The Immigrant’s Journal - Vol. 126

The Immigrant’s Journal Vol. 126

Our leaders who stood for Unity & Justice

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Protecting God’s Children From Distant Lands

www.ijlef.org

September 03, 2020

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Asylum Seekers Face a Dangerous Journey—and United States Interference

I’m Undocumented.

When Should I Tell Him or Her?

BY DAISY CAMPBELL

BY KATY MURDZA

F

or many people planning to seek asylum in the United States, enforcement starts in Panama, over 3,000 miles south of the U.S.Mexico border. U.S. immigration agencies collaborate with Panama’s National Border Service, also known as SENAFRONT, to register and track people as they pass through Central America.

The United States provides Panama with equipment, training, and funding for continued on page 2

Editorial credit: Joseph Sorrentino / Shutterstock.com

Quick Tips for Building Trust after Infidelity...17

The Lie About Kamala Harris Birthright Citizenship attempting to gatekeep who can and cannot be a U.S. citizen.

BY MELISSA CRUZ

P

eople born in the United States are American citizens, regardless of what President Trump claims.

Birthright citizenship—enshrined by the Fourteenth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution—guarantees it.

Trump recently suggested to the contrary after a Newsweek column erroneously argued that vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris was not a “natural born citizen.” The assertion that Senator Harris is ineligible for the vice presidency based on her citizenship is an outright lie. This falsehood is steeped in a long, racist history of

Kamala Harris. Photo by Greg Skidmore

What Is Birthright Citizenship?

The Fourteenth Amendment was adopted into the Constitution in 1868 following the American Civil War. Its adoption gave “birthright citizenship” to people born or naturalized in the United States, including people who were formerly enslaved.

With limited exceptions, all people born within a U.S. territory automatically become an American citizen, regardless of the citizenship of their parents. continued on page 5

New Initiatives to Expand Access to Food Programs in Underserved Communities

M

ayor de Blasio, Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity cochairs First Lady Chirlane McCray, Deputy Mayor J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor Dr. Raul Perea-Henze, and Executive Director Sideya Sherman announced new food access programs in neighborhoods that

have suffered disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic. New Yorkers in communities of color will have easier access to nutritious, high-quality foods with meal deliveries, online grocery shopping and more.

“Every New Yorker should have equicontinued on page 8

Mayor de Blasio

W

hen you meet someone and start the 'getting to know you' process, there are many issues that can hinder the formation of a beautiful relationship. Kim was an undocumented immigrant and had met Steven, a citizen of the United States. Both had met while at a public event one night.

They both took a liking to each other and started dating. After a month into the relationship, Kim began to see Stephen's qualities that she admired, but there was an issue, she had kept her immigration status from him. She has become fond of him and now found herself in a predicament as to the right time to tell Steven about her situation.

We use the trust to judge the relationship with each other and, in the process, determine how much we can give. Being an undocumented immigrant and the stigma attached to such a situation can often pose a challenge, especially when that individual enters the world of dating.

Meeting people and forging meaningful and long-lasting relationships can undoubtedly be a painful experience. To determine the suitable time or whether or not to declare your immigration status can be quite burdensome as the risk of making it known is far greater than keeping it a secret.

As adults, we know that relationships grow in stages. The more time that we spend to build the relationship, the more intimate and meaningful it becomes. At the beginning of the relationship, before the initiation of sexual contact, being an undocumented immigrant, makes the situation more complicated. It would be best to use that introductory period to get continued on page 9

IMMIGRATION MATTERS

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Asylum Seekers/from page 1 immigration enforcement. This collaboration with Panama is just one of many ways that the United States pressures other governments to assist with its border security operations.

People Just Barely Survived Crossing a Jungle Known to Be Impassible The Darien Gap, an approximately 60mile stretch of dense jungle between Panama and Colombia, is notorious for its life-threatening terrain. Those who cross it face swift river currents, dangerous animals, and criminal organizations.

It is the only break in the Pan-American highway between Alaska and the southern tip of Argentina.

Migrants who cross through it do so because they are unable to travel directly to the United States or Mexico. They instead enter countries in South America with fewer visa restrictions by plane or boat and then journey north. Almost all of them are Haitian, Cuban, or “extracontinental.”

In 2019, 24,000 migrants passed through the Darien region, including 4,000 children.

Conditions at the Panama Border A camp run by SENAFRONT in Bajo Chiquito, Panama processes those traveling through Panama. SENAFRONT requires everyone at the camp to register before proceeding further north through Central America. Panama and at least 13

other countries use the United States’ Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) to collect the fingerprints, photographs, and iris scans of migrants.

People cannot leave the camp until their background check has cleared.

While some can proceed quickly, others must wait months.

Asylum seekers from Yemen and other countries defined as “special interest” by the United States must undergo additional vetting. Once they are cleared, buses take them through Panama directly to the Costa Rican border. These buses are limited to 100 passengers per day in a policy known as “Operation Controlled Flow.”

Panama has paused the bus service since the Costa Rican border closed due

to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of people are now trapped in the migrant camps. In March, the Bajo Chiquito camp, which was built to hold 100 people, held 800.

Panama planned to open a new camp this year, but is currently using it to isolate migrants showing symptoms of COVID-19. Migrants at the camps have protested border closures and poor conditions, including lack of safe drinking water.

The U.S. Pressures Mexico and Central American Countries to Expel Asylum Seekers The United States has provided Mexico with more than $100 million since 2014 for immigration enforcement. In 2018,

Mexico agreed to deploy its National Guard and allow the United States to implement the so-called Migrant Protection Protocols, also referred to as “Remain in Mexico.” This occurred after the Trump administration threatened high tariffs on Mexican goods.

The United States cut off hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to the three Northern Triangle countries, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, in 2019. The aid wasn’t restored until each country had agreed to participate in Asylum Cooperative Agreements. These agreements allow the United States to divert asylum seekers to other countries, requiring them to apply for protection there instead.

But these countries have virtually no capacity to hear asylum claims.

As of 2019, Guatemala had only eight employees processing asylum applications, while El Salvador had one. The Northern Triangle countries are also home to the very types of violence and persecution that asylum seekers are fleeing.

