The Immigrant’s Journal - Vol. 185

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BY PILAR MARRERO EMS

With the prospect of a legislative solution for Dreamers –and the millions of undocumented immigrants in the country – as far off as ever, the California-Mexico Studies Center is raising anew the idea of a presidential pardon in its newsletter, “El Magonista.”

The idea is not new. In 2017, immigrant rights activists asked former President Obama to use his pardon authority in the days prior to then-President-elect Trump’s inauguration to protect undocumented immigrants or, at the very least,

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and Political Capital

BY STEVEN HUBBARD & ROBIN LUNDH, AMERICAN COUNCIL STAFF

Black immigrants make up a vital part of America’s rich cultural life. Think of authors

Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda

Ngozi Adichie; musicians Miriam

Makeba and Wyclef Jean; comedian

Trevor Noah; activist Marcus Garvey; NBA hall of famer and philanthropist

Dikembe Mutombo—to name but a very few. For generations across the United States, Black immigrants have enriched our academics, music, cuisine, fashion, dance, and more.

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New OSHA Rules Empower Immigrant Workers ....17

The Anti-Democracy That Is Anti-Immigrant Extremism

BY MARIBEL HASTINGS AND DAVID TORRES, AMERICA’S VOICE

In another week of contrasts, two issues—the New York Times story about child labor exploitation, and the criticism about President Joe Biden’s announcement of a new asylum restriction—are a sad reminder of the failure of the political class to approve broad-scale immigration reform.

In its place, Republicans—who now control the House of Representatives— opt for dedicating time to hearings that only promote conspiracy theories of white nationalists, who live in a separate reality with anachronistic ideas that are not adjusted to the United States that exists today.

In a sense, the nearness of the next presidential elections in 2024 has made the Republicans accelerate the pace of their tired, old anti-immigrant and racist strategy in order to gain ground with their base, without caring that their political venom shows they do not want to solve a problem, but rather continuing exploiting it for political ends.

On the other hand, the Democrats continue without overcoming a mistake they repeat each time they confront complicated immigration topics. They usually yield to Republican pressure with the belief that they can silence their critics, when in reality the Republican attacks only increase. That is, on the issue of asylum, instead of fearing Republican rants about the anticipated increase in border crossings with the end of Title 42, the administration and Democratic legislators should show that this country is capable of handling the situation, as it has the resources and capacity to do so. Instead they opt to restrict asylum even more. And although the White House would like to justify its actions, it becomes even more difficult to defend their positions. Recall one Bill Clinton in the ‘90s, signing into law measures that even affected documented immigrants; or one Barack Obama, increasing deportations to try to attract “Republican support” for comprehensive immigration reform, something that clearly never happened.

But instead of continuing to try to placate a Republican Party that, on immigration matters, will never act in good faith, Democrats should listen to the demands of those who have supported them, election after election, despite the

circumstances. We are referring to those huge immigration powers that keep the country strong, economically and demographically speaking but who, through their vulnerability, become the bait for promises, on the one hand, and antiimmigrant attacks on the other. Who do they turn to, then?

Every time the House Republicans convene a hearing to talk about the situation at the border, they do so giving a platform to individuals who defend conspiracy theories of white nationalists who just repeat lies, like that the fentanyl crisis is the responsibility of immigrants, when this has been proven false.

According to the Cato Institute, 86% of the people convicted for fentanyl trafficking in 2021 were U.S. citizens, ten times more than the convictions of undocumented people. Moreover, 90% of fentanyl confiscations occur at ports of entry or vehicle inspection points inside the country, not along the routes that undocumented people cross.

These data, however, don’t prevent Republicans from continuing to vilify immigrants using the fentanyl crisis. And that shows how perverse their strategy to try to return to the White House, at any cost, has become.

But it goes even further, because white nativists—once limited to the margins of the Republican Party—now figure prominently in the collective discourse and are invited to testify in congressional hearings, legitimizing the lies they repeat. The problem is that those voices have been echoed by white domestic terrorists who perpetrated massacres in spaces with a high concentration of minorities, as in El Paso in 2019 and Buffalo in 2022.

In fact, many are Trumpist deniers who still continue to repeat the crude lie that Donald Trump was “robbed” of the 2020

election. They are the same ones who justified the attempted coup d’état on January 6, 2021, and who condemn the violence as an electoral strategy without understanding or accepting the underpinnings of a democracy, especially the most complete one on the planet to this day. In other words, they are anti-democratic agents because they only cry fraud if they lose elections; but if they win, the system seems to be functioning fine to them.

To that we add the deceit that those characters promote, that has already been normalized in the platforms of politicians like the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, and his affinity to ban books that detail the history of this country, including its most nefarious chapters, like slavery and discrimination. Or his new series of proposals to basically turn Florida into a death trap for undocumented immigrants. One of his most damaging and offensive ideas is to impose 15 years in prison for mothers who transport their undocumented children to school. How repulsive.

It never stops being surprising that in a state like Florida, which has taken in refugees fleeing dictators, violence, and persecution, the same people support politicians like DeSantis who promote the same things they fled in the first place. But that’s a topic for another column.

However, what we can state is that what characters like DeSantis are looking for is to rack up political points among one of the darkest, most extreme segments, not only in Florida but the entire country. To sinisterly politicize the immigration issue, accusing undocumented people for all the ills, when even DeSantis knows how important they are for the economy of his own state and the nation. l

Publisher I.Q. INC.

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Brian Figeroux,

Esq.

Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief

Pearl Phillip

Senior Writer

Linda Nwoke

Contributing Writers

JR Holguin

Janet Howard

Chris Tobias

Mary Campbell

Graphic & Website Designers

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Email immjournal@aol.com

Visit www.ijlef.org

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

Editorial credit: Peter Sherman Crosby Shutterstock.com

AG James Recovers $24,000 in Stolen Wages for Former Employees of So-Called Worker Cooperative

New York Attorney General

Letitia James announced she recovered $24,000 for employees of Build With Prospect, Inc. (Build With Prospect), a design-build company that stole wages from employees. Build With Prospect claimed to operate as a “worker cooperative,” but forced workers to become shareholders of the company by making their employment conditional on owning shares. Build With Prospect workers were required to sign a shareholder agreement and pay $12,000 total for their alleged shares in the company, but they had very little control over the company as shareholders and did not receive any benefits of ownership. In some cases, Build With Prospect collected monthly payments toward the $12,000 fee by unlawfully withholding wages from workers’ paychecks. After Build With Prospect stopped operating, it then failed to pay back the workers who had contributed wages towards their shares. As a result of the agreement announced today, impacted workers will receive $24,000 in restitution from Build With

Prospect.

“Every New Yorker deserves fair pay and compensation for their hard work,” said Attorney General James. “Instead of building up our communities, the owners of Build With Prospect exploited workers and unlawfully withheld their hardearned wages. My office is committed to ensuring everyone receives the wages they are owed, and we will continue to go after employers who prey on hardworking people.”

The settlement announced today resolves a lawsuit filed by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) against Build With Prospect and its owners in July 2021. The lawsuit alleged that Build With Prospect and its owners, Jeremy Shannon, Carla Shannon, and James McDaniel, forced at least 15 workers to become shareholders of the company, making their employment conditional on owning shares. The OAG investigation, which included a review of company records and interviews with multiple employees, revealed that Build With Prospect forced workers into becoming

shareholders and paying monthly buy-in fees as a condition of their employment. In some instances, the company deducted funds from the workers’ earnings to pay for the company shares. Build With Prospect also attempted to use the workers’ positions as so-called shareholders to apply for certification as a Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) with the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS).

The Attorney General’s Labor Bureau enforces laws that protect workers from wage theft and other exploitation and investigates alleged violations of minimum wage, overtime, prevailing wage,

and other labor laws throughout the state. New Yorkers who believe they have been a victim of wage theft or other labor law violations are encouraged to contact OAG by filing a confidential complaint online, calling (212) 4168700, or sending an email to Labor.Bureau@ag.ny.gov.

The announcement is the latest in Attorney General James’ efforts to crack down on wage theft. In October 2022, Attorney General James secured $90,000 in stolen and unpaid wages for more than a dozen former employees of a commercial dry cleaner in Queens. In April 2022, Attorney General James recovered $175,000 for Gotham Pizza workers who were cheated out of their pay. In March 2022, she announced agreements with two home health agencies for cheating employees out of wages and submitting false Medicaid claims. That same month, she secured an agreement with Sanford Apt. Corp, a cooperative residential apartment building in Flushing, Queens that refused to pay its superintendents for their work.l

Biden Wants to End Exploitation of Migrant Children, But His New Asylum Policy Could Make It Worse

BY DARA LIND

The New York Times has published a horrifying investigation into the exploitation of children who migrated to the United States as unaccompanied minors. The investigation by Hannah Dreier finds these children pressed into labor in every state in the U.S., in violation of labor law and often in horrifying conditions. It’s an essential read.

But it’s also essential not to see this as a sad but unavoidable tragedy, or as a necessary consequence of the economic desperation many of these children are under as they struggle to provide for families left behind (often in Central America). This is a story about two policy failures—one of which the Biden administration risks making much, much worse in the coming weeks.

The Government’s Vetting Process

The first policy failure is discussed at length in the piece. Under the Biden

administration, employees at the Department of Health and Human Services who are responsible for the care and protection of children who arrive in the U.S. without parents or legal guardians have been pressured to get children out of government custody as quickly as possible. Once a child enters HHS custody, the agency is supposed to place children with relatives or other sponsors while they await a court date in their immigration case.

But the longer this process takes, the

longer children stay in government custody and away from potential family. And if there are too many children for available government shelters, as there were in 2021, thousands of kids can end up stuck in Border Patrol cells. To avoid that, HHS has sped up the sponsorship placement process – and gone too far in the other direction. In one recording Dreier obtained, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that HHS needed to move more like an assembly line to place children with sponsors.

As a result, employees—mostly HHS contractors—have rushed through important vetting procedures and lost contact with children after they leave federal custody. This not only puts children at risk of missing their court date and losing their chance at permanent legal status, but makes them vulnerable to exploitation and mistreatment.

For the last decade, the United States has seen high numbers of unaccompanied children crossing the southwest border. This has put HHS in a precarious position. The agency has struggled to balance the need to prevent children from languishing for months or years in shelters (where standards of care can vary greatly) and the need to ensure that the adults they are entrusted to are in fact trustworthy. When the government moves too slowly, by requiring reams of paperwork and security checks, children are unnecessarily separated from their caregivers. When it moves too quickly, children are handed over to people who

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Migrant Children/

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do not care for them enough. It’s a difficult balance issue, especially because the stakes are so high—but any mistake is unforgivable. HHS and the Department of Labor have already announced a series of actions they will take in the coming weeks to crack down on exploitation of migrant children – including an audit of the HHS sponsor vetting process. But continued scrutiny from Congress and the public is likely, and deserved.

But there’s also a second policy failure at play when tens of thousands of children are arriving in the United States without close relatives already here to care for them. And that one is easier to fix—or at least easier not to make worse—than careful recalibration of HHS vetting procedures.

Growing Limitations on Asylum

The second policy failure is limiting asylum for families coming to the United States, such that parents feel the only way to ensure safety for their child is to send them on alone.

This isn’t hypothetical. For the last half decade, the U.S. has prevented most migrants from pursuing asylum cases here—first under the Remain in Mexico policy, which forced people into overcrowded shelters or dangerous border encampments in northern Mexico while

their asylum cases were pending, then under the Title 42 “public health” policy which has simply expelled them to Mexico with no asylum claim at all. For much of that time, the government has retained protections for unaccompanied children, but not for families. As a result, families who have already traveled nearly all the way to the U.S., with the intention of arriving and seeking protection together, have instead decided to split up at the journey’s end so that their children can pursue immigration cases alone.

