surveyed expected to earn equal or increased revenues in 2020.

Income equality Men and women both find success through freelancing, and the gender pay gap seems to be a non-issue among freelancers. Of freelancers worldwide working through Fiverr, for instance, 44% are women — and they earn almost 20% more than the men.

For many, the option of becoming an independent contractor is becoming more and more attractive.

Ready to become your own boss? Fiverr connects employers with digital service workers in more than 300 categories across eight fields, offering transparency, efficiency and ease as work is managed and completed. Contact us to learn more.l(BPT)

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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

ICE Has Been Granted the Same Level of Secrecy as the FBI

BY TORY JOHNSON

I

n a blow to government transparency, the Trump administration has decided to designate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a “security/sensitive agency.” The move further shields ICE from public accountability, allowing them to withhold even more information.

According to a leaked government memo, the Trump administration granted ICE’s request to be designated a “security/sensitive” agency when it comes to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The designation limits the public’s ability to obtain vital information about ICE. Now, the agency and its personnel will be less accountable to the public.

FOIA is an important tool that provides people the right to access information from the federal government, which includes ICE. While the objective of the Act is disclosure, not secrecy, FOIA includes categories of information that are unavailable to the public. Agencies can also apply exemptions to withhold certain types of information.

Immigration agencies have long applied these exemptions liberally, so those requesting the information are forced to

obtain it through litigation.

Previously, some information about ICE officials in “sensitive” occupations—such as field agents or law enforcement officers—would be withheld but other information could be released in response to FOIA requests.

That changes with the designation, granting protections that arguably are not within the statutory exemptions outlined in FOIA. The memo claims that the designation ensures that “all relevant personally identifiable information (PII) of all ICE

personnel” will be withheld, or redacted, when processing FOIA requests. PII includes information like names, duty stations, and salaries.

This information is key when investigating complaints or allegations of abuse by certain officers or patterns of such in specific offices or areas. That becomes much harder to do if the information is kept secret.

The designation places ICE on the same level as officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Secret Service. But unlike ICE, these agencies arguably need some level of secrecy and privacy around individual officials due to the often sensitive nature of their operations.

Unfortunately, this is part of a trend under the current administration to protect and elevate the interests of individual officials at the expense of the public interest.

Earlier this year, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was given the same high-level security designation. These designations are all the more troubling given heightened public concern around law enforcement accountability.

ICE—and CBP for that matter—tried to justify the need for the higher designa-

tion by claiming that its personnel have experienced more threats and intimidation in recent years. Yet, the memo provides no examples of this. The agency has also not established that any such incidents resulted from information being released through FOIA. In fact, the memo closes with a reminder to employees that they should not reveal their ties to ICE. This raises an important question. Why has FOIA become the culprit when ICE employees themselves may be the ones revealing personal information?

The memo reads: “I would ask that we all remain vigilant in our own online interactions.

Irresponsible use of social media and needless identification of our positions or affiliation with ICE can create the very same type of risk that this requested OPM designation was intended to avert.”

FOIA is one of few precious tools available to help hold the government accountable and transparent to the people. This decision further strips away the strength of this tool—and without strong justification. This makes the government less transparent for fear of a security threat that doesn’t actually exist.l

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CONVERSATIONS

15

Life Events and Your Finances: Are You in the Know?

BY CANDACE BAHR

T

he old saying, “what we don’t know can’t hurt us,” is good for a laugh when we’re talking about the number of calories in a mocha frappuccino. However, we really do want to know as much as we can about how certain predictable life events can affect us, especially our finances.

Although we can’t know everything about what our future holds, we can make some educated guesses and give some thought to the “what ifs?” When women look toward their financial future, they have some unique issues to consider.

Key Life Events that Affect Financial Strategy For most women, financial planning is not an end in itself, but a means of reaching life and family goals. National surveys have shown that for women, achieving financial peace of mind is over seven times more important than accumulating wealth. Women think particularly of their finances in the larger context of their life and family situation, their loved ones, their values, and their hopes for the future.

They especially want to understand and reflect on the key life events that will affect their finances. Issues unique to women include the likelihood that they will outlive their spouses, may have to take care of ailing family members, or may take time out from working to raise children. For women, financial planning is about peace of mind, and financial success is about protecting themselves and the people they love from uncertainty. Here are some life events to think about: 1. Marriage – How will you and your spouse share the management of financial resources?