Many of the migrants stalled or stopped

by Central American and Mexican immigration enforcement are asylum seekers attempting to exercise their legal right to seek protection in the United States. The United States should not assist or incentivize other countries in preventing them from reaching our borders. Instead, it must work with other governments in the region to protect the rights of all migrants.l

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TIME FOR ACTION

3

Amid a Global Pandemic, Immigrant Families Face Even Greater Health Care Insecurities

Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip

BY ANGEL ROSARIO

Assistant Editor Marilyn Silverman

A

t EmblemHealth, I lead a dedicated team that’s embedded in our neighborhoods to help families answer questions about health care coverage and services. For some, we are the first people that patients have spoken to about whether they qualify for coverage, if they can get the preventative care they need, or how to deal with chronic conditions. We frequently encounter deep-rooted fears and a reluctance from immigrants and their families about how they can access health care.

Their fears are directly linked to the “public charge” rule, which is a new federal regulation that gives federal immigration officials the ability to deny applications for green cards and visas for those new to the country who have used certain government assistance programs.

The rule, and confusion surrounding it, have led many to delay obtaining health care or avoiding it altogether; often resulting in people going to the hospital or worse, watching loved ones die. From a public health and community perspective, we all must ensure this doesn’t happen.

When we talk to people about health insurance, many emotions are exposed, including concerns about qualifying for health coverage. Every day, I watch people walk away from no-cost health insurance because this new rule makes them feel targeted and exposed.

During this uncertain time, where more than 5 million people have confirmed

Graphic & Website Designers Praim Samsoondar Anvar Sabirov Email immjournal@aol.com

coronavirus cases in the U.S, there’s an especially crucial need to ensure all who need it, have access to health care. Yet, uncertainty runs high for many in migrant communities, unsure if they can enroll in health insurance and if doing so will designate them as a “public charge”.

Recently, a federal appeals court blocked this proposed rule from being enforced in Connecticut, New York, and Vermont. Unfortunately, the court action has not alleviated anxiety. Individuals are worried that applying for health care assistance will result in denial of a green card, visa renewal, or US citizenship, or even deportation..

Everyone has a vested interest in this debate; because the more people with coverage helps protect our communities from disease. The facts are New Yorkers can be fully covered. The public charge rule only affected Medicaid, not other coverage, such as the Essential Plan, Child Health Plus, or Qualified Health Plan. Furthermore, even prior to the court

action, the federal government exempted pregnant women and children under 21 seeking Medicaid coverage from the public charge rule. Now the court has made it possible for families to seek coverage for others not previously exempted under Medicaid.

This is a confusing time, and we are here to help. If you or someone you know is worried about getting access to health coverage, please call us at 888-432-8026 where you can get answers. Getting coverage helps you protect your family, ultimately making communities safer.l

Angel Rosario is the Vice President of Marketplace Sales at EmblemHealth, a New York nonprofit health insurance plan that serves over 3.2 million New Yorkers and nearly half a million patients through AdvantageCare Physicians (ACPNY), where more than 70,000 of its patients are insured through Medicaid.

USCIS Adopts AAO Decision on TPS and Authorized Travel

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TEAM Publisher I.Q. INC.

ASHINGTON:U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a Policy Memorandum (PDF, 268.36 KB) adopting the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decision on Matter of Z‑R‑Z‑C. The decision holds that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries who travel abroad using a Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-issued travel document under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) section 244(f)(3) generally will retain the same immigration status on their return that they had

at the time of departure. Exceptions apply to aliens inadmissible under certain criminal or national security grounds or with immigrant or nonimmigrant visas they present for admission to the United States.

This travel does not satisfy the “inspected and admitted or paroled” eligibility requirement for obtaining adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence. This is consistent with the agency’s previous clarification that a TPS beneficiary’s authorized travel does not execute a final order of

removal.

“Temporary Protected Status is by its very nature temporary,” said USCIS Deputy Director for Policy Joseph Edlow. “It should not provide a path to lawful permanent resident status or citizenship. Misinterpretation and inconsistent application of this law has previously allowed those pathways for alien TPS beneficiaries. This was a mistaken distortion of what Congress intended when creating this temporary program.”l

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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

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CIVIL RIGHTS

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Congress Must Protect Democracy, Ensure Safe Voting During COVID-19

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ASHINGTON: In testimony before the House Administration Committee, Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, will call on Congress to take steps to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) operates at full capacity.

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, voters should not be forced to choose between their health and their fundamental right to vote, as occurred in many of the recent primary elections. Gupta, who previously served as the head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, will underscore that all communities, particularly those who have faced barriers to the ballot like people of color, must have their voices heard in the upcoming November election.

“The slew of recent service and operational changes at USPS threaten to have a devastating impact on communities of color that continue to bear the legacy of centuries of political and economic disenfranchisement. Further, President Trump’s attacks on the integrity of both mail-in and in-person voting also pose grave danger to the administration of safe, fair, and accessible elections,” said Gupta. “What we have seen to date in this year’s primary elections provides a

dire warning of what we could expect this November — unless election officials act now to ensure safe and accessible elections over the next 66 days.”

Gupta urged Congress to require states to: •Expand voter registration opportunities, including requiring that any eligible citizen can register to vote online and requiring that any voter be allowed to register to vote on the same day that they vote (same-day voter registration); •Ensure that every voter can access noexcuse absentee ballots with prepaid postage in all federal elections, prohibit states from requiring notarization or witness signatures to cast an absentee ballot, and, during emergencies such as COVID-19, require states to automatically mail absentee ballots to all registered voters no later than two weeks before Election Day, require the counting of ballots postmarked on or before Election Day, reform signature matching laws to provide notice to voters of any problems with their ballot and an opportunity to address any inconsistencies; •Provide at least 15 consecutive days of in-person early voting, with such voting being available at least 10 hours per day and at locations that are accessible by

public transportation; •Defray the costs to states of undertaking public education campaigns to educate voters about new voting and registration options in the wake of COVID-19; and •Ensure that voters residing on Indian lands can access the ballot by maintaining robust and safe in-person voting options and providing secure ballot return drop boxes.