Just last week, the Los Angeles Times wrote a piece about parents making such a decision after repeated failed attempts to schedule appointments to arrive at a U.S. port of entry using the CBP One app. As the U.S. has made the app all but the only way to seek asylum without being subject to Title 42, demand for

appointments has far exceeded the number of available appointments. As a result, asylum remains all but inaccessible for many families—to the point where they must choose between staying together or sending their children to supposed safety alone.

The Asylum Transit Ban Would Make a Bad Situation Worse

But instead of expanding access to asylum, the Biden administration is posed to further restrict it. Under a regulation proposed last week, which the administration expects to put into effect once Title 42 ends in May, most asylum seekers who didn’t use the CBP One app to schedule an appointment (or seek asylum and get rejected in another country they traveled through, such as Mexico) would be presumed ineligible for asylum at all.

They would have to follow a convoluted process with extremely high standards to qualify for any protection.

The regulation would not apply to children arriving without their parents. But it would apply to children arriving with them. In other words, the Biden administration is set to double down on the situation the LA Times depicted: parents being forced to choose between protection for their children and family unity. When families plan for a child to travel to the U.S. alone, they have time and opportunity to find a support network for the child here—a close relative or trusted friend who will sponsor and care for them. When they make the decision at the last minute, they may lack that opportunity—or simply not know anyone in the U.S. who can care for the child. Those are the children most likely to fall through the cracks of the vetting process. And, of course, the more children are arriving unaccompanied, the more overloaded the whole system is—and the easier it is to make unforgivable mistakes. The Biden administration is likely to face tough questions about the HHS vetting process. But it should also be asked why it insists on restricting asylum for families, when it knows the result will be more parents making an impossible choice between safety for their children and unity—and risking that the child ends up with neither.l

Editorial credit: Vic Hinterlang / Shutterstock.com

Black Immigrants/ continued from page 1

Overall Population of Black Immigrants

But Black immigrants also play an increasingly important role in our economy and political landscape. The United States is currently home to more than 4 million Black immigrants. In the last decade, the population of Black immigrants grew 19.4%, from 3.4 million in 2011 to 4.1 million in 2021. While nationally Black immigrants comprise 1.2% of the population, their concentrations are triple that in some states, such as Maryland, New York, and Florida. Black immigrants are defined as any person who was born outside the United States to non-U.S. citizen parents and who identifies as Black or African American in the American Community Survey.

The five states with the highest population of Black immigrants are New York, Florida, Texas, Maryland, and New Jersey. Nationally, the two largest regions of birth for Black immigrants are SubSaharan Africa (47.4%) and the Caribbean (46.4%). However, significant numbers of Black immigrants also come from Central and South America, as well as Canada, Germany, and other countries. The Black immigrant community is expanding at a fast pace in certain states. For example, in about the last decade the Black immigrant population of Texas

nearly doubled, rising from 161,506 in 2010 to 319,911 in 2021.

Maryland had the highest share of Black immigrants in the United States, at 3.9%, and New York had the second highest share, at 3.7% of the state population. Recent findings from Pew Research Center reveal that Black immigrants will contribute to around one-third of the growth of the Black population from now to 2060.

Black Immigrants’ Spending and Political Power

Black immigrants make significant contributions to the U.S. economy. In 2021, Black immigrant households generated a total income of $153 billion. They paid $39 billion in taxes: $24 billion in federal income taxes and $15 billion in state and local taxes. This left Black immigrant households with $114 billion in spending power—money households used to sup-

port American businesses, invest in housing, and more. As the Black immigrant population grows, so does their spending power—it increased by 7.1% from 2018 to 2021.

While Black immigrants make up a small percentage of the overall U.S. population, they are obviously more highly concentrated in some cities and states. In these areas, the concentration of Black immigrants means that they may be able to exert more considerable electoral pressure in state or local elections. For example, while there were 2.4 million eligible Black immigrant voters in the United States in 2021, a full 38.7% of those voters lived in either New York state or Florida.

Contributions to the U.S. Workforce Black immigrants also make vital contributions to the workforce, particularly in industries facing ongoing labor short-

ages, such as healthcare and transportation. For example, Black immigrants are more likely to work in healthcare than are other immigrant groups. In 2021, a total of 719,000 Black immigrants worked in the healthcare and social assistance industry, representing 3.3% of the industry’s total workforce. Within healthcare occupations, 152,000 Black immigrants worked as home health and personal care aides, 130,000 as registered nurses, and 16,000 as physicians.

The industry with the second highest percentage of Black immigrant workers was transportation and warehousing. In 2021, 254,000 Black immigrants worked in transportation and warehousing, comprising 3.2% of the workforce. Of those, more than 80,000 were employed as truck drivers, an occupation that, along with many jobs in healthcare, is experiencing a significant demand for workers.

Black immigrants have made significant contributions to American culture, as well as to the U.S. economy. Their population is growing rapidly, along with their spending power and tax contributions. They also provide essential labor in fields experiencing a critical shortage of workers, such as healthcare and transportation. And, as the population of Black immigrants continues to increase and become more politically engaged, its influence in the United States will only grow. l

CBP One Is Riddled With Flaws That Make the App Inaccessible to Many Asylum Seekers

BY RAUL PINTO

In January and February of this year, the Biden administration announced new policies to process individuals seeking asylum at ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border. A key component of these new policies is the increased use of the CBP One app. CBP One allows certain people to submit their biographic information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before arriving at ports of entry.

The government requires Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans applying for advance travel authorization to come to the United States and seek humanitarian parole to use CBP One. The app also is the main method by which people seeking to enter the United States under an exemption to Title 42—the law that has been used by the government to expel potential asylum-seekers—can submit their information and make appointments at ports of entry.

