The Immigrant’s Journal - Vol. 138

The Immigrant’s Journal Vol. 138

Our leaders who stood for Unity & Justice

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Protecting God’s Children From Distant Lands

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May 20, 2021

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National Immigration Coalition to U.S. Senate:

“No More Temporary Solutions.

Pass Permanent Legislation to Protect TPS Holders Now!”

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ASHINGTON, D.C.: On Wednesday, May 12, a national coalition of immigrant rights organizations urged Congress to pass legislation allowing over 4000,000 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders to secure permanent protection by providing a pathway to Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status. In testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, members of Communities continued on page 9

Editorial credit: bakdc / Shutterstock.com

Getting Started with Advance Care Planning .... 11

Immigrant Mothers Risked Arrest in DC Uplifting Urgency for Pathway to Citizenship

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ashington, DC: Hundreds of immigrant mothers, families, and allies held a ‘People’s Hearing’ in the street in front of the Senate Buildings in Northeast DC, to urgently call for citizenship for undocumented immigrants, right before the Senate hearing on the Citizenship for Essential Workers Bill.

Around 40 immigrant essential workers and immigrant mothers from Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia engaged in civil disobedi-

A woman speaks in a car caravan to call for the Biden administration provide a pathway to citizenship for the 4 million Black migrants in the United States, in Los Angeles, May 6, 2021.Editorial credit: Ringo Chiu / Shutterstock.com

ence and occupied the street outside of the Dirksen and Russell Senate Office Buildings. Capitol Police arrested participants blocking the intersection of 1st St. NE and Constitution Ave. NE. Many were immigrant mothers and essential workers working in sectors such as health, food, and housekeeping.

The immigrant community members, activists, and allies marched from the Republican National Committee to the Senate office buildings to hold a continued on page 2

Connection and Support for those Suffering from Long COVID ....5

Tax Day Should Benefit All Immigrants

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HICAGO: On Tax Day 2021, we call on President Biden and Congress to invest in immigrant communities by extending COVID relief economic benefits for all and ensuring permanent status for everyone living in the United States, regardless of their current immigration status. Congress must also stop funding detention and instead invest in legal representation, housing, transportation, healthcare and other essential needs of migrant communities.

Overall, immigrant workers contributed nearly $500 billion in taxes in 2019, which includes the $30.6 billion in taxes that undocumented workers pay.

Immigrant households contribute hundreds of billions of dollars in federal, state, and local taxes nationwide and hold a tremendous amount of spending power.

Immigrant workers play a huge role in the U.S. economy and in 2019 alone, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders paid $2.5 billion in taxes and Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients paid $6.2 billion in taxes. However, undocumented workers are still excluded from the economic benefits other taxpayers receive.

“It is time for the President and Congress to recognize the positive impact of migration to the U.S. Not only do immigrant workers pay billions of dollars in taxes each year, they are also essential members of our society,” stated Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas.

“Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on inhumane immigration detention centers, militarization, and war, President Biden and Congress should invest in legal representation for migrants seeking asylum and healthcare for Latinx communities still struggling in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Matt Nelson, executive director of Presente.org. l

IMMIGRANTS’ CONCERNS

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Immigrant Mothers/ from page 1 ‘People’s Hearing’ on essential workers.

The activists, including immigrant mothers and essential workers, called out Republican obstructionists who have continued to block a pathway to citizenship for any immigrants through regular legislative order. In the wake of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's comments about being ‘100 percent’ focused on ‘stopping’ the Biden administration, the action celebrates the sacrifices of immigrant mothers during Mother’s Day week.

“History shows that we move forward as a country when we work together with all of our neighbors to solve our problems and improve our communities,” said Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition and a FIRM Action co-chair.

“We've seen this close-up during this pandemic when so many of our immigrant neighbors, especially working mothers, stepped up to ensure their communities had access to food, health services, family care, and so much more throughout an intensely difficult time for the nation. It's long past time that we recognize the vital contributions of our mothers and all our essential workers by ensuring that they have a path to citizenship that will provide safety and security to their families and rebuild our economy. The New York Immigration

Editorial credit: Rena Schild / Shutterstock.com

Coalition stands with FIRM Action, FIRM, and CASA to demand that Congress include a pathway to citizenship for DACA and TPS holders and essential workers in the American Families Plan. Americans can only recover from COVID-19 together.”

TPS holder from El Salvador Maria Rivas is a Maryland resident who got arrested in front of Senate Office Buildings. This CASA member said, “I stand here today with other immigrant mothers to demand a pathway to citizenship. As a TPS holder, I am protected for now, but this is a temporary protection at the mercy of the leaders of our government. I am calling on Congress and the Biden administration to pass a pathway to citizenship for us. We need leaders who will protect our communities.”

“Any comprehensive plan to benefit families in the U.S. that doesn’t take into account immigrant families, just isn’t

going to cut it,” said Linda Sarsour, Executive Director of MPower Change.

“If the American Families Act continues to gain traction in our Congress without honoring the contributions of immigrant essential workers, we all lose. And what better way to honor the dignity of families, particularly mothers, than providing a pathway to citizenship to immigrant essential workers on mothers day? As mothers and immigrants ourselves, we stand in solidarity with hard working immigrant families who deserve real policy that brings real belonging. People are tired, overworked, and are surviving a pandemic, we don’t need to be called lofty things like 'heroes,’ we need a government that works for us as much as we work for it. The American Families Act must include a pathway to citizenship for essential immigrant workers, period.”

“As a house cleaner, I am entrusted to maintain your home — your sanctuary.

Yet, as an undocumented immigrant, I have no sanctuary of my own. I live every day knowing that I might be ripped away from my children and my community and as a single mother, this is a constant agonizing fear. And it is not right that immigrants, like me, all over this country have made so many sacrifices to ensure that others are taken care of and to ensure the economic stability of this country. As a domestic worker, this has always been true—our work is what makes other work possible—it has always been essential and will continue to be essential. Therefore, we need to value and protect ALL domestic workers and the U.S. Citizenship for Essential Workers Act is one of the ways to do just that. We call on the Senate and it’s leadership to include a pathway to citizenship for immigrant essential workers in the American Families Plan NOW!” Said Alejandra, Undocumented Essential Worker, National Domestic Workers Alliance Participating organizations include CASA, Center for Popular Democracy, Congregational Action Network (CAN), Disciples Immigrant and Refugee Ministry, FIRM, International Union Of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT DC51), IBEW Local 26, MPower Change, National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), and Northern Virginia Labor Federation.l

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TIME FOR ACTION

Immigration Reform and “Bipartisanship”: Forewarned is Forearmed

TEAM Publisher I.Q. INC. Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip Assistant Editor Marilyn Silverman

BY MARIBEL HASTINGS AMERICA’S VOICE

Graphic & Website Designers Praim Samsoondar Anvar Sabirov

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hile the Republican Party in Congress opts to pledge loyalty to Donald J. Trump and block the agenda of President Joe Biden at any cost, it’s time for the Democrats to realize that the bipartisanship they claim to be looking for in order to advance matters like immigration reform is nothing more than a chimera.