Gupta also urged all voters to safeguard their right to vote in these unprecedented times, with these six key steps: •First, check your registration today and register or update your information if you need to. Voters can go to andstillivote.org/resources or contact their state election officials.

•Second, make your plan to vote.

Request your absentee ballot today and return it far in advance of Election Day. •Third, if you prefer to vote in person, make every effort possible to cast your ballot during your jurisdiction’s early voting period if it is available.

•Fourth, if you are able, sign up to be a poll worker, at powerthepolls.org, to ensure that polling places are properly staffed on Election Day and that voters aren’t forced to wait in excessively long lines to cast a ballot.

•Fifth, if you see misinformation on a social media platform, do not amplify it by responding; report it to the platform for removal.

Finally, contact the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline (866-OUR-VOTE or 866ourvote.org) with any questions about voting or to report any problems with the voting process.l

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—www.civilrights.org

AMERICAN DREAM

5

Birthright Citizenship/

The history of birthright citizenship shows that it can be weaponized to deny rights based on race and immigration status.

The suggestion that Senator Harris cannot be vice president is a revival of this dangerous thinking. We cannot let this ideology take hold again in our country.

from page 1 Birthright Citizenship and Immigration The racist argument about Harris’ eligibility tries to create a distinction between a “natural born citizen” and a person born in the United States to immigrant parents.

At the time of her birth in Oakland, California, Harris’ parents were immigrants. But their immigration status does not matter—birthright citizenship guaranteed her U.S. citizenship no matter her parents’ immigration status.

Attempts to restrict citizenship for Americans with immigrant parents— based on race alone—go back centuries.

There are unfortunately far too many examples to name.

Less than two decades after the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment, government officials argued that U.S.-born children of Chinese immigrants could not be considered citizens by birth.

The Chinese Exclusion Act, signed into law in 1882, barred the entry of almost all immigration from China. It simultaneously banned Chinese immigrants already living in the United States from becoming naturalized citizens, supposedly also disqualifying their American children from citizenship. The government saw Chinese people as “dirty” and “unfit” to be U.S. citizens.

Until the Supreme Court rejected this argument in 1898, Chinese Americans

were not considered U.S. citizens in the eyes of the government.

President Trump’s History With Birthright Citizenship Trump rose to political prominence—and infamy—in 2011 after claiming that President Obama was born in Kenya and ineligible for the presidency. He was perhaps the loudest high-profile figure to tout the racist “birther” conspiracy theory at the time and continued to push “birtherism” well into 2015.

It’s easy to draw a comparison between his claims about Obama then and Harris

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now. But Trump hasn’t limited his clear disdain for birthright citizenship to these fringe theories.

The Trump administration threatened to abolish birthright citizenship by executive order in 2018. The president claimed he would end birthright citizenship by executive order to prevent the children of undocumented immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens. The executive order, however, was never issued.

In August 2019, the Trump administration attacked birthright citizenship again.

The administration released a policy that changed the way “U.S. residency” was

defined for U.S. military members and government employees living overseas.

The policy announcement followed remarks from Trump that birthright citizenship was a “magnet” for undocumented immigration.

Under this change, children born abroad to U.S.-citizen servicemembers would not receive automatic citizenship. The policy received bipartisan backlash and got overturned by passage of a law in March 2020.

The history of birthright citizenship shows that it can be weaponized to deny rights based on race and immigration status. The suggestion that Senator Harris cannot be vice president is a revival of this dangerous thinking. We cannot let this ideology take hold again in our country.l

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5/29/2020 3:10:22 PM 5/29/2020

CENSUS 2020

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Why It’s Important to Participate in the 2020 Census

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he 2020 Census is a population count of every person living in the United States and its five territories as of April 1. Beginning in March 2020, households across the country will begin receiving invitations to respond to the 2020 Census. Every 10 years since 1790, as mandated by the Constitution, the U.S. Census Bureau has conducted this count. Results of the 2020 Census will shape how billions of dollars in federal funds are allocated to communities for critical public services such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and public safety.

The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.

The 2020 Census will be the 24th time the nation has counted its population – and it will be the first time everyone can respond online, by phone, or by mail.

Why the 2020 Census is important Census statistics aren’t just about which state or city has grown the most over the last 10 years. Statistics compiled from census responses help businesses, researchers, and communities make deci-

another survey from the Census Bureau such as the American Community Survey. When you respond to the 2020 Census, you are helping to shape the future of your community by being counted.

sions about funding for everything from school buildings and lunches and new bridges or roads, to fire departments, rural assistance programs, and more.

Knowing who lives throughout the nation means that communities can better support programs and services benefitting people aged 65 and older, lowincome people, veterans, children, and newborns.

Participating in the census is required by law, even if you recently completed

How to respond to the 2020 Census Most households will receive an invitation to respond to the 2020 Census beginning in mid-March. At that time, one person should respond on behalf of the entire household online, by phone, or by mail. Responding early and on your own reduces the need for census takers to visit you in person to help you complete the questionnaire.

Be sure to count everyone who lives and sleeps in your home most of the time.

That includes relatives, friends, or others.

And count all children, including newborns. If you’re unsure who to count, visit 2020census.gov to learn more.

For some communities and locations, there are different timelines and processes for responding to the 2020 Census.

This includes people who live in Puerto Rico and U.S. Island Areas, remote areas in Alaska and northern Maine, areas that have experienced a natural disaster, group living arrangements (e.g., on-cam-

pus student housing, military bases, shelters), and people experiencing homelessness. Learn more at 2020census.gov.

You should try to complete your questionnaire as soon as possible to help ensure everyone is counted once, only once, and in the right place.

Protecting 2020 Census responses The Census Bureau is bound by federal law to protect the confidentiality of your responses to the 2020 Census. Title 13 of the U.S. Code prohibits employees from sharing identifiable information with anyone, including law enforcement and immigration agencies.

All Census Bureau employees take a sworn oath to protect your personal information for life.

Responding to the 2020 Census is safe and secure. The Census Bureau follows industry best practices and federal requirements to protect individual responses during collection of responses to storage and reporting. That means the Census Bureau is continually refining its approach to identifying, preventing, detecting, and responding to cyberthreats and other potential dangers to the confidentiality of responses to the 2020 Census. l

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IN THE COMMUNITY

8

New Initiatives/from page 1 table access to healthy food,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “These programs will help families get nutritious foods without having to sacrifice spending on other critical needs.”