This month, the Biden administration published a proposed rule that makes

CBP One a necessity for those seeking asylum after Title 42 restrictions are lifted. If the rule goes into effect, asylum seekers who traveled to the United States and passed through a third country—like Mexico or Guatemala—but did not seek protection in such third country must use CBP One and make an appointment for processing at ports of entry to remain eligible for asylum.

But while the app has the potential to make border processing more efficient, the recent expansion of CBP One’s functions has been riddled with problems. The app’s flaws, coupled with the lack of access to appointments, are preventing many people from successfully entering the United States to seek protection.

Issues with Capturing Photos

One of the main issues reported by CBP One users is that the app’s expanded photo function disproportionately rejects people with darker skin tones. One of the first steps applicants must take to submit their information is to take a selfie using CBP One. As described in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Privacy Impact Assessment—one of the only government documents with a detailed description of CBP One’s functionality—CBP officers at the port of entry will take a new photo of the traveler, which is then searched against photos in a database. Media reports indicate that CBP One has trouble capturing the photos of people with darker skin tones at the first step.

Some asylum seekers using CBP One also have been unable to schedule appointments at ports of entry due to the limited availability of appointments. Repeated rejections of photos can lead to applicants’ delay in submitting the required information, which contributes to an inability to obtain appointments. This flaw in the system has the effect of shutting some people out of the asylum process altogether.

Inherent Issues with Accessing Humanitarian Processes Through an App

The agency’s plan to make access to humanitarian programs for vulnerable populations contingent on people’s use of CBP One had flaws from its inception. CBP One relies on people having strong mobile connectivity to download the app. This is a problem for individuals who need to download the app in Mexico in order to apply for Title 42 exemptions and for individuals in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who intend to apply for

humanitarian parole programs. Users report it is difficult to stay connected to the internet for long enough to enter information for the main travelers and their family members.

CBP also assumes that travelers with limited financial resources would be able to obtain a phone that would allow them to download and use the app.

Finally, navigating CBP One requires a certain level of tech-savviness that some asylum seekers lack. For example, the app requires users to first create an account with Login.gov, a website that provides access to certain government agencies’ function. The app also requires two-step authentication to sign in once an account has been created.

Systemic Failures Prohibit People

From Completing CBP One Functions

Others have reported that CBP One users often get error messages while using the app that prohibits them from successfully entering their information.

These errors, coupled with the requirements for users to understand how to access the app, further limit those who can use CBP One.

Agency documents released by CBP in response to a FOIA lawsuit revealed that it is expanding CBP One’s functions with little transparency. Documents show that CBP One was not created for the processing of asylum seekers, but within months after unveiling the app, CBP added features to it for this purpose. It is unclear whether CBP considered whether the technology used in the app could disproportionately shut out racial minorities or would create the current accessibility issues users face.

CBP needs to fix these issues in order to increase access to the app for individuals who are eligible to enter the United States through certain programs. If the app isn’t accessible to certain individuals, CBP must provide other methods for processing and widely publicize these alternatives. Further, the agency must ensure that potential users have information well in advance of when functions are rolled out so that people know how to access these capabilities. Thus far, CBP’s efforts to advise potential CBP One users have been insufficient.

Making border processing for individuals seeking asylum more efficient— especially if it reduces the time people are detained—is a worthy goal, and technology is crucial to success. However, the technology must work properly. CBP One has a long way to go toward meeting that goal.l

Editorial credit: eddie-hernandez.com / Shutterstock.com

Did You Know: 3 Reasons Why Mortgage Pre-approval Should Be Your Very First Step

BY EQUITY SMART REALTY INC

Improved Agent Attention

It may be a lesser-known fact, but it's often the case that many real estate agents will not spend the time or put significant effort into a homebuyer that has not been pre-approved for a mortgage. While a good real estate agent will assist you in finding a home that's right for you, if you haven't gone through the necessary process of determining if you'll be approved, they may think it's not worth their time to show you houses you may not be eligible to buy.

A Benefit For Home Sellers

Determines Your Financial Health

While a pre-approval is not a sure sign that your mortgage application will be approved, it can provide a detailed look at your financial health. This means that if you happen to have a less flattering credit history than expected, you can go back to the drawing board, saving more money and making payments, to try and bump up your credit. While this isn't necessarily enticing for the person who is ready to buy, it can be a benefit for the type of home you'll be approved for.

There are so many details involved in the mortgage process that you may not be aware of what preapproval is if you've just entered the market. However, pre-approval assesses your ability to make monthly mortgage payments and can be an important first step in the home-buying process. If you're currently contemplating a home purchase, here's why you may want to consider pre-approval first.

In the event that you happen to come across a home that you want to purchase and make an offer prior to pre-approval, there's a chance the buyer will not waste their time considering it. Because the preapproval process can determine errors in your credit history and there's a wait involved, many home sellers will not want to be held up by this process to sell their home. As a pre-approval can reveal errors and bump up your credit score, it can also be of greater benefit for you to have an accurate number going into the home purchase.

It's common to want to get out into the market and find the perfect house at the right price, but pre-approval is an important process that will help you determine the house you can afford.

Guidance

If you're currently on the market for a new home, you may want to contact one of our mortgage professionals for more information.

Our professional team is happy to share how we can assist you in purchasing your home. We are happy to help. Call Equity Smart Realty Inc at 888-670-6791 l

Florida Doubles Down with New Law Designed to Spend Millions to Relocate Migrants

BY EMILY CREIGHTON

Florida made headlines last year as it passed a law allowing Governor Ron DeSantis to spend up to 12 million dollars to transport migrants out of Florida. DeSantis used over $1 million of that funding to fly 50 unwitting migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard and plan a second flight to Biden’s hometown in Delaware (which was cancelled after outrage and legal threats).

Now, Florida doubled down by passing a bill last month that authorizes state officials to spend state resources to relocate migrants within the United States, without any requirement that they have ever been in Florida or even were intending to move to Florida. The new law re-authorizes and expands the “Unauthorized Alien Transport Program” and formalizes Florida’s existing commitment to target people who have been inspected and released by immigration officials as they await immigration proceedings.