Because you cannot walk with God and run with the devil.

To fulfill the campaign promises made to those who supported them in every election, they must opt for parliamentary mechanisms like reconciliation to approve measures with a simple majority.

In each electoral cycle, different groups of voters supported Democrats with the hope that upon assuming control they would legislate on priority issues. As soon as they are enthroned, electoral calculations begin and they almost always look for a way to avoid bothering centrists and conservatives who do not look favorably upon measures like the legalization of 11 million undocumented workers, or an increase in the minimum wage, to offer two examples. That is, they prefer to disappoint the voters who contributed to their victory, many of them Latinos, to try to win the support of legislators who simply do not support them.

Just listen to the declarations of the Republican minority leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, saying that his mission and “100% of [his] focus” is blocking Biden’s legislative agenda.

He did the same to Barack Obama. He promised to turn him into a one-term president and while he did not do so, without a doubt Obama’s legislative agenda was affected because he wanted to show civility and look for bipartisan support for his proposals, ignoring that ill will rules on the Republican side, especially now that they are mere puppets of a supremacist like Trump.

In fact, this week the Republican Congresswoman from Wyoming, Liz Cheney, is close to losing her position as

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President Biden Editorial credit: Stratos Brilakis / Shutterstock.com

the third most powerful member of Republican leadership in the House of Representatives, for having criticized Trump for his central role in the Capitol riots on January 6, where people died at the hands of a mob that believed the lie that the election was “stolen” from Trump, falsely perpetuated by the Republican Party, including congressional leaders who permitted the time bomb to tick until it exploded in violence.

Cheney has a solidly ultra-conservative history and is the daughter of one of the apostles of the Party, until the ascension of Trump, former Vice President Dick Cheney, who is no pushover. Even still, she is about to be excommunicated by her peers in the lower chamber.

The Republican Party’s loyalty to Trump is due to its panic over losing favor with voters loyal to the former president, who continue to believe the farce that he “won” the election and it was “stolen.” With an eye toward the 2022 midterm elections, this Repubilcan Party is only interested in continuing its Trump personality cult.

Since that is the case, the question becomes why the Democrats are wasting time waiting for the miracle of bipartisanship.

The Republican Party isn’t even involved in a civil war, because it’s clear the pro-Trump cohort is already domi-

nating at every step. Dissidents became pariahs. The saddest part is that the 2022 elections will determine if the cult of Trump continues to be a winning strategy for them.

Meanwhile, Democrats should be more worried about making their campaign promises real for all the groups who catapulted them to victory in the Executive and Legislative branches, than continuing to try to win the favor of those who only want to dethrone them.

And doing so is in their own interest, lest depressed Democratic voters contribute apathetically in 2022 such that, as in 2010, Democrats lose control of one or both chambers of Congress. That year the Democrats lost the House of Representatives in what Obama himself called a “shellacking.” One of the promises Obama did not fulfill before the 2010 elections was immigration reform, and many Latino voters stayed home.

Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And as the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed.l The mission of America’s Voice (AV) 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

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IIMMIGRANTS’ CONCERNS

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It’s Time for Real Alternatives to Immigration Detention

BY KATE GOETTEL IMMIGRATION IMPACT

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very year the U.S. government locks up thousands of non-citizens in a prison system few Americans know about—the immigration detention system. Though immigration detention is termed “civil” rather than criminal, in practice it is no different from criminal detention and is rife with abuse and neglect. The pandemic has made it more dangerous than ever to be locked in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center.

It’s time to rethink immigration detention. Immigration detention is not only contrary to American values, it’s unnecessary. It is premised on the false notion that non-citizens will not attend immigration hearings unless they are locked up.

But there are alternatives to detention that ensure immigrants can live in our communities—instead of behind bars.

Current Alternative to Detention Programs The U.S. government has long had the option to release non-citizens into the community as they await their immigra-

Editorial credit: Phil Pasquini / Shutterstock.com

tion court cases. But it is crucial people are not subjected to intrusive and painful surveillance when they are released.

Instead, the government should provide people with legal and social services supports. Doing this is not only the most humane alternative to detention—but one that has been proven over and over to work.

Currently, ICE operates an Alternative to Detention program called the “Intensive Supervision Appearance Program III,” which is a supervision pro-

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gram for individuals whom ICE has determined it can release from custody.

In litigation involving the detention of 18 year-olds, ICE leadership lauded the ISAP program as “an effective flight risk mitigation tool” that “has demonstrated great success in improving compliance rates for those [immigrants] assigned to the program.” But this system’s reliance on ankle monitors is physically painful— as well as unnecessary.

One of the key components of the ISAP program are ankle monitors that utilize a

GPS technology. People who are forced to wear these bulky surveillance devices cannot remove them, and they can be painful and intrusive. ICE could instead require telephonic reporting or reporting via a smartphone app—technology it already has and could use with more frequency.

But ICE can go further than the systems it currently chooses to use. Social services are critical to ensure that people attend immigration hearings.

ICE recently re-started community support programs to ensure humanitarian release. Known as “Extended Case Management Services,” these programs employ case managers who provide intensive community support to migrants with extra vulnerabilities. This includes people who have “suffered significant trauma or who have direct dependents in need.”

Previous ATD Programs With High Success Rates The Extended Case Management Services program was formerly the ‘Family Case Management Program,’ which had great results. But unlike the Family Case Management Program, which only served five cities, the new program is in 54 locations and far less expensive.

According to the Women’s Refugee Commission, the Family Case Management Program achieved a 99% success compliance rate with ICE checkins and immigration court appearances. It was also far less expensive than detention.

Access to Counsel Is Key Having access to legal representation is another crucial way to ensure that people can meaningfully participate in their immigration court hearings. A recent American Immigration Council report found that an astonishing 96% of noncitizens with legal representation attend all their immigration court hearings.

Providing people with legal counsel allows them to fully participate in their hearings—and is much less costly than detention.

A critical component of the success of these community-based programs is partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). ICE’s current contracts are with a subsidiary of the GEO Group, a private prison contractor. By partnering with NGOs, the end goal will be humane treatment of immigrants, not a private company’s bottom line.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put on full display the many health and safety problems that come with incarceration in crowded settings. Now is the time to rethink immigration detention and invest in community-based support systems as true alternatives to detention.l

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IIMMIGRANTS’ CONCERNS

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Connection and Social Support are Crucial for those Suffering from Long COVID

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he COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives in more ways than we could have imagined, but one unexpected impact is the long-term symptoms some people are experiencing for weeks or months after recovering from the disease, a syndrome called long COVID. Researchers estimate 10% to 30% of people who contract COVID-19 develop long COVID after recovering from the disease, with more women reporting lasting symptoms.