The Taskforce works to ensure that COVID-19 response and recovery efforts are tailored to meet the specific needs of New Yorkers in communities of color. City agencies conducted a survey with community members and this feedback helped to inform the issue areas of the Taskforce's work.

“Communities across New York City —and communities of color in particular —deserve access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food, and need it now more than ever,” said Anusha Venkataraman, co-chair of the Taskforce subcommittee on Food Access & Insecurity and NYC Chief Service Officer. "I am proud of the Taskforce’s work to expand and improve these important initiatives, and support local businesses in the process.

Moreover, these options will help expand choice, including to culturally appropriate foods, so that New Yorkers can choose which foods they want to eat and feed their families."

Online Shopping with Independent Grocers New Yorkers have faced new hurdles in accessing groceries during the pandemic.

Many seniors and immunocompromised individuals cannot risk exposure to

COVID-19 by leaving their homes, and some large grocery providers that offer online shopping and delivery are operating at capacity, which has resulted in significantly delayed deliveries. At the same time, supermarkets that do not currently offer online ordering and grocery delivery may not have the resources to begin offering these services during the pandemic, leading some seniors and immunocompromised New Yorkers that have not been able to access grocery delivery, to turn to the City’s food banks and pantries.

Starting this summer, the City will partner with Mercato to increase the amount of home delivery services available, and support independent grocery stores in hardest-hit communities. Mercato is an online marketplace founded by a Brooklynite who grew up working in his father’s independent grocery store. The company facilitates delivery for 225+ specialty shops across the city, including Sahadi's, Eataly, and Chelsea Market.

The City’s arrangement with Mercato will allow customers to order from several vendors at once within each neighbor-

hood, replicating the experience of shopping from store to store in person. The pilot program includes 35 independent supermarkets in the hardest-hit neighborhoods including those in Queens and Staten Island along with participating vendors from the Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) Public Markets network.

Mercato offers e-commerce and sameday delivery of high-quality groceries and specialty foods from more than 1,000 independently owned stores & chains across the country. Bobby Brannigan, an entrepreneur who grew up working in his parent’s grocery store in Brooklyn, NY, created Mercato to level the playing field by bringing online shopping and delivery to independent grocers and their valued customers.

Get the Good Stuff Expansion Last year, the City launched Get the Good Stuff, NYC’s first grocery storebased fruit and vegetable incentive program for New Yorkers who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Since June 2019, over 5,300 New Yorkers with SNAP have enrolled in the program and have redeemed more than $430,000 worth of fruit and vegetable incentives.

Starting this year, the program will expand to additional stores located in communities hardest hit by the COVID19 pandemic and target New Yorkers with low incomes who do not participate in food assistance through SNAP.

Managed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), the program will partner with community-based organizations such as food pantries, healthcare providers, and social service organizations to enroll participants and issue Get the Good Stuff cards.

Participants will swipe the cards at a nearby partner grocery store to receive a dollar for dollar match on purchases of eligible fruits, vegetables and beans. For every $1 spent on eligible foods, participants will get $1 added to the card to spend on more eligible foods next time.

Participants can accrue up to $10 in incentives per day. The program will recruit five independently-owned grocery stores to implement the expansion.

Criteria for the selection of stores will include location in priority neighborhoods that have high rates of COVID related burden. To be eligible, stores must sell a wide variety of culturallyappropriate fruits and vegetables and contract with an approved point of sales vendor for system support.

Get the Good Stuff is the latest in a series of fruit and vegetable incentives by DOHMH for people who use SNAP. In 2005, the Health Department launched Health Bucks, one of the nation’s first fruit and vegetable incentive programs.

Over the last 15 years, New Yorkers have used Health Bucks to purchase more than $6 million worth of fresh fruits and vegetables. The program is now available at over 115 New York City farmers markets.l

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9

HOW TO GET A GREEN CARD

Department of Justice Proposes New Limit to the Board of Immigration Appeals’

BY EMILY CREIGHTON

T

he Department of Justice (DOJ) is proposing a range of measures that will limit the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) authority.

The new rule—published on August 26—will make it harder for the BIA to independently make decisions and accelerates the removal of individuals from the United States.

The proposed changes raise concerns that due process is again under attack.

The government should know from experience that rushed and curtailed adjudication of immigration cases undermines fair process for immigrants facing deportation.

The BIA is the appellate body within the DOJ that decides appeals from immigration courts around the country. It also considers other matters such as motions to reopen cases previously decided by an immigration judge.

The rule describes the proposed changes to the BIA’s appeals process as an attempt to “ensure the consistency, efficiency, and quality of its adjudications.”

But the BIA’s proposed rule will not do

any of those things. Instead, it will erode due process by placing additional undue pressure on BIA members. It will further limit the avenues of relief available to individuals in immigration proceedings to reduce the overall number of people who ultimately obtain relief from removal.

The “efficiency” measures proposed by the rule are particularly troubling. The rule limits the timeframes for important processes by: •Shortening the time for an extension of a briefing on appeal from 90 to 14 days.

•Requiring the government and individuals facing removal while not in custody to file briefs at the same time instead of consecutively, eliminating the opportunity for people to fully understand and respond to the government’s arguments for their removal.

•Establishing limitations on timeframes for adjudicating appeals.

The rule gives more leeway to the BIA when its decisions will result in speedier removal from the United States by, among other things: •Allowing the BIA to issue final orders of removal when it would have previously returned the case to an immigration

judge to order removal.

•Eliminating remands to immigration court for background checks.

•Allowing the BIA to deem an application abandoned, rather than an immigration judge who is supposed to be the only fact finder.

In limiting the decision-making authority of the BIA, the rule proposes to remove the BIA’s ability to reopen a case or reconsider a prior removal order on its own authority, except in very limited circumstances.

While limiting authority to grant a reopening in a case may appear to be a minor technical change, the decision deprives immigrants in removal proceedings an important avenue for relief when a motion to reopen may otherwise be time barred.

The rule also limits which motions to remand that the BIA may consider, barring, with some exceptions, motions to remand based on new evidence and remands to an immigration judge to consider new evidence.