2. Children –How will you finance their care and feeding for twenty years (or more)?

3. Divorce –Statistics show that 50% of marriages end in divorce. That’s a big “what if?” Not a happy prospect, but one to face with compassion and clarity.

4. Career Turning Points –Will you work or stay home with the kids? How will you stay current and employable?

5. Widowhood –Women born during the Baby Boom are likely to be widowed by age 67 and to remain a widow for 15 years or longer. Nine out of ten women are on their own financially at some point in their adult lives. What if?

6. Caregiving –The need to care for aging parents and/or spouses is becoming the norm as our lifespans increase.

Your finances may be affected by the time, energy, and resources required.

7. Retirement –How will you finance the potentially 30-year span after you and/or your spouse leave the work force?

8. Estate Planning –Although planning should take place well in advance of the final life event, this is a truly significant one for all who hope to leave this world a better place and assure the best future and most comfortable transition for their loved ones.

When we think of life as an exciting enterprise, full of ups and downs to be shared and learned from, we keep ourselves in the best position to enjoy it. We can use what we do know to help prepare for the things we can’t know.l Candace Bahr is co-founder of the nonprofit Women’s Institute for Financial Education, WIFE.org. Candace is widely quoted in women’s magazines as well as The New York Times, Fortune, Bloomberg, and Money Magazine. She has appeared on MSNBC, CNBC and NBC Nightly News.

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AMERICAN DREAM

16

USCIS Holds Drive-Thru Naturalization Ceremonies to Work Through COVID-19 Backlog tion benefits and has said that its funding dried up when USCIS offices were closed to the public.

BY WALTER EWING

U

.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) expects, by the end of July, to have worked through nearly the entire backlog of naturalization oath ceremonies put on hold in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agency is now providing new ways to take the oath, including drive-thru naturalization ceremonies.

The cancellation of oath ceremonies had prevented 120,000 immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens. Each person had fulfilled all the requirements for U.S. citizenship except the taking of the oath.

This, in turn, prevented them thus far from registering to vote in the November elections.

USCIS closed its offices to the public from March 18 to June 4 in response to the pandemic. Initially, the agency offered no alternatives to the traditional oath ceremonies, which are normally held in a packed courtroom or auditorium.

On June 10, two immigrants’ rights groups filed a lawsuit on behalf of prospective new citizens in the

Editorial credit: Jana Shea / Shutterstock.com

Philadelphia area. The organizations asked the court to provide their plaintiffs “with the ability to immediately take the oath.”

Since reopening public offices on June 4, the agency has started rescheduling those ceremonies while observing socialdistancing protocols. In California and Michigan, for instance, oath ceremonies are being held on a drive-thru basis.

Federal judges administer the oath to new citizens who remain in their cars.

On July 1, USCIS announced that it “has naturalized approximately 64,500

new citizens over the past month and anticipates completing nearly all postponed administrative naturalization ceremonies by the end of July.”

However, this timeline could be disrupted if the agency follows through on plans to furlough roughly two-thirds of its workforce in response to a funding crisis. USCIS is asking Congress for an infusion of $1.2 billion in emergency funding to compensate for a budget shortfall it claims is due to the pandemic.

The agency receives most of its funds through the fees people pay for immigra-

Without the emergency funding, the agency says it will have no choice but to furlough most of its employees, and over 13,000 USCIS employees have already received furlough notices. This will cripple its ability to process immigration benefit applications and administer naturalization oath ceremonies.

It is important to note, however, that USCIS has a long history of fiscal mismanagement which precedes the current pandemic. COVID-19 is not the only cause of the funding shortfall that the agency is now experiencing.

If USCIS furloughs the bulk of its workforce, oath ceremonies would come to a near standstill again. Potentially tens of thousands of people who should have been able to vote in the November elections will most likely be unable to do so.