Those suffering from "long COVID" experience ongoing combinations of symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, body aches, coughing, joint pain, chest pain, intermittent fever, difficulty concentrating, headaches and even continued loss of taste and smell. Others also report the mental impacts of prolonged symptoms, which include depression, anxiety, changes to their mood and sleep, and a mental "brain fog" that won't lift. In all, people suffering with long COVID can have up to 200 different symptoms.

Dr. Archelle Georgiou, an author and expert in consumer healthcare, noted that minimizing symptoms and the people who are experiencing long COVID is

another unfortunate stage in this pandemic. Understanding that long COVID is a real syndrome, should be treated by experts, and is not imagined may be a relief for some who are suffering with ongoing effects of the virus.

While the number of infected people who will develop long-lasting symptoms is unclear, what is true is those with long COVID can be old, young, healthy or those with chronic conditions. Although many experiencing prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 do not require hospitalization, the ongoing symptoms still have a major impact on their daily lives, livelihood and, of course, health. A recent

study of more than 3,700 people with long COVID in 56 countries found that more than half were not able to work full time because of their ongoing symptoms.

With symptoms varying from day to day, individuals can feel isolated — alone on an unpredictable journey.

The pandemic has showed us how truly important connecting and seeking social support from your family and friends is as you go through challenging times.

Suffering from ongoing symptoms of COVID-19, like any other health journey, can be difficult to endure alone.

Access to information and support is a critical factor in the path to healing for

those experiencing long COVID-19.

There are many resources to read online, however having support from others and a sense of community are also very important. Among the places that provide resources, CaringBridge understands the importance of helping people connect with family and friends during personal health journeys.

"Research has shown listening to other people's stories can improve both mental and physical health. Sharing your story is empowering and liberating and helps not only yourself but others through creating empathic connections and supportive audiences," said Dr. Georgiou.

In the presence of the unknown of long COVID, love and support can be a lifeline. According to a study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, social support is by far the most important factor for population health outcomes, with 40% of population health outcomes being determined by social support. The power of meaningful connections is real, and the support of a community is crucial as long COVID patients continue through their health journey.l (BPT)

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Health

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Bill de Blasio Mayor Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc Commissioner

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FAMILY MATTERS

On Raising Black Children: The Missing Chapter from “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”

BY MEGAN T. EBOR, ENRICKA NORWOOD-SCOTT, ALISON B. HAMILTON & MICHELE COOLEY-STRICKLAND

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he parenting bible, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” teaches mothers what to anticipate over the course of their children’s lives.

However, for mothers of Black children, there is a missing chapter: preparing them for racism and injustice. The voice of 46-year-old George Floyd pleading for his “mama” as he took his last breath echoes in the hearts, minds, and souls of mothers everywhere. There are no words of wisdom that prepare a mother to hear or watch her son die under a policeman’s knee. Even the threat of death or severe harm at the hands of law enforcement is enough to cause maternal panic or paralysis.

Events of this year have brought national and international attention to the insurmountable challenges of parenting Black children in America because of the requisite need to teach survivalist safety measures. During the 2020 presidential debate, moderator Kristen Welker asked

both Donald Trump and now Presidentelect Joe Biden a pointed question about “The Talk”— raising national visibility of the necessity felt by parents in rearing their Black children. Mr. Floyd complied with officers’ commands to get out of his car and lay handcuffed face down in the street. We teach compliance as a survivalist strategy. It is a part of the first lesson we mothers teach our Black children: respond respectfully to those with power and authority over you; move slowly, lower your eye gaze, and comply, no matter how unreasonable.

Compliance did not save Philando Castile. He was killed during a traffic stop although he followed the law enforcement officers’ commands. Our children drive; we worry. Should the second lesson be to walk or run away from unidentified White men? That did not work for Ahmaud Arbery who was on his regular neighborhood jog. Our children jog; we worry. Should the third lesson be to stay still if you are handcuffed because sudden moves will be used to justify your death? That did not work for George Floyd. He did everything Black mothers

over the generations have taught would hopefully (prayerfully) protect our Black children: obey, do not resist, no sudden movements. Mr. Floyd did everything we teach from that missing chapter on parenting, and still he was killed. Do we add the Black survivalist parenting chapter, or write an entirely new parenting handbook? Somehow we have to tell our children that to avoid slaughter, they need to be silent as lambs and not attract attention. But how is that done when we have blatant examples of showing respect, making yourself “small,” and acquiescing is not enough? How do we teach them to subdue the instinct to fight back, knowing that they could be suffocated or

shot to death, like Rayshard Brooks?

The first lady of a prominent church in an under-resourced community in Southern New Jersey where the police department was disbanded years ago spoke about how the frequent deaths of Black people at the hands of law enforcement affected the community: “…The assaults chip away at the core of my soul.

It hurts because I am a mother and I know how mothers love their children.

It’s overwhelming, it’s really debilitating.” The psychological effects she refers to are rampant. A study published in Lancet reported that killings of unarmed

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continued on page 7

FAMILY MATTERS

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Raising Black Children/ from page 6 Black men at the hands of police were related to increased mental health issues like depression and emotional complications for those residing in the state where the killing occurred.

Discrimination and racism destroy hope and can make an individual feel helpless.

Dr. Gail E. Wyatt, Professor of Medical Psychology at UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Science, describes her outlook on hope, “Today, I don’t know that there is hope…It’s a shame to say that, isn’t it? I see my granddaughters—one in particular— speak up, and I hear her tone and I see the outrage in her body language that she absolutely needs to survive in this society…and I just don’t see that things will change…Maybe she will have to be hyper vigilant less often than I was, but that’s about all that I think we can hope for.”

The incidents involving the murders of Elijah McClain, Breonna Taylor, Aiyana Jones, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Freddie Gray all personify the statistics reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that police violence is the leading cause of death for young Black men in the U.S., who are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than White men. Our Black sons know these statistics because they

are part of that missing chapter that we are compelled to share. Lest we forget our daughters: Black women are at least 1.4 times as likely to be killed by law enforcement officers as white women.

Black girls and women are victims of other forms of police violence too; they are habitually violated in ways that stop short of death.

“The Talk” about how to interact with authority figures and respond under stress must happen because the alternative is worse: leaving our Black children unprotected and without strategies to cope. What is uncertain is whether it can be done in a way that will not irreparably harm our children’s psyches. We are angry and saddened that it is still necessary to have this discussion. Generations later we have witnessed time and time again that this colloquy is insufficient and does not always save lives. Black people who make even routine traffic violations and know their rights, like Sandra Bland, are all too often met with excessive and even deadly force. More

often than not, the killing of Black people is blamed on the victim’s actions rather than the actions of those whose power remains unchecked. Legal scholars contend that strategies intended to curb law enforcement violence negate critical factors, such as accountability, through the established use of force policies. That leaves the responsibility to mothers of Black children to teach them to defy their own bodies’ neurobiological “fightflight-or-freeze” system, even when it is an instinctive response to a threat to their survival.