The new law allocates $10 million dollars to Florida’s Division of Emergency Management to orchestrate the movement of migrants during the 2022-2023

fiscal year. The law has very little information, however, about how Florida will identify individuals who will be transported. The law, for example, authorizes the state to relocate individuals deemed “unauthorized.”

As groups that oppose the law point out, the Florida law conflicts with federal immigration law. A person deemed unauthorized by the state may in fact be “authorized” under federal law, including someone who has Temporary Protected Status and a work permit.

A key provision of the law allows the newly created program to move immigrants out of any state.

This provision ends the lawsuit filed by a Democratic State Senator, Jason Pizzo, who argued that payments to fly migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard violated Florida state law. Following the legislature’s passage of the law, a judge dismissed the lawsuit, determining the new law made Pizzo’s claims moot.

Though legislators who support the program say it is “voluntary,” this does not take into account the fact that a person released by federal immigration authorities still must comply with obligations to appear in immigration court at a

specific location. If Florida officials move that person to another state, the person might believe that the state is acting in cooperation with federal immigration authorities. That incorrect assumption might result in the person failing to appear at the immigration court designated by federal immigration authorities and being ordered removed.

The language included in Florida’s new law also speaks directly to unsubstantiated concerns about the impact of “the border crisis” on Floridians. The bill says the law is necessary to address a “surge” of migrants responsible for increased

crime and a drag on healthcare systems, among other concerns.

These partisan talking points about border issues are not supported by the facts. Studies have shown that higher rates of immigration are associated with lower rates of violence and property crime and that immigrants’ economic contributions, in Florida and other states, “far outweigh the cost of additional public services they incur.”

The language of the law highlights the efforts of Republican-led states to dictate national immigration policy. Long the purview of the federal government, states have increasingly weighed in on immigration policy with attention-seeking stunts, such as the Martha’s Vineyard flights.

Unfortunately, these policies and the money spent to carry them out are in direct conflict with the best interests of their states, where study after study demonstrate immigrants make important and meaningful contributions as new residents and long-standing community members. Florida—and any other states who try to follow suit—implement these laws to their detriment.l

Governor Ron DeSantis Editorial credit: William Hunton / Shutterstock.com

More Observers Condemn Asylum Ban, While Broad Overhaul of Immigration Policy Needed Now More than Ever

BY AMERICA’S VOICE

Washington, DC: More voices are weighing in to condemn the Biden administration’s asylum ban, highlighting its echoes of the Trump administration, the chaos and cruelty of the policy, and the misguided political assessment driving the announcement.

According to Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice: “The Biden asylum ban has rightfully been condemned as mirroring the cruelty of the Trump approach and incentivizing more disorder and chaos. It doesn’t have to be this way. Biden has real and better options both substantively and politically. Instead of blurring distinctions with Republicans’ extremism and preference for nativist political theater over real solutions, President Biden should be defining these contrasts in sharper relief and leaning in on the range of executive actions and broader immigration fixes outlined in the new blueprint by The Immigration Hub and allies including America’s Voice.”

Among the key voices condemning the asylum ban and its implications:

Catherine Rampell in syndicated Washington Post column, “On Immigration, Why is Biden Resurrecting Trump Policies?” writes: “Unlike his predecessor, Biden bears no obvious animus toward immigrants … Whatever the president’s personal feelings toward immigrants, again and again his administration has let his immigration policy be guided by political optics and fears of attacks from Republicans and Fox News.”

Felipe De La Hoz in The New Republic, “Biden Has Fully Embraced Trump’s Asylum Policies,” notes, “This latest Biden policy is, in fact, just a rehash of a Stephen Miller special: specifically, the so-called transit ban issued in the summer of 2019. That it bears such an exact resemblance makes it easy to dismiss this most recent twist in the tail as more of the same … it’s an understandable reaction that misses one key point: It’s not Donald Trump and Stephen Miller laying down the law this time.”

Michael Posner, NYU Professor and

former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, writes a Forbes opinion piece, “Why The Biden Administration Needs To Preserve The Right To Asylum,” which states, “By taking this heavy-handed approach against asylum seekers, rather than making bolder efforts to reform the system, the administration will put some of the most vulnerable people on our planet in life-threatening danger.”

Ilya Somin in his Reason column, “Biden’s New Trump-Lite Asylum Policy Proposal,” writes, “The Biden proposal has triggered anger from many in his own party … it might be invalidated in court, as was the similar policy adopted by Trump in 2019. In the meantime, the proposal highlights an ongoing tension in Biden’s immigration policy. This administration has made many improvements relative to its predecessor … [b]ut it has also sometimes perpetuated and extended cruel restrictionist policies, like Title 42, for what seem to be crass political calculations.”

Meanwhile, Newsweek’s Daniel Bush reports on the new immigration priorities

blueprint released by The Immigration Hub and 39 groups (including America’s Voice) that charts an alternative vision for President Biden. Bush writes:

“Immigrant rights groups are pushing President Joe Biden to back an ambitious reform agenda ahead of the 2024 election, as pressure grows for Biden to shore up support with Latino voters who’ll play a critical role in his potential reelection campaign.

… Polls show immigration is a top concern for a majority of Latino voters, along with the economy, health care and other issues. That is especially true for younger voters who will help drive Latino turnout in 2024, said María Teresa Kumar, the founding president of Voto Latino, an advocacy group that signed onto the report coming out this week.

‘Everything he signs through executive orders may not hold up in court, but it’s the best tool he has to engage with the public,’ Kumar said. Prioritizing immigration reform ‘is the right thing to do for the American people but it’s also the politically smart strategy.’” l

Thursdays, March 2-30, 2023

USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance for Individuals Authorized to Work Under Special Student Relief Provisions

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the validity period of employment authorization for F-1 nonimmigrant students experiencing severe economic hardship due to emergent circumstances (also known as special student relief (SSR)) who are work authorized under the SSR provisions of 8 CFR.