Importantly, the DOJ continues its attack on administrative closure, a longstanding measure that allows judges to manage their exploding dockets. The

rule makes clear that BIA members have no “freestanding authority” to administratively close a case. This formalizes former Attorney General Jeff Session’s decision in Matter of Castro-Tum, and amends the regulations that have been used to challenge that decision in two circuit courts.

The DOJ points to the growing number of appeals at the BIA—a 38% increase since 2018—as justification for the rule.

The dramatic changes to BIA processes, however, cannot be reconciled with creating mere efficiencies. As we discovered when tools like administrative closure were taken away from immigration judges, the results of these measures may increase the immigration case backlog.

Comments to the rule are due September 25. The rule will be published 30 days later.

Whatever the motives behind the changes, the rule is a brazen attempt to dramatically alter current processes at the BIA and remove important due process safeguards in BIA processes while swiftly moving individuals toward deportation.l

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10

FAMILY MATTERS

Making Everyday Meals that Connect to Your Hispanic Heritage

A

cross the U.S., over half of consumers have reported cooking at home more often during the pandemic and 49% of consumers have reported eating together as a family more often due to COVID-19.1 In turn, Google searches for "online cooking classes" have increased fivefold2 and "cook with me" videos on YouTube have experienced a 100% increase in average daily views.

While many consumers are just beginning their journey in the kitchen, scratch cooking and traditional home-cooked meals have long been a staple and tradition with Hispanic families.

For Hispanic families, cooking traditional family meals and recipes is often viewed as a labor of love – passed from generation to generation – and a strong way to stay connected to their heritage.

These dishes are often cooked from scratch; require long and slow cook times; and call for extensive lists of fresh ingredients, herbs, spices and meats.

Yet with increasingly busy schedules and limited time to spend in the kitchen, Hispanic families across the nation are confronted with the challenge of building traditional family meals within a limited

timeframe. A recent Rumba Meats® survey found that Hispanic consumers have turned to grocery items and solutions that help to get dinner on the table quickly.

Research also found that, despite their love for their traditional cuisine, younger Hispanics confessed to lacking the time and knowledge to cook complicated traditional meals.

"Speed scratch" recipes are great examples of ways to create some beloved, traditional recipes while taking fewer steps to build the recipe. Typically, for example, salsas start with a long list of fresh ingredients when made from scratch.

One way to save time is a speed-scratch salsa recipe, which starts with a salsa

base that can be purchased at the grocery store and incorporates Roma tomatoes and chopped cilantro for a quick, fresh salsa. With this pre-made base, this salsa requires only two additional ingredients for a salsa that packs fresh flavor and is easily paired with carne picada bowls for a delicious family meal.

Another emerging method is setting aside time on the weekends when schedules are less busy to cook once and use the leftovers to make different meals throughout the week. One example is a slow-cooked beef cheek barbacoa recipe that can be used right away for delicious tacos, and frozen and heated up later to build easy barbacoa quesadillas. An

Instant Pot friendly bone broth recipe is also a great make-ahead recipe that can be frozen and later used in a quick menudo.

Lastly, recipe shortcuts have continued to grow in popularity, or ways in which to make a recipe quicker or easier altogether. A great way to build in a recipe shortcut is to use the slow cooker for handsoff, easy cooking. This slow cooker adobado braised beef, for example, can be cooked in the crockpot for a delicious meal that doesn't require supervision.

This recipe in particular enables Hispanic consumers to build on traditional meals that can be shared as a family while away at work or while running errands.

These recipe shortcuts and time-saving tricks, paired with widely available, convenient fresh meat products, enable Hispanic families to cook their favorite recipes that have been passed on for generations without expending hours of preparation and cooking time in the kitchen. On any night of the week, families can carefully plan meals that foster the important connection to their heritage through nourishing, delicious food.l (BPT)

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11

IMMIGRANT CONCERNS

How Important Is Contact Tracing as the World Waits for a Coronavirus Vaccine?

H

ealth Testing Centers issued a report on The State of Contract Tracing in the U.S., using historical and current data on the effectiveness of contact tracing from Bubonic Plague in the 16th century to Covid-19 today.

Contact tracing is when state and local health departments identify individuals who may have been exposed to an infectious disease so they can be tested and treated to stop the disease from spreading.

New York ranks No. 1 in among states with 87.4 contact tracers per 100,000 people.

The report shows 4 things you should know about contact tracing: 1) Used to Stop the Plague in Europe 500 Years Ago: Contact tracing goes back to at least the 1500’s when German hospitals used it to fight the bubonic plague. The results of contact tracing were used to debunk theories that the plague was the result of bad food, pollution or even of a celestial origin.

2) Controlled STI’s in America after WW2: The most common use of contact tracing in the U.S. today is in combating the spread of sexually transmitted infec-

tract tracing personnel is evident. An NPR analysis in May found that 44 states and D.C. planned to add contact tracing employees to the tune of more than 66,000 workers. But estimates indicate that 180,000 are needed until a vaccine becomes available. NPR’s analysis indicated that 30 contact tracers per 100,000 residents would be needed for the COVID-19 pandemic and only eight states were on track to meet that need.

This number is roughly equivalent to the ratio employed by German health officials. tions (STIs). More than 1,600 specialists are funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to do so. This began in the 1940’s when during and after World War 2 syphilis, fatal if untreated, was rampant. In 1946, the CDC reported 70.9 infections per 100,000 people. Due to contact tracing, by 1956 that dropped to 3.9 infections per 100,000.

3) Recent Study Shows Contact Tracing Dramatically More Effective: A recent study in the United Kingdom found that contact tracing was dramatically more effective in slowing the spread

than other methods.

Mass testing reduced COVID-19 transmission by 2%; self-isolation and household quarantine by 37% and contact tracing along with self-isolation and household quarantine bump that number up to 64%.

4) U.S. Contact Tracer Shortage: Robust contact tracing is one of the most important tools Germany has used to control the pandemic in that country, where about 400 call centers are in operation.