The four officers involved in the murder of George Floyd were arrested. On April 20, the jury in Chauvin's trial found him guilty on all three counts of seconddegree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other three officers accused in Floyd’s death won’t stand trial until March 2022. This same scenario has been played out innumerable times with justice neither prevailing nor substantive changes in law practice to prevent their recurrence. The question is, will the public outcry against the ongoing backdrop of the global pandemic be enough to effect change? As optimism increases as the COVID-19 vaccine spreads, will America recognize that Black people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic further compounding systemic injustice that has adversely affected the Black community for all of American history? Those

who want the answer to be yes will need to advocate within their inner circles, call their congressional representatives, donate to causes that will not tire until laws and policies correct the systems that support discriminatory practices, and take consistent actions to dismantle systemic racism.

With regard to the parenting bible’s “missing chapter,” Dr. Wyatt offers advice on what to include: “Raise your children to understand the limitations of the world, raise your children to know not only how special they are but who specifically loves them, and that it’s unconditional.” She further adds, “If you don’t have a strong sense of who you are as a parent, get some help to create a network of people who can help you to define for that child what they’re going to need to survive. It’s got to come out of strength, and it’s got to come out of love.” Until the missing chapter becomes superfluous, we will not stop fighting for our Black children to be safe wherever they are. But for now, we will remain close by, just in case. l Megan T. Ebor, Enricka Norwood-Scott, Alison B. Hamilton & Michele CooleyStrickland are colleagues at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. All work as researchers within the Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences in The David Geffen School of Medicine.

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BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

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Another Trump Barrier Broken as DHS Withdraws Two Proposed Rules for Limiting Access to Legal Immigration

BY LESLIE DELLON

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he Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently withdrew two rules proposed by the Trump administration. On the surface, it seems they have nothing in common: a proposed expansion in collecting biometrics and the proposed end to a program for foreign entrepreneurs to develop new ventures in the United States. But the withdrawals had a common purpose— encouraging, rather than curtailing, immigration.

The agency acted in response to Executive Order 14012 that directed agencies to “identify any agency actions that fail to promote access to the legal immigration system.”

DHS Proposed Rule to Expand Biometrics U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) currently collects biometrics (photographs and fingerprints) from noncitizens who apply for certain types of immigration benefits, like green cards and for U.S. citizenship. There are age limits on collection for most benefits requests.

On September 11, 2020, DHS issued a proposed rule that would have vastly expanded biometrics collection to more categories of persons and added other identifiers, like iris images and DNA. With no age restrictions and the inclusion of “sponsors,” “petitioners,” or “other individual filing for or associated with any immigration or naturalization benefit,” USCIS could have required biometrics from U.S. citizens and from expanded categories of noncitizens.

During the 30-day comment period, the agency received 5,147 comments that were mostly in opposition to the proposal. Many raised questions about DHS’ authority and expressed public policy, constitutional, and privacy concerns.

DHS withdrew the proposed rule on

May 10. The agency found existing biometrics collection requirements sufficient. The agency affirmed its support for the goals of the proposed rule, like flexibility in biometrics collection practices and enhanced use to verify identify, but “not in a way that conflicts with” providing access to the U.S. legal immigration system. DHS instead will further analyze the proposal in terms of the executive order’s promotion of access to the legal immigration system, agency policies, and “applicable law.”

Any expansion of biometrics collection also has consequences in terms of increasing USCIS processing times for applications and petitions.

On March 11, 2019, USCIS began requiring biometrics collection for Form I-539, which is filed for many extensions of stay or changes of status in nonimmigrant (temporary) categories, including spouses and children of certain nonimmigrant workers. Significant backlogs in processing occurred, which resulted in numerous lawsuits asking the federal district courts to order USCIS to adjudicate the I-539s and, in some cases, work authorization applications that USCIS would not process unless it had approved the nonimmigrant category. The link between I-539 processing delays and work authorization delays included the spouses of L-1 managers, executives, or specialized knowledge employees who

work for multinationals and spouses of certain H-1B specialty occupation workers.

A class action lawsuit filed in late March 2021 challenged USCIS’ delay in adjudicating Form I-539s and related work authorization applications. The complaint included 37 named plaintiffs, whose I-539s to extend their status (either as H-4 spouses of H-1B workers or as L-2 spouses of L-1 workers) and related work authorization renewal applications had not been processed. As a result, they were either in danger of losing or had already lost their jobs.

In a May 3 sworn statement filed in this lawsuit, the Acting Associate Director of USCIS Service Center Operations said the agency had a backlog of approximately 120,000 I-539s for H-4s and L-2s and approximately 57,500 work authorization applications in backlog for H-4s and L-2s. The USCIS official also announced that the agency expected to suspend biometrics requirements beginning May 17, 2021 for I-539s, but with restrictions: •Only for dependents (spouses or children) seeking extensions of stay in or changes of status to E-1, E-2 or E-3, L-2, or H-4.

•I-539 pending on the effective date with no biometrics notice issued.

•I-539 filed on or after the effective date.

USCIS will still have the discretion to require biometrics on a case-by-case basis. USCIS has included an automatic expiration after 24 months, but the agency could affirmatively extend it. The suspension will still leave a substantial number of applications in the backlog.

DHS Proposed Rule to End the International Entrepreneur Parole Program The international entrepreneur parole program was established at the end of the Obama administration in January 2017.

Parole is a mechanism by which USCIS may, on a case-by-case basis, allow an individual to be physically present in the United States for “urgent humanitarian reasons” or if there would be a “significant public benefit.” The start date was delayed until July 2017.

For entrepreneur parole, noncitizens need to show they have received a substantial amount of qualified funding and will be actively involved in and own a substantial percentage of a U.S. company established no more than five years earlier. Instead of meeting the funding criteria, they may submit “comparable evidence” to show that the new company has “substantial potential for rapid growth and job creation.” Upon meeting the requirements, these individuals may be granted parole for up to thirty months.

Entrepreneurs can be re-paroled for up to

an additional thirty months if they meet certain revenue, investment, and/or job creation thresholds.

However, shortly before the program would have begun, DHS under the Trump administration issued a rule to delay the program start until March 2018, without providing the public with advance notice and an opportunity to comment.

A federal district court vacated the delay rule in December 2017. However, DHS issued a proposed rule in late May 2018 to end the program. The proposed rule followed the directive in E.O. 13767, which among other objectives, took a very restrictive view as to what activities would qualify as a “significant public benefit derived from parole.” The uncertainty about the program’s future that the proposed rule created curtailed interest in the program.