The update clarifies that in cases of severe economic hardship due to emergent circumstances, we may grant offcampus SSR employment authorization to an F-1 nonimmigrant student for the duration of the Federal Register notice validity period. This employment authorization may not extend past the student’s academic program end date. This update notes that we may issue employment authorization documents for the duration

of the Federal Register notice, which is typically an 18-month validity period, as permitted by the relevant SSR Federal Register notice.

Emergent circumstances are events that affect F-1 nonimmigrant students from a particular region and create severe economic hardship. These events may

USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on Eligibility for the O-1B Visa Classification

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today issued policy guidance clarifying how it evaluates evidence to determine eligibility for O-1B nonimmigrants of extraordinary ability in the arts and nonimmigrants of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry.

Policy updates include adding a chart in the appendix that describes examples of evidence that may satisfy the O-1B evidentiary criteria, as well as considerations relevant to evaluating such evidence. The chart also assists petitioners in submitting appropriate evidence that may establish the beneficiary’s eligibility.

include, but are not limited to, natural disasters, financial crises, and military conflicts.

This policy update will be effective when published and will apply to all pending and future applications for SSR employment authorization.l

The guidance also improves readability to help adjudicators with predictable and transparent application of the O-1B evidentiary requirements, in support of consistent decisions and improvements in efficiency.

This guidance, contained in Volume 2 of the Policy Manual, is effective immediately. The guidance contained in the Policy Manual is controlling and supersedes any related prior guidance on the topic.l

Pardon for Dreamers/ continued from page 1

Dreamers.

Obama refused, and under Trump every effort was made to eliminate Obama’s signature DACA program, which offered temporary protection for those undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children.

While courts at the time protected DACA, it’s now under siege again and will likely come before the Supreme Court for a third time. It has survived similar legal challenges twice before, but all bets are off with the current makeup of SCOTUS.

The editorial by El Magonista calls on President Biden to use his pardon for “Dreamers and other undocumented peoples living in the United States.”

“No other viable solutions have been suggested by any other immigration groups or elected officials – PERIOD,” the authors argue. “The time has come for Dreamers to stand up and demand President Biden issue a full pardon to all undocumented residents.”

It’s been 21 years since the first DREAM Act legislation was introduced in Congress. Dreamers have since become a powerful advocacy voice within the US immigration policy arena.

But some activists contend that a pardon will not regularize Dreamers’ status. They also question the legal force such a

pardon would carry given that under current law being undocumented is a civil violation rather than an actual crime.

But there is a growing sense of desperation within the immigrant rights movement because, as El Magonista notes, “no one else has suggested anything but hollow, band-aid efforts to finally relieve the 11 million undocumented immigrants living, working and paying taxes in the U.S. right now.”

From day one the Biden administration promised comprehensive immigration reform, including protection for Dreamers. And while it has reversed many Trump-era administrative rules and regulations, it has since hardened its position on asylum and border issues in response to growing political pressure from the right coupled with the continued arrival of migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, among others.

Just last week the administration pro-

posed a new rule on asylum requiring non-Mexican petitioners to first seek asylum in one of the countries they pass through before entering the US. The move united the typically fragmented immigrant rights movement in opposition to what they are calling the “Trump Ban 2”

While clearly designed to deflect conservative criticism of Biden as an “open border President,” the fact is that restrictionism has never been a winning strategy for Democrats, either in protecting them from Republican attacks on immigration or in winning votes from erstwhile supporters.

Obama is a perfect case in point. He deported more immigrants than almost any prior president, a fact that won him few if any Republican allies. He also created DACA, protecting some 600,000 Dreamers from deportation.

A decade later, even that protection now appears to be faltering, leaving the country – and millions of undocumented immigrants – mired in continued immigration policy paralysis.l

Pilar Marrero is the Associate Editor of Ethnic Media Services and has covered immigration for at least 20 years for La Opinion and other media. In 2012, she wrote the book Killing the American Dream, chronicling 25 years of immigration policy mishaps, and not much has changed since then.

USCIS to Start Collecting Fee for EB-5 Integrity Fund

The Department of Homeland Security posted a Federal Register notice providing information related to the EB-5 Integrity Fund. Starting Mar. 2, and each Oct. 1 thereafter, as required by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will collect an annual fee from each designated regional center to finance the EB-5 Integrity Fund.

Background

The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 established a special fund known as the “EB-5 Integrity Fund” in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. We will use the EB-5 Integrity Fund to administer the EB-5 Regional Center Program, and we may use the funds we collect to conduct investigations and detect and investigate fraud or other crimes.

Fee Information

The fee is $20,000 for regional centers with more than 20 investors and $10,000 for those with 20 or fewer investors. The first fee payment is due by Apr. 1, and regional centers must pay the annual fee online directly at Pay.gov, a system managed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. 31.l

Editorial credit: AhXiong / Shutterstock.com

Storytelling Allows Elders to Transfer Values and Meaning to Younger Generations

BY MARY ANN MCCOLL THE CONVERSATION

If you spent time over the holidays with elderly relatives or friends, you may have heard many of the same stories repeated — perhaps stories you’d heard over the years, or even over the past few hours.

Repeated storytelling can sometimes be unnerving for friends and families, raising concerns about a loved one’s potential cognitive decline, memory loss or perhaps even the onset of dementia.

Our research at Queen’s University suggests there is another way to think about repeated storytelling that makes it easier to listen and engage with the stories. We interviewed 20 middle-aged adults who felt they had heard the same stories over and over from their aging parent. We asked them to tell us those stories and we recorded and transcribed them.

We used a narrative inquiry approach to discover that repeated storytelling is a

key method for elders to communicate what they believe to be important to their children and loved ones. Narrative inquiry uses the text of stories as research data to explore how people create meaning in their lives.