Leaders have said their goal is to have one tracer per 4,000 people, or about 21,000 contact tracers for the nation of 83 million. In the U.S., a shortage of con-

Time will tell the toll of coronavirus, both human and otherwise, but evidence has consistently suggested that contact tracing should be fully embraced as a strategy for curbing the spread of the virus, and there’s no doubt that some states are planning to invest more heavily in ramping up their use of contact tracing than others.

But with a possible vaccine likely at least several months away, towns, cities, counties and states still have time to show they are taking the COVID-19 threat seriously by implementing robust contact tracing measures that might cut off the supply of oxygen to this virus.l

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JOBS & RECESSION

12

Job-Hunting Tips to Restore Your Hope Despite The Pandemic “Acquiring new certifications will be helpful when applying for new roles. Use online learning modules for platforms such as Zoom and Skype, which help practice interview skills and remote work. Hiring managers want to know you have the capabilities to navigate the tools and platforms for remote work.”

T

his can be an especially frustrating and worrisome time for job seekers. Massive unemployment resulting from the coronavirus pandemic reflects decline and uncertainty in many industries. With fewer companies hiring, some workers who were laid off or furloughed face a more competitive job search.

But while it’s easy to get discouraged, employment numbers are creeping back, and retooling the job search method can help them stand out in the crowd and find desirable employers, says Jack Whatley, a recruiting strategist who specializes in creating employer-branding campaigns.

“Many companies still are actively recruiting and looking for people with the right skill set and mindset to fit these changing times,” Whatley says. “People seeking employment not only to pay the bills but also to find work that is meaningful to them can leverage this time to be strategic and nimble.

“While there are factors job seekers can’t control, they can choose to equip themselves with more information, skill, and overall preparation, and in the process conduct a successful job search.”

Whatley offers five tips to help job seekers navigate their job search during the pandemic: Gather intel. Whatley says the pandemic can reveal the essence of a company’s culture, which is a priority for many job candidates today. In the process of searching companies, pay attention to their social media sites and websites, reviews by former employees, and how they are handling things now, Whatley

says. “How are they treating employees during this continuing emergency? How have they adapted? Are they working from home? Did they lay off people, and if so, how quickly? Is there a community-mindedness to the business?”

Expand your skill set. With fewer positions or expanded roles in different positions, versatility is key. “This is an ideal time to take online courses to expand your professional toolkit,” Whatley says.

Are you looking to get into the health & wellness business?

Contact:

Expand your network. Data shows that networking remains a frequent factor in getting hired. Whatley says this is the time to make new connections and reestablish existing ones. “First, paint a complete, updated picture with your profile on the job search site,” Whatley says.

“Does your headline create a strong brand, and does your profile highlight your accomplishments and capabilities?

Include keywords that might appear in job descriptions. Post content on your social media sites to show you’re engaged in meaningful conversation.

And challenge yourself to reach out to new people by sending customized invitations.”

Be flexible in career paths. The kind of work one has been accustomed to may not be feasible given the current economic climate and the changes some industries are undergoing. “Research what industries are hiring, those in which you could apply your skills, and consider taking something that may not be on your Plan A list, but rather might be Plan B or C,” Whatley says. “Consider temporary opportunities. Search for opportunities in which you can leverage your transferable skills in a different capacity.”

Be prepared for the virtual interview.

Virtual interviewing is the new normal.

“Dress appropriately, as though you’re in the company’s office,” Whatley says.

“Make your environment clean, appealing, and well-lit. Treat the video interview as though it were in-person. Be aware of making eye contact through the monitor, your tone, and your mannerisms.”

“Be proactive and persistent, but also be patient,” Whatley says. “Hiring processes may go slower for some companies, but there is a lot a job seeker can do to be ready when they call.”l

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About Jack Whatley Jack Whatley is a recruiting strategist who specializes in creating employer branding campaigns that position companies as the employer of choice in their market. He is the author of the upcoming book Human Code of Hiring: DNA of Recruitment Marketing. Whatley is known for creating successful recruiting and employer-branding campaigns and delivering highly qualified applicants. recruitment in the world.

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CONVERSATIONS

14

5 Ways Seniors Can Safeguard Against Cyber Criminals Stealing Their Identity

A

s the use of personal computers and cell phones has grown over the last two decades, identity theft has surged. One study found that over 14 million consumers were victims of identity fraud in 2018, and that their out-of-pocket costs totaled $1.7 billion.

Seniors have been particularly vulnerable in recent years to online scams and telemarketing tricks. Unfortunately, another negative effect of COVID-19 has been scammers targeting seniors and the elderly by developing coronavirus hoaxes that prey on fears of the virus.

The growing problem of identity theft for all age groups makes it vital for consumers to develop a strategy to protect their devices, and those of their loved ones, although no system is perfect, says Chris Orestis, a senior care advocate known as the "Retirement Genius".

At a minimum, no one should give out their Social Security number to a stranger and should never click a link in an email from an unknown source. But cyberthieves have many ways to steal your identity, invade your computer, or raid your bank account and credit cards.What should you do to protect yourself from these scam artists and criminals?

Review accounts regularly. Vigilance of your identity protection means you should go over your monthly bank and credit card statements and review online account activity weekly. “Immediately notify your bank or credit companies if you detect fraudulent activity,” Orestis says. “Either freeze your account or cancel your card. If you believe there could be a problem with your credit, you can place a credit freeze by phone with each credit agency’s customer service line.”

“First, it’s important to understand that identity-theft protection services don’t actually stop identity theft,” Orestis says.

“There is no fool-proof way to stop identity theft from happening; there are just too many different types of valuable information and avenues for cyberthieves to hack them.

“The Federal Trade Commission actually prohibits identity-theft services from using the word ‘prevention,’ and if a company is promoting that as part of their service they should not be trusted.

But regardless of any service you might use, no one can be disengaged from protecting their own identity. It’s important to take care of your identity and credit

health with smart and regular maintenance, just like you do with your physical health.”

Orestis offers a five-step plan to help protect your identity: Register for fraud alerts. “You want these alerts on credit cards and bank accounts so you can be notified quickly of any suspicious activity on your accounts,” Orestis says. “With fraud alerts, data security companies and financial services will text, email or phone you if there is a suspected security breach, or if they detect spending on a card or account that doesn’t align with your spending habits or your location.”