On May 11, DHS withdrew the proposed rule. The agency received 892 comments on the proposed rule, with the “overwhelming majority” opposed to ending the program. The withdrawal decision was premised on two Biden administration executive orders.

First, the agency relied on the Biden executive order issued to address causes of and manage migration from Central America and provide “safe and orderly” asylum processing at U.S. borders, which revoked the Trump order with its restrictive interpretation of parole eligibility.

Second, DHS relied on E.O. 14012 since ending the parole program would reduce access to the United States for foreign entrepreneurs. DHS concluded that the parole program regulations “appropriately guide” the exercise of agency discretion on a case-by-case basis, as the law requires. Differing from the Trump administration, DHS recognizes that if an entrepreneur meets the regulatory requirements for growing a new business and creating jobs for U.S. workers, then a “significant public benefit” would be derived from the parole and the entrepreneur would merit a favorable exercise of agency discretion to grant the parole application.

DHS’ withdrawal of these two rules is an important step toward restoring the functionality of the legal immigration system. But it remains to be seen whether more systemic changes can be accomplished. l Editor’s Note: In USCIS’ official announcement of the suspension of biometrics for certain I-539s, the suspension will apply to new applications postmarked or submitted electronically on or after the effective date (instead of filed on or after that date) as well as applications pending on the effective date with no biometrics notice issued.

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HOW TO GET A GREEN CARD

9

No More Temporary Solutions/continued from page 1 United for Status and Protection (CUSP), a coalition of national organizations working to win permanent status for immigrant communities, urged the swift passage of the Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and in Emergency Act (SECURE Act, S. 306).

The legislation would allow current TPS holders to apply for permanent status after three years of U.S. residency, providing much-needed stability to their communities.

“Unfortunately, many immigrants fleeing political turmoil, armed conflict, environmental disaster, epidemics, and other extraordinary conditions in their home country don’t find protection in the United States,” said Guerline Jozef, CoFounder and Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. “What they find is an unjust immigration system that threatens to send them back to perilous conditions at any moment, despite the fact that they have made America their home. TPS holders like Rose Tilus and Namrata Pokhrel have started businesses, completed higher education, added to our economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, and lived here for sometimes up to 20 years. We have an obligation to provide a permanent solution to those who have added so much to our nation, and that includes passing the SECURE Act.” There are currently 411,000 TPS hold-

Editorial credit: bakdc / Shutterstock.com

ers in the United States from countries including Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria,Venezuela, and Yemen. Individuals are granted protected status for a defined period between 6-18 months. When a nation’s status is recertified by the Department of Homeland Security, TPS holders from that country must reapply and pass a background check.

“As one of approximately 56,453 TPS holders from Haiti, I am a Family Nurse Practitioner who has worked on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rose Tilus, Haitian TPS holder from Rhode Island and witness at the Senate Hearing. “I tested positive for COVID19 and all of my family members living with me got COVID, including my aunt who ended up in the hospital and on a

ventilator for a week. Fear and anxiety are always in the background, that I might suddenly have to leave my home.

I’ve lived in the United States for 20 years, since I was 17 years old. TPS allowed me to get my undergraduate and master’s degrees. I love my work, I love serving the community in Rhode Island.”

Testimony from TPS holders underscored the need for federal legislation protecting workers and exemplified a collection of CUSP member stories submitted to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee detailing the experiences and reflections of immigrants from around the globe.

“I am a Sudanese TPS holder, and I have been here for 20 years. That's more than half my age, and I’ve been working and paying taxes, so I would love to see

TPS become permanent, and for us to get a clean path to citizenship,” said Ahmed Osman, a Sudanese TPS Holder from New York. “We don't know what the future holds, and nothing is guaranteed in this way. TPS the way it is now doesn’t offer security, no future, no longevity. I have never lived in my home country, nor can I live anywhere else since this is the only place I’ve ever really ever known. We need a real solution!”

“In the past, the immigration ‘solutions’ passed by Congress have failed because they have been temporary fixes to a long-standing issue,” continued Jozef. “Some TPS holders have placed their lives and futures on hold, living deadline to deadline, because they lack a pathway to a permanent life in the U.S. Despite this, many go on to become leaders in their communities, leaders of the nation’s social movements, and employers in our neighborhoods. Imagine what our nation would be if we provided this group with the stability that allowed them to thrive?”l Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP) is a collaborative of grassroots immigrant community organizations working together to win permanent status for our members and communities, and build a more inclusive immigrant rights movement that centers the needs and experiences of African, AfroCaribbean, Afro-Latinx, Arab/Middle Eastern, and API immigrants.

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GENERATIONS

11

Getting Started with Advance Care Planning

A

dvance care planning is not just about old age. At any age, a medical crisis could leave you too ill to make your own health care decisions. Even if you are not sick now, planning for health care in the future is an important step toward making sure you get the medical care you would want, if you are unable to speak for yourself and doctors and family members are making the decisions for you.

Getting Started with Advance Care Planning Start by thinking about what kind of treatment you do or do not want in a medical emergency. It might help to talk with your doctor about how your current health conditions might influence your health in the future. For example, what decisions would you or your family face if your high blood pressure leads to a stroke? You can ask your doctor to help you understand and think through your choices before you put them in writing.

Discussing advance care planning decisions with your doctor is free through Medicare during your annual wellness visit. Private health insurance may also cover these discussions.

If you don't have any medical issues now, your family medical history might be a clue to help you think about the future.

Talk with your doctor about decisions that might come up if you develop health problems similar to those of other family members.

In considering treatment decisions, your personal values are key. Is your main desire to have the most days of life? Or, would your focus be on quality of life, as you see it? What if an illness leaves you paralyzed or in a permanent coma and you need to be on a ventilator? Would you want that?

What makes life meaningful to you?

If your heart stops or you have trouble breathing, would you want to undergo life-saving measures if it meant that, in the future, you could be well enough to spend time with your family? Would you be content if the emergency leaves you simply able to spend your days listening to books on tape or gazing out the window?

But, there are many other scenarios.

Here are a few. What would you decide?

•If a stroke leaves you unable to move

and then your heart stops, would you want CPR? What if you were also mentally impaired by a stroke—does your decision change?

•What if you are in pain at the end of life? Do you want medication to treat the pain, even if it will make you more drowsy and lethargic?

•What if you are permanently unconscious and then develop pneumonia?

Would you want antibiotics and to be placed on a ventilator?

For some people, staying alive as long as medically possible, or long enough to see an important event like a grandchild's wedding, is the most important thing. An advance directive can help to make that possible. Others have a clear idea about when they would no longer want to prolong their life. An advance directive can help with that, too.