Transmitting values

Based on nearly 200 collected stories, we found that there are approximately 10 stories that older parents repeatedly tell to their adult children.

The hypothesis was that repeated story telling was about inter-generational transmission of values. By exploring the themes of those repeated stories, we could uncover the meaning and messages elders were communicating to their loved ones.

The ultimate purpose was to offer a new and more constructive way of thinking about stories that we’ve heard many times before, and that can be otherwise perceived as alarming.

Here’s what we have learned:

1. There are typically just 10 stories that people tell repeatedly. While 10 is not a magic number, it does seem to be about the right number to capture the stories that are told over and over. Interviewees felt that a set of approximately 10 allowed them to do justice to their parent’s stories.

2. Among our interviewees, a significant number of their parents’ stories – 87 per cent — took place when they were in their teens or twenties. A person’s second and third decades are a time when they make many of the decisions that shape the rest of their lives; a time when values are consolidated and the adult identity is formed

3. What’s important about the 10 stories is not the factual details, but the lesson that was learned, or the value that was reinforced — values like loyalty toward friends, putting family first, maintaining

continued on page 15

Storytelling is an essential human process and an effort to share what’s important.

Storytelling Allows Elders

continued from page 14

a sense of humour even in hard times, getting an education, speaking up against injustice, and doing what’s right.

4. Key themes in the stories reflected the significant events and prevailing values of the early to mid-20th century. Many of the stories revolved around the war, and both domestic and overseas experiences that were formative. Many of our interviewees heard stories about immigrating to Canada, starting out with very little, seeking a better life and working hard. Stories often reflected a more formal time when it was important to uphold standards, make a good impression, know one’s place and adhere to the rules.

5. The stories elders tell appear to be curated for the individual receiving them. They would be different if told to another child, a spouse or a friend.

Tips for listening

Our research offers some tips for listening to stories from elders:

•Focus on just 10 stories. It can make the listening seem less overwhelming.

•Write them down. Writing challenges us to get the story straight.

•Notice your loved one’s role in the story, as the message is often contained in that role.

Many of the stories elderly people told their family and friends revolved around experiences that were formative.

process and a universal experience associated with aging. Neuroscientists suggest that storytelling has practical survival value for individuals and communities, as well as social and psychological benefits.

It may be as powerful as medication or therapy for overcoming depression among elders. Storytelling becomes especially important when people become aware of their mortality — when they are ill, suffering or facing death.

People don’t necessarily tell the same stories over and over again because they’re losing cognitive function, but because the stories are important, and they feel we need to know them. Telling stories repeatedly isn’t about forgetfulness or dementia. It’s an effort to share what’s important.

•Be attentive to feelings, sensations, tension and discomfort. These can be signals or clues to the meaning of a story. Finally, remember these stories are for you — selected and told in the context of your relationship with your loved one. As such, they are a gift from a loved one who is running out of time.

The importance of receiving stories Storytelling is an essential human

Our hope is that by better understanding elderly storytelling, caregivers may be able to listen in a different way to those repeated stories and understand the messages they contain. Those 10 stories can help us to know our loved one at a deeper level and assist our parent or grandparent with an important developmental task of old age.

This research offers a constructive way for caregivers to hear the repeated stories told by their aging parents, and to offer their loved one the gift of knowing they have been seen and heard. l

20 NYC Construction Workers Died on the Job in 2021, New Report Finds

BY CLAUDIA IRIZARRY APONTE

Twenty construction workers died on the job in New York City in 2021, a new report finds, with the pace of fatalities rising back to pre-pandemic levels after a year of industry shutdowns.

The analysis of federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, a worker safety watchdog group, makes year-to-year comparisons by looking at the death rate per 100,000 workers.

In 2021, the rate in NYC was 11.2 per 100,000. That’s a 60% increase from 7 deaths per 100,000 in 2020 — the year that COVID began and construction slowed — when 13 workers died. In prepandemic 2019, however, the rate was higher than 2021: 24 workers lost their lives on city construction sites, for a rate of 11.6 per 100,000.

The group’s executive director, Charlene Obernauer, said the 60% death rate rise was “startling” and “significant.”

“Construction workers should not have to kiss their loved ones goodbye in the

morning, fearful to never return again,” Obernauer said. “Every number in this report represents a person with a family who should still be alive today. Their deaths were often gruesome, always heartbreaking, and preventable.”

Those who died in 2021 included Diego Rodríguez Celi, of New Jersey; Diego Lliguicota, of Maspeth, Queens; and Mauricio Sánchez, a Mexican laborer who perished when an elevator plummeted 75 feet to the ground at 20 Bruckner Boulevard, where he was the third worker to die in as many years.

Latino and non-union workers were most at risk of death, as they have been nearly each year since NYCOSH began issuing its annual report in 2014.

An estimated 10% of New York state’s workers are Latino, but Latino workers accounted for more than a quarter of workplace fatalities statewide. At the 15 sites OSHA inspected after a fatality in 2021, 80% of the workers were nonunion.

Fewer Inspections

For a three-month period from March to June 2020, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo mandated a pause on “non-essential”

construction statewide. Many construction sites didn’t open back up right away even after the pause was lifted that summer, which helped drive construction deaths down that year.

The report also points to staffing deficiencies for local and federal regulators, with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducting 2,568 inspections in New York State in 2021 — down 42% from 2019.

The report cites a New York Times story about the 25% vacancy rate at the city Department of Buildings.

Andrew Rudansky, a spokesperson for the DOB, said the current agency-wide vacancy rate is 18%, but the vacancy rate

among inspectors is at around 10%. A spokesperson for OSHA did not respond to a request for comment.

Obernauer said routine inspections help ensure employers know that regulators are watching.

“Whenever we see cuts to departments that are responsible for safety, we become worried that there will be fewer inspections, fewer enforcements, and as a result, there will be more injuries and more fatalities,” she said. “We want to make sure that the department is fully staffed so that it can do its job.”