Monitor your credit reports. Orestis says monitoring credit reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion is another way to find discrepancies that may indicate fraud.

Don’t leave a paper trail. “It’s a good idea to get rid of physical private records and statements that include personal or financial data,” Orestis says. “Identity thieves get into mailboxes and trash.

They can use receipts to piece together your personal data, so it’s smart to shred those and avoid any kind of paper trail.”

Create strong passwords. Orestis suggests mixing upper and lower-case letters with numbers and symbols, and to avoid continued on page 15

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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

15

National Immigrant Rights Coalition Warns of Attacks on Voting Rights Via Post Office and USCIS

O

n August 24, the House Oversight Committee held an emergency hearing on efforts to use the U.S. Postal Service as a voter suppression tactic to delay mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy answered questions from lawmakers regarding the removal of thousands of collection boxes and mail sorting machines throughout the nation last week, but gave no assurances the problem would be remedied. In response, Nicole Melauku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans, a national coalition of 41 immigrant and refugee rights organizations in 37 states, released the following statement: “The measures from the Trump administration that work to deliberately limit mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic echo voter suppression tactics by authoritarian regimes throughout the world. These tactics infringe on the fundamental right to vote, especially in communities of color where the COVID-19 virus

Editorial credit: Samantha Gatesman / Shutterstock.com

has hit especially hard. These moves are inexcusable. During these times, we need to be educating our communities about their voting rights and mail-in options, not using federal agencies to limit those rights. That is the reason why we launched the New American Voters 2020 campaign – to encourage the millions of newly naturalized citizens to vote by mail or safely in person.

At the same time, before the post office was used as a political tool, there was the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration

Services as a roadmap for federal disenfranchisement. USCIS has a backlog of over 700,000 citizenship applications with processing delays exceeding 20 and even 30 months in some offices. These delays are preventing would-be voters from naturalizing and being eligible to vote. While Congress should hold the administration for what it’s trying to do with the post office, it should also hold the administration accountable for what it’s trying to do with USCIS. This means preventing the furloughs of over 13,000 public service workers at USCIS, which would create more suffering during this public health and economic crisis and effectively shutting down USCIS operations and immigration applications as the presidential election nears. It also means ensuring that Congressional funding for the agency as part of the next coronavirus-related legislation include strong accountability conditions or guardrails like halting the proposed rule to increase application fees and eliminate most fee waivers.” l

Spoiling Your Retirement

/from page 14 using the same password for every account. “Not having a strong password on your smartphone or computer is like leaving your house with the front door wide open,” Orestis says. “Identity thieves are counting on people to use the same or similar passwords for their electronic devices and financial accounts.

Mix up your passwords, and change them whenever you suspect an account has been compromised.”

“Identity theft and cyber security are a very real threat in today’s internet-connected world,” Orestis says. “We all live online and are exposed to a lot of risk if we don’t do the right things to protect ourselves.”l Chris Orestis is credited with pioneering the Long-Term Care Life Settlement over a decade ago. He is author of the books Help on the Way and A Survival Guide to Aging, and has been speaking for over a decade across the country about senior finance and the secrets to aging with physical and financial health. He is a frequent columnist for Broker World, ThinkAdvisor, IRIS, and NewsMax Finance and has been a featured guest on over 50 radio programs, and has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, NBC News, USA Today, PBS, and numerous other media outlets.

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HEALTH

16

4 Tips for Avoiding Hair Loss In COVID Times

P

eople go partially or fully bald for any number of reasons – hormones, genetics and aging, among others – but in the middle of a pandemicfueled recession, one factor is taking center stage. Stress.

“Stress certainly can contribute to hair loss because it can affect hormone levels,” says Dr. Patrick Angelos, author of The Science and Art of Hair Restoration: A Patient’s Guide. “Any number of stressful events can lead to a sudden loss of hair, although in those cases the hair typically will grow back over time.”

For more permanent hair-loss concerns, Angelos, a plastic surgeon who specializes in hair restoration, uses robotic treatment to help patients regain their beloved locks. That process involves an advanced, minimally invasive hair transplant system that uses technology driven by artificial intelligence.

“Among the reasons patients consider hair restoration is that they want to get back some of their youthful look and feel better about themselves,” Angelos says.

“Helping them accomplish that is one of the great satisfactions I get from being a plastic surgeon.”

But for those who want to keep their hair healthy and full now and who hope

recommends taking a multivitamin that includes vitamins A, B complex, C, D and E, along with the minerals zinc, iodine and iron, all of which help with hair health.

to avoid ever reaching the point where they need hair-loss intervention, Angelos offers a few tips: •Maintain good hair care and hygiene habits. The way you wash your hair could undermine your efforts to prevent hair loss, Angelos says. As you wash, avoid pulling back on your hair because that can put traction on the follicles. “The same goes for combing,” he says. “It’s less stressful on the follicles to wash and comb your hair forward, toward your face, instead of toward the back of your scalp and neck. Also, long hair weighs more, so on its own, it can put more traction on the follicles.” Brushing your hair regularly, however, is good because it massages the scalp and helps improve blood flow and circulation. The condition of your hair should also be in balance –

not too oily, not too dry. “Finally, don’t overuse a hair dryer because that can make hair weak and brittle, which can lead to more hair loss,” Angelos says.

•Treat health issues. Hormonal imbalances and other medical conditions such as low thyroid and iron or iodine deficiency can contribute to hair loss, Angelos says. “Avoid overuse of supplements and medications,” he says. “Since supplements such as testosterone, human growth hormone, whey, and DHEA can cause thinning and hair loss, especially avoid excessive use of these.”

•Be aware of your nutritional needs.

Some fad diets may have a nutritional impact on hair loss. “It’s really important to eat a healthy balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat,” Angelos says. He also

•Avoid unhealthy environments. The negative health effects of smoking are well known, especially related to lung cancer. But one more reason to avoid smoking, Angelos says, is that it can affect hair loss. In addition to smoking, other environmental factors that can contribute to hair loss include environmental exposures like radiation and air pollution.

When efforts to prevent hair loss fall short, those who prefer to avoid baldness can explore the possibilities that modern science provides.