Your decisions about how to handle any of these situations could be different at age 40 than at age 85. Or, they could be different if you have an incurable condition as opposed to being generally healthy. An advance directive allows you to provide instructions for these types of situations and then to change the instructions as you get older or if your viewpoint changes.l(NIH)

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JOBS & RECESSION

12

5 Things Employers Need to Know From the Mind the Workplace 2021 Report employees who feel acknowledged and accepted at work are less likely to seek out other employment opportunities.

BY TAYLOR ADAMS

M

ental Health America (MHA) recently released its Mind the Workplace 2021 Report to better understand the mental health challenges that employees across company size and industry have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, MHA surveyed over 5,000 employees across 17 industries to learn more about workplace stress, burnout, supervisor support, and financial insecurity. Here are five things from the report that every employer needs to know, and steps they can take to promote a mentally healthier work environment.

Burnout is a serious mental health concern for employees.

If 2019 was the year that officially defined burnout, then 2020 was the year of living it. According to MHA’s report, 83% of employees feel emotionally drained from their work, and 25% of employees feel reduced professional efficacy and cynicism towards their jobs and coworkers. Of employees who strongly agreed that they feel emotionally drained

by their work, 99% agreed that their workplace stress affects their mental health. If ignored, burnout can lead to more serious mental health concerns like anxiety or depression.

An employer can help prevent or mitigate the impact of burnout on their employees by (1) educating and frequently communicating with managers and employees about the signs of burnout, (2) providing paid time off (PTO), workload management, and posi-

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tion flexibility to all staff, and (3) modeling healthy behaviors such as taking time off or talking openly about job stressors.

Supervisor support is critical to employee mental health.

Remember the expression “employees leave managers, not companies”? I would argue employees leave managers and companies (managers and company cultures can both be toxic), but there is no doubt that a fair and effective manager is crucial to an employee’s experience and well-being. I still remember the name of my first supervisor at age 17, simply because his poor and misguided management continues to motivate me to promote better workplace mental health now. Nine in 10 employees report that their workplace stress affects their mental health, but only 2 in 5 employees are receiving the support they need to help manage stress.

If you are a supervisor, consider the following tips: (1) do not be afraid to provide emotional support, like asking “How are you feeling?”, (2) be flexible and realistic about your expectations for direct reports, (3) stay connected with coworkers, particularly in high-stress or remote work environments, and (4) practice self-care, because you deserve emotional support too.

Changing work environments and routines are affecting employee engagement.

Work environments have drastically changed over the last year, including the addition of personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing in workplace settings, and shifts to remote work environments. Employees may also have lost childcare services, are homeschooling their children, or are sharing a workspace with spouses, partners, or parents.

MHA’s 2020 survey results reveal that over 65% of employees find it difficult to concentrate because of their work environment, compared to 46% of respondents in 2018. Also, over 56% of employees reported that they spend time looking for a new position, compared to 40% of respondents in 2018. Fortunately,

Most employers are not providing a safe environment for employees who live with mental health conditions.

For employees who live with mental health conditions, this report’s findings likely come as no surprise. Mental illness in the workplace is often misunderstood and kept quiet, which isn’t exactly conducive to creating a welcoming environment for the people who navigate these issues daily. Over 56% of employees did not feel like their employers provide a safe and welcoming environment for employees who live with mental illnesses. Less than 5% of respondents strongly agreed with this statement. Five percent!

Creating a welcoming environment for employees who live with mental health conditions requires a change in culture, and changing culture requires thoughtful leadership and substantial investment. If your workplace is interested in an assessment of its mental health practices, check out MHA’s Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health at www.mhanational.org/bestemployers.

Employees are feeling the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the report, 58% of employees worry about not having enough money to pay for their living expenses, and 2 in 3 employees cannot save for an emergency. In addition, 34% of employees cannot afford their health care costs.

Federal and state minimum wage legislation and poverty guidelines have historically failed to meet employees’ realistic financial needs. Economic insecurity is a well-documented socioeconomic determinant of health, and the pandemic’s effects on employee well-being only reinforces the need to alleviate position and financial insecurity for employees through policy change.

In 2020, Congress passed a series of COVID-19 relief packages to alleviate the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Unfortunately, the stimulus payments to individuals served as a temporary and inadequate solution for systemic wage and income equality. MHA supports systemic change in minimum wage and income equality policy to ensure all employees feel financially secure, especially in the event of a traumatic event or emergency, such as a global pandemic.l Taylor Adams is the Director of Workplace Mental Health at Mental Health America

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WELCOME TO AMERICA

14

Biden Moves to End Trump’s War on ‘Sanctuary Cities’

BY KATY MURDZA

T

he Biden administration has ended a Trump-era policy of denying so-called sanctuary cities from receiving certain forms of federal funding. The policy had been used in retaliation against local and state governments who did not cooperate fully with federal immigration enforcement. Many courts had already ruled against these funding restrictions.

There is no set definition of a sanctuary policy. Many cities, counties, and states have some type of policy limiting law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The purposes of these policies vary. They can be used to improve trust between law enforcement and immigrant members of the community, prioritize resources, or shield the jurisdiction from liability.

They are often called “sanctuary policies” by those who oppose them.

In early 2017, President Trump issued an executive order directing the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to withhold federal funding from sanctuary jurisdictions. Attorney

General Jeff Sessions later issued a memo carrying out the executive order through limited restrictions that applied to certain federal law enforcement grants.

Nearly all the courts to review the issue blocked the Trump administration’s denial of federal funds to sanctuary cities. The Trump administration appealed one of these cases to the Supreme Court. The Court later dismissed the case at the Biden administration’s request.

Grant restrictions were not Trump’s only attack on sanctuary cities. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) repeatedly targeted sanctuary jurisdictions with raids, employment audits, fines on immigrants, and a ban on New Yorkers participating in “trusted traveler” programs. Trump also threatened to withhold COVID-19 aid from sanctuary jurisdictions.

Biden rescinded the Trump executive order earlier this year. Attorney General Merrick Garland has now issued a memo ordering the Justice Department to resume grants that were denied under the previous policy. The Department

must also stop prioritizing funding for jurisdictions that cooperate with ICE. The program most affected by the policy change provides funding to local law enforcement.

Sanctuary policies come in many forms. They can include limiting information shared with ICE or denying ICE access to jails without a warrant.

Another common policy is failing to comply with detainers, optional requests to hold someone past their release date until ICE comes to take them into custody.

Sanctuary policies do not prevent the federal government from enforcing immigration policy, but simply limit the extent to which local jurisdictions will help it do so. Courts have routinely held that sanctuary policies comply with federal law. Immigration law does prevent jurisdictions from limiting the sharing of a person’s immigration status. But jurisdictions can choose not to collect that information or limit the sharing of additional information.

Studies have shown that crime rates are lower and economies are stronger in jurisdictions with sanctuary policies. By

eliminating the fear of immigration consequences if victims report abuse, the policies decrease domestic violence. In some cases, the policies helped lower domestic homicide rates among Hispanic women by 62%.