Fatalities have persisted even as OSHA, the federal safety agency, has increased fines in line with inflation. The average fine amount reached $67,681 in 2021, up from $44,779 in 2020.

In December, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Carlos’ Law, which will increase penalties for criminal corporate liability for the death or serious physical injury of an employee by up to $500,000. The bill was named after construction worker Carlos Moncoya, who died on the job in Manhattan in 2015.l

This story was published on February 22, 2023 by THE CITY.

New OSHA Rules Empower Immigrant Workers

BY AMIR KHAFAGY DOCUMENTED NY

Undocumented workers across the country who have been afraid to speak up about labor rights violations due to their immigration status now have new leverage to take action against their bosses.

On Feb. 13, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced for the first time that the agency will have the authority to issue visa certifications to workers who have had their safety laws violated, as well as other workplace abuses, regardless of their immigration status.

Prior to the announcement, only law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, or judges involved in a criminal investigation could issue visa certifications. But the new rules, which will take effect on March 30, not only protect workers from immigration-related retaliation from their employers but will also allow workers to remain in the U.S. with lawful status while OSHA investigates and prosecutes illegal workplace practices.

“To fulfill OSHA’s mission to ensure

safe and healthy workplaces, it is critical that workers, regardless of immigration status, are able to report unsafe conditions without fear of retaliation,” said Kimberly Darby, an OSHA spokesperson, who added that OSHA is aware many workers may not report a workplace hazard because of “their immigration status and-or the threat of retaliation.”

Workers can either apply for a U-Visa or T-Visa, U-Nonimmigrant Status and T-Nonimmigrant Status, which would grant them temporary immigration benefits provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Once U or T-visas are obtained, workers can be employed legally, assist family members to obtain immigration status, apply for

public benefits as well as have a pathway to permanent resident status.

According to OSHA, U or T-visa applicants must have a certification from a law enforcement agency before USCIS considers their application. Under the new rules, workers could apply directly for certification from OSHA and then submit their application to USCIS.

OSHA’s announcement follows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) similar announcement in January that the DHS will provide undocumented workers who have witnessed or were victims of labor abuse an expedited deferred action request process.

Charlie Uruchima, program coordinator with the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health

(NYCOSH), an organization that offers workers safety training, OSHA certification, and Know Your Rights Training, says that the new rules will offer NYCOSH yet another tool in its toolbox to fight for workplace safety among undocumented workers who may fear coming forward.

“It’s going to be super helpful for our workers,” said Uruchima. “A lot of them are reluctant to call any federal agency but seeing OSHA, a federal agency, stepping up and offering this kind of protection to workers, it’s a big milestone and in my opinion, allows them to feel safer to submit claims.”

Moving forward, NYCOSH plans to integrate the new rules into its workers’ rights training and curriculum. But since the announcement, Uruchima says he hasn’t heard from OSHA about an outreach plan. He hopes the agency can work with NYCOSH and other worker centers to develop a comprehensive plan to get the word out about the new protections. l

Reprinted with kind permission. Article first published by DocumentedNY.

Mayor Adams Unveils Ambitious Mental Health Agenda

NEW YORK: New York City

Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)

Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan today announced “Care, Community, Action: A Mental Health Plan for New York City,” a sweeping mental health agenda — with over $20 million in new commitments — that will invest in child and family mental health, addressing the overdose crisis, and supporting New Yorkers living with serious mental illness (SMI). Over the coming months, the city will roll out a pioneering telehealth program for New York City high school-aged teens that will both provide ongoing support and serve as an entry point to higher levels of care. The city will also launch suicide prevention pilots aimed at youth in crisis. With overdose deaths continuing to climb nationwide and in New York City, Mayor Adams also announced the city’s goal to reduce overdose deaths by 15 percent by 2025. Finally, building on efforts to support New Yorkers living with SMI, Mayor Adams announced plans to expand clubhouse capacity, double the number of New Yorkers living with SMI that get connected to commu-

nity care, and expand the Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division (B-HEARD) program citywide. This agenda builds on $370 million in other investments by the Adams administration in New York City’s care continuum and crisis response.

The mental health agenda additionally outlines the city’s policy and advocacy agenda to effectively work with state and federal partners on these important issues. By addressing these three urgent, major challenges, this agenda will save lives and build a healthier New York City for working families and those most in need of care.

"The COVID-19 pandemic — with the stress, isolation, and anxiety it brought so many of us — pushed mental health to the forefront of the conversation," said Mayor Adams. "When it comes to health, we can no longer ignore the brain and focus just on the body any longer; we must address the whole person, and the whole system. By investing in family and child mental health, addressing the overdose crisis, and supporting New Yorkers with serious mental illness, this plan focuses on where our need is greatest, going upstream to build a healthier city for all New Yorkers."

“The city has experienced a once in a century pandemic, record high overdose

PartyRentals for All

deaths, and growing mental health needs for our young people. Therefore, a comprehensive mental health plan for New York City is more critical today than ever before,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne WilliamsIsom. “This plan centers people, care, and compassion at the core of each of its strategies, and focuses on those who have been previously left behind. From child and family mental health to those struggling with substance use issues to those with more severe conditions needing specialized supports, it sets forth new and sustainable ways to support every New Yorker who needs it.”

“This plan represents the city’s commitment to tackling the second pandemic of mental health needs in the wake of COVID-19, and it outlines a vision and a framework of a culture-shifting response for New York City,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Vasan. “We must treat mental health as foundational to our society’s collective future, the same way we would our economy or the environment. We must act intentionally and ambitiously now, to shore up the system’s foundations and to innovate. By grounding this strategy in public health, focusing on populations with the greatest needs, as well as by working across levels of government and across stakeholders groups, we are showing how to bring all hands on deck to transform our mental health system, to save lives, prevent suffering and improve quality to life.”

Improving Child and Family Mental Health

Increasing access to mental health care for youth and their