“Not every patient needs hair transplantation, though,” Angelos says.

“Especially when it comes to younger patients, it may be best to start with other options. Since the reasons for hair loss vary from person to person and are unique to their circumstances, a good place to start is by determining the cause of hair loss in the first place, and then go from there.”l

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

17

Quick Tips for Building Trust after Infidelity and a beautiful woman walks by, keep your eyes on your partner.

BY JENNINE ESTES, ESTES THERAPY

I

t might seem impossible, but you can learn to trust again when your partner has been unfaithful. Facing the consequences of your actions and learning to rebuild trust after infidelity may feel never-ending, but hang tight — it doesn't have to be like this forever. Simply because the relationship is in a tragic storm now doesn't mean that you won’t make it through to sunlight again.

It may have all started with a flirtation, a simple flirtation. A harmless friendship — a simple shoulder to cry on when things weren’t going right in your relationship — suddenly crossed the line.

Innocent, flirtatious text messages soon led to anticipation for the next contact, and one night after one too many drinks, you took things further and ended up compromising your relationship.

This mistake whether it was one time or a long-term affair, was hidden, pushed aside, or buried under lies, because you knew you were wrong and didn’t want to lose your partner. As you attempted to keep your relationship on track and stay connected, reality soon hits, and your partner found out about the affair.

It is possible to build trust after infidelity. It is very important to show your part-

Make time for communication. Open communication creates a safe and comfortable environment in your relationship.

The more comfort and safety, the more trust you can build. Keep communication lines open at all times.

ner that you are trustworthy. Here are some quick tips to build trust after infidelity: Follow through. If you tell your partner that you will be home by 8:00 p.m., come home no later than 8:00 pm. If you are going to be late, call them and let them know ahead of time. Always follow through with what you say.

Be realistic in your promises. Avoid saying that you will “always” have your cell phone on, or that you will “never” turn your phone off. This is unrealistic because sometimes your phone’s battery will die, you might forget it somewhere,

or you just might not hear it ring. Instead, tell your partner that you will try your best to answer the phone whenever he/she calls.

Let your partner in. If you have a wall up, it hides things and creates suspicion in your partner. Avoid these behaviors and be an open book. The more open you are, the more safety you will create and the more trust you can build.

Keep your eyes on your goal. If your goal is to build trust, then your actions have to show it. Body language speaks louder than words … and so do your eyes. If you are talking to your partner

Repair it. Often people say, “leave it in the past” or “don’t bring up old wounds,” but there does need to be time to repair what was broken. Instead of sweeping it under the rug, bring it out from time to time to show your partner that you are serious about fixing things.

If you have a history of trust being broken in your relationship, it might take more than adjusting these behaviors. You will have to resolve the past, so it doesn’t interfere with your current behaviors.

Working with a professional therapist can help.l

About Jennine Estes, MFT Jennine is a Marriage and Family Therapist in San Diego, CA. Certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples.

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ELECTIONS 2020

18

Leadership Traits That Can Unify America

W

ith the COVID-19 pandemic worsening, the economy faltering, and protests against racial injustice continuing, millions of Americans face difficult times and worry about the nation’s future.

And with a presidential election around the corner, it’s a critical time for the country to take stock of what political leadership should mean by going back to the principles embodied by the framers of the Constitution, says Dr. Jim White , author of The Broken America: Ten Guiding Principles to Restore America.

“Mending the nation requires a return to the values of the Constitution and the civility and wisdom of our Founding Fathers,” says Dr. White. “Citizens must hold leadership accountable at the national, state and local levels.

“There is stupefying dishonesty and an alarming lack of accountability by politicians on both sides of the aisle. The global pandemic served not to unite us against a deadly common foe, the coronavirus, but instead further divided the public along party lines. Regardless of which party voters belong to, there are political criteria all patriotic Americans should be requiring, and these can easily be found in the texts and teachings of our

dates. The problem, Dr. White says, is the freedom these leaders have in hiring cronies, donors and family can lead to less effective governing and even scandal. “Political leaders should be able to identify stars and empower them,” Dr. White says. “The leader is only as good as the team, and at the same time, ‘yes’ men and women is not what any true leader should want.”

Founding Fathers.”

Referencing the leadership of the Founding Fathers as a framework, Dr. White cites leadership attributes he believes today’s political leaders must have to guide the nation back on course: A clear, unifying vision. Dr. White says a political leader’s vision must be inclusive. “Political candidates usually have a vision in tandem with their campaigns that appeal to their bases and convince others to hop on the bandwagon,” Dr.

White says. “Once in office, however, the vision needs to be amended to include all Americans – not just one party or sector. The elected official must repeatedly convey the vision in a way that’s clear. People should understand why the vision is important, what it means to the average citizen, and how it will be rolled out.”

Recognizes potential in others. Just as in business, it’s crucial for political leaders to hire the best possible job candi-

Develops trust. “To some people, the words ‘trust’ and ‘politics’ don’t belong in the same sentence,” Dr. White says.

“The truth is, politicians often lie. We must always hold them accountable for telling the truth. Leaders must have a level of transparency or else public trust in government gets lost.”

Shows empathy. “Political leaders must wear many hats, but the most important one is serving the people,” Dr. White says. “That means being present and empathetic when unforeseen tragedy strikes. Leaders are looked upon to help provide immediate help in all facets, including emotional support and encouragement. Our leaders must represent all of the people and show that they care.”

Conveys passion. “The nation’s leaders need to have unbridled, unconditional love for our nation,” Dr. White says, “which translates to optimism and a bright future for everyone – not just the wealthy and privileged few. People want to follow a passionate leader who puts the country’s interest above themselves, their political party, and winning.”

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“Do today’s political leaders have what it takes to drive our nation?” Dr. White asks. “Tragically, the answer is as plain as day: no. But at a minimum, we must expect that our leaders will excel at the attributes the Founding Fathers exemplified.” l Jim White, PhD is the author of five books, including the bestselling Opportunity Investing: How To Revitalize Urban and Rural Communities with Opportunity Funds. Throughout his career, he has bought, expanded, and sold 23 companies, operating in 44 countries. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering, an MBA, and a doctorate in Psychology and Organizational Behavior.

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