Ending retaliation against sanctuary cities is an important step for the Biden administration. However, local law enforcement collaboration with federal immigration enforcement continues.

The Secure Communities program requires local jurisdictions to share fingerprints with ICE. 287(g) agreements delegate some of ICE’s authority to local law enforcement agencies. The Criminal Alien Program gives ICE access to people detained in a jail to determine their immigration status.

These programs have put hundreds of thousands of immigrants on the jail-todeportation pipeline, tearing them away from their families and communities.

This type of immigration enforcement imports the racial biases of the criminal justice system on which it relies. The Biden administration should eliminate these policies.l

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HEALTH

16

Why You Should Get a COVID-19 Vaccine – Even If You’ve Already Had the Coronavirus

BY JENNIFER T. GRIER THE CONVERSATION

A

few weeks ago, a message popped up in the corner of my screen. “What do you think about people who have recently had COVID–19 getting the vaccine?” A friend of mine was eligible for a COVID–19 vaccine, but she had recently gotten over an infection with SARS– CoV–2. More people are becoming eligible for vaccines each week – including millions of people who have already recovered from a coronavirus infection.

Many are wondering whether they need the vaccine, especially people who have already been infected.

I study immune responses to respiratory infections, so I get a lot of these types of questions. A person can develop immunity – the ability to resist infection – from being infected with a virus or from getting a vaccine. However, immune protection isn’t always equal.

The strength of the immune response, the length of time that the protection lasts

and the variation of the immune response across people is very different between vaccine immunity and natural immunity for SARS–CoV–2. COVID–19 vaccines offer safer and more reliable immunity than natural infection.

Immunity after infection is unpredictable Immunity comes from the immune system’s ability to remember an infection.

Using this immune memory, the body will know to fight if it encounters the disease again. Antibodies are proteins that can bind to a virus and prevent infection.

T cells are cells that direct the removal of infected cells and viruses already bound by antibodies. These two are some of the main players that contribute to immunity.

After a SARS-CoV-2 infection, a person’s antibody and T cell responses may be strong enough to provide protection against reinfection. Research shows that 91% of people who develop antibodies against the coronavirus are unlikely to be infected again for six months, even after a mild infection. People who had no symptoms during the infection are also likely to develop immunity, though they tend to make fewer antibodies than those who felt ill. So for some people, natural immunity may be strong and long-lasting.

The problem is that not everyone will develop immunity after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. As many as 9% of infected people do not have detectable antibodies, and up to 7% of people don’t have T cells that recognize the virus 30 days after infection.

For people who do develop immunity, the strength and duration of the protection can vary a lot. Up to 5% of people may lose their immune protection within a few months. Without a strong immune defense, these people are susceptible to reinfection by the coronavirus. Some have had second bouts of COVID–19 as soon as one month after their first infection; and, though rare, some people have been hospitalized or even died.

A person who is reinfected may also be able to transmit the coronavirus even without feeling sick. This could put the person’s loved ones at risk.

And what about the variants? So far, there isn’t any hard data about the new coronavirus variants and natural immunity or reinfection, but it is certainly possible that immunity from one infection won’t be as strong against infection with a different variant.Vaccination leads to reliable protection COVID–19 vaccines generate both antibody and T cell responses – but this is much stronger and more consistent than immunity from natural infection.

One study found that four months after receiving their first dose of the Moderna vaccine, 100% of people tested had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. This is the longest period that has been studied so far. In a study looking at the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, antibody levels were also much higher in vaccinated people than in those who had recovered from infection.

Even better, a study in Israel showed that the Pfizer vaccine blocked 90% of infections after both doses – even with a variant present in the population. And a decrease in infections means people are less likely to transmit the virus to the people around them.

The COVID–19 vaccines aren’t perfect, but they produce strong antibody and T cell responses that offer a safer and more reliable means of protection than natural immunity.

Infection and vaccination together To my friend’s message, I instantly replied that she should absolutely get the vaccine. After getting vaccinated, my friend could be comfortable knowing that she has long-lasting, effective immunity and less of a chance of spreading the coronavirus to her friends and family.

But more good news has emerged since I sent that message. A new study showed that vaccination after infection produces six times more antibodies than a vaccine by itself. This isn’t to say that anyone should try to get infected before they get vaccinated – vaccine immunity alone is more than strong enough to provide protection and the dangers of a fight with COVID-19 far outweigh the benefits.

But when my friend and the many others who were already infected get their vaccines, they’ll be well protected.

Natural immunity from infection is simply far too unreliable in the face of such a devastating virus. Current COVID-19 vaccines offer incredibly strong, consistent protection to the great majority of people. So, for anyone eligible, even those who have already had a SARSCoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccines offer immense benefits.

Jennifer T. Grier is the Clinical Assistant Professor of Immunology,, University of South Carolina

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HEALTH

17

CDC: OK for COVID Shot for Teens 12-15

BY KERRY DOOLEY YOUNG, ALICIA AULT WEBMD HEALTH NEWS

T

he Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for teens age 12 to 15 gained final federal authorization on Wednesday as the director of the CDC urged parents to get their children immunized.

“This official CDC action opens vaccination to approximately 17 million adolescents in the United States and strengthens our nation’s efforts to protect even more people from the effects of COVID-19,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, said in a statement announcing her decision to accept a committee’s vote earlier Wednesday that the vaccine be recommended for use.

“Getting adolescents vaccinated means their faster return to social activities and can provide parents and caregivers peace of mind knowing their family is protected.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 14-0 earlier in the day to recommend the vaccine’s use for younger teens and adolescents.

The vote comes after the FDA on Monday granted emergency use authorization for use of the vaccine in younger teens after it first cleared it in December

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for those ages 16 and older.

Walenksy urged parents to seriously consider vaccinating their children.

“Understandably, some parents want more information before their children receive a vaccine,” she said. “I encourage parents with questions to talk to your child’s healthcare provider or your family doctor to learn more about the vaccine.”

Separately, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement on Wednesday calling on parents to get their children vaccinated. in support of vaccinating all children ages 12 and older who are eligible.

“As a pediatrician and a parent, I have looked forward to getting my own children and patients vaccinated, and I am thrilled that those ages 12 and older can now be protected,” AAP President Lee Savio Beers, MD, said in a statement.

“The data continue to show that this vaccine is safe and effective. I urge all parents to call their pediatrician to learn more about how to get their children and teens vaccinated.”

The expanded clearance for the Pfizer vaccine is seen as a critical step for allowing teens to resume activities on which they missed out during the pandemic.

“We’ve seen the harm done to children’s mental and emotional health as they’ve missed out on so many experiences during the pandemic,” Beers said.

“Vaccinating children will protect them and allow them to fully engage in all of the activities — school, sports, socializing with friends and family — that are so important to their health and development.”