Given that these individuals have already fulfilled all the requirements to become U.S. citizens, this would be a travesty— particularly given the historic stakes of this election.l

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18

BOOKS

Separated: Inside an American Tragedy

T

he award-winning NBC News correspondent, Jacob Soboroff lays bare the full truth behind the Trump administration’s systematic separation of desperate migrant families at the US-Mexico border In June 2018, Donald Trump’s most notorious decision as president had secretly been in effect for months before most Americans became aware of the astonishing inhumanity being perpetrated by their own government. Jacob Soboroff was among the first journalists to expose this reality after seeing firsthand the living conditions of the children in custody. His influential series of reports ignited public scrutiny that contributed to the president reversing his own policy and earned Soboroff the Cronkite Award for Excellence in Political Broadcast Journalism and, with his colleagues, the 2019 Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism.

But beyond the headlines, the complete, multilayered story lay untold.

How, exactly, had such a humanitarian tragedy—now deemed “torture” by physicians—happened on American soil? Most important, what has been the human experience of those separated children and parents?

Soboroff has spent the past two years reporting the many strands of this complex narrative, developing sources from within the Trump administration who share critical details for the first time. He also traces the dramatic odyssey of one separated family from Guatemala, where their lives were threatened by narcos, to seek asylum at the U.S. border, where they were separated—the son ending up in Texas, and the father thousands of miles away, in the Mojave desert of central California. And he joins the heroes who emerged to challenge the policy, and who worked on the ground to reunite parents with children.

In this essential reckoning, Soboroff weaves together these key voices with his own experience covering this nation-

al issue—at the border in Texas, California, and Arizona; with administration officials in Washington, D.C., and inside the disturbing detention facilities.

Separated lays out compassionately, yet in the starkest of terms, its human toll, and makes clear what is at stake in the 2020 presidential election.

Jacob Soboroff is a correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. For his reporting on the child-separation policy, he received the 2019 Walter Cronkite Award for Individual Achievement by a National Journalist and the 2019 Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism.

He has appeared on Today, Morning Joe, The Rachel Maddow Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and numerous other programs. He co-presented (with Katy Tur) the four-part event docuseries American Swamp on MSNBC. He lives in Los Angeles.

Available at Amazon.com

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

19

How to Cope with Relationship Trauma Triggers Tell Your Partner What You Need To help you regulate and cope with your triggers, your partner will need to play a very important role. Tell your partner what you need. Let him know that you need him to stay physically close, hold you and tell you “I am here for you and I am not going anywhere.” Your partner cannot help you heal and create a safe haven for you if he doesn’t know how to help you cope. Instead, your emotions may confuse or overwhelm him and he can do things to make it worse.

BY JENNINE ESTES

M

ost of us come out of childhood, or past relationships, with some sort of emotional trauma. It could be an absent or inconsistent parent, a physically abusive boyfriend, or a mother who was really critical. These past hurts will make it more difficult to trust and feel emotionally attached to others in the future. I call these hurts relationship traumas.

When your current partner does something similar to what happened in your previous relationship trauma, you are triggered into feeling fear and shame.

The trauma triggers take you back to the emotional place you were when the original trauma occurred. So, how do you cope with traumatic triggers and regulate? Here are strategies and tips on how to cope with trauma triggers.

Name Your Triggers If you become angry or end up in a fight whenever a certain topic is brought up, start to name your trigger. Gently tell your partner, “When you say you’re leaving, it reminds me of…”. This helps you partner understand what your trigger is and how they can avoid bringing up these negative emotions in the future. A trigger

can be related to a behavior, tone of voice, choice of words, or even the look on your partner’s face. Naming your trigger also helps you acknowledge the emotional wounds that you are still working through instead of pushing them down and trying to ignore them.

Don’t Give in to Fight or Flight When we face a confrontation and nega-

tive emotions, your most primal instincts will kick in. This means fight or flight. If you are triggered by an emotional trauma, don’t run away from it. For the sake of your emotional attachment to your partner, it is important for you to work through it together. When you to choose to stay and fight for your relationship and through the trauma together, your secure attachment can be strengthened.

Get Help Sometime emotional traumas are deeply rooted and a counselor can help you and your partner navigate the choppy waters in a healing way. You will learn how to feel safe being vulnerable, and your partner can have a safe space to talk about any issues that your past trauma brings up for him.l About Jennine Estes, MFT Jennine is a Marriage and Family Therapist in San Diego, CA. Certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. Supervisor.

She writes relationship and self growth advice for her column, Relationships in the Raw. and is the creator of #BeingLOVEDIs campaign. MFC#47653

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