Meanwhile, health care providers in some states didn’t wait for the CDC panel’s decision and began immunizing children with the Pfizer vaccine this week.

The Delaware Division of Public Health opened four clinics on Wednesday and said it would start administering the Pfizer vaccine to children age 12 or older immediately. “Written parental consent is required to vaccinate individuals younger

than 18 years old, however the parent is not required to be on site with the child during the vaccination,” according to a statement from the agency.

"As we look to increase our vaccinated population, especially to reach young people who will be going back to college and school at the end of summer, these new vaccination-only clinics have the capacity to administer thousands of vaccines a week," Division Director Karyl Rattay, MD, said in the statement.

The Georgia Department of Public Health also updated its website to note that the Pfizer vaccine was immediately available to anyone age 12 or older.

CNN reported that some parents and children had lined up and received the shot at state-sponsored vaccine sites on Tuesday.l

What should you EXPECT when you get a COVID-19 VACCINE?

THIS IS WHAT: # 1 YOU MIGHT NEED TWO DOSES

Depending on the vaccine, you may have to get a second dose 3-4 weeks after the 昀rst.

2 YOU MAY HAVE SIDE EFFECTS

#

You may get short-term side effects like arm soreness, headaches, body aches, chills or fever.

3 YOU WILL STILL NEED TO BE SAFE

#

Keep wearing your face covering, washing your hands, physically distancing and staying home when you’re sick.

4 YOU WILL BUILD IMMUNITY

#

It takes two weeks after your last dose to get full protection from a COVID-19 vaccine.

Learn more at nyc.gov/covidvaccine.

Health

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NYCDOH_YoureRight_ImmigrantsJournal_10x6.75_V1_EN.indd 1 NYCDOH_YoureRight_ImmigrantsJournal_10x6.75_V1_EN.indd

5/13/21 3:22 PM 5/13/21

NYC ELECTIONS 2021

18

Can You Vote in New York City’s June 22 Primary Election?

BY ALLISON DIKANOVIC, THE CITY

W

e’re officially six weeks out from Primary Day on June 22.

But there’s another date you need to mark on your calendar: May 28.

That’s the last day you can register to vote in the June 22 primary.

To help make sure that as many New Yorkers as possible participate in choosing our next leaders, here’s a breakdown of who has the right to vote in New York, how to register and how to help someone register to vote.

If you’re already registered to vote, feel free to share this article with others. As we’ve said what seems like a million times, these elections will be crucial in shaping the city’s post-pandemic future.

Who has the right to vote in New York?

To be able to cast a ballot in New York, you need to be a U.S. citizen who has lived in the city/state for at least 30 days, not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction and at least 18 years old.

If you turn 18 on or before June 22, you’ll be able to vote, so make sure you

register now. And remember, all 16 and 17 year olds can pre-register to vote, which means you automatically become a registered voter the day you turn 18.

Can I vote if I am an immigrant?

If you have become a naturalized U.S. citizen since moving here, you can vote.

Otherwise, you can’t vote in New York… yet. A coalition of nonprofit organizations has been pushing to expand city voting to nearly 900,000 immigrants across the five boroughs, including green card holders, DACA recipients and people with certain work permits.

Paul Westrick, senior manager of democracy policy at the New York Immigration Coalition, said: “It’s a huge

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population of New Yorkers who may not have the piece of paper that they’re a citizen, but they’re New Yorkers. We have folks who are woven into the fabric of New York City and who are being taxed but not represented.”

The expansion has broad support in the City Council, among a few borough presidents, numerous local state and federal elected officials and even from some mayoral candidates, but it will not pass before this year’s elections. If the measure passes later, it would mean non-citizen immigrants with certain statuses could vote in New York City municipal elections, but not in statewide or national contests. Keep your eyes out for 2023.

or state ID from the Department of Motor Vehicles, you can register online using this tool from NYC Votes and TurboVote.

If you don’t have a New York driver’s license or state ID, the law requires that you sign a form and mail it to the Board of Elections office.

You will be asked to plug in your name as it appears on your state ID. If you don’t have one, that’s OK. Just put how your name appears on official documents.

You can request voter registration forms in various languages by calling 1866-VOTENYC. Lastly, you can pick up voter registration forms at any library branch, any post office or any city agency office.

After you fill them out, mail them to the BOE’s main office: Board of Elections, 32 Broadway, 7 Fl New York, NY 10004-1609 And make sure it’s postmarked by May 28.

What if I’ve been convicted of a felony?

Big news: Just last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law that gives people back their right to register to vote as soon as they’re released from prison. That includes everyone still on parole or probation, even those convicted of a felony.

“Anyone who has been formerly incarcerated and is now out in the community has the right to vote. There’s no sort of question or anything like that,” said Nick Encalada-Malinowski, director of VOCAL-NY’s Civic Rights Campaign.

In 2018, Cuomo issued an executive order that granted the right to vote to most but not all people on parole through a partial pardon process. It was a little confusing, so the new law clears it up and makes the right permanent for anyone who has been formerly incarcerated.

To be clear, because there is a lot of confusion and misinformation about this: State law now says if you were incarcerated and now you’re out, you have the right to register to vote.

When someone is released from prison, they do need to re-register to vote, even if they were a registered voter before they were incarcerated.

Other materials needed: If you don’t have a state ID, you will need to provide the last four digits of your Social Security number.

To vote in the June 22 election, you have to register with a party If you want to vote in the primary election next month, you need to register with a party. This is because New York has what’s called a closed primary.

For example, to choose from the 13 Democratic candidates for mayor, you need to be registered as a Democrat. If you’re not affiliated with a party or you’re registered as an independent, you can’t vote in the primaries.

According to city Campaign Finance Board officials, there were nearly 5 million registered voters in New York City as of March. Of those, about 3.3 million are registered Democrats and eligible to vote in the Democratic primaries. Just under 500,000 are registered Republicans in the city who may vote in Republican primaries. About a million voters are either registered with a third party or have no party affiliation, so they can’t vote in the primary. If you want to vote June 22, check your party.

The deadline to switch parties was Feb. 14, so it’s too late to change your party before the primary.

What if I’ve moved? Do I need to reregister?

If you’ve moved from out of state, you need to re-register. But if you’ve moved from somewhere else in New York, you just need to file a change of address request with the Board of Elections/post office/DMV so you can vote in your current district.

Don’t miss the registration deadline!

Once again, you have to register by May 28. New York does not have same-day registration. If you aren’t already registered and you don’t apply either online or send in your forms, postmarked by May 28, you will not be able to vote in the June 22 primary. Remember: Early voting starts June 12.l

How do I register to vote?

You have a few options: If you have a New York driver’s license

This article is adapted from our weekly Civic Newsroom newsletter, which is sent out every Tuesday. Published on May 11, 2021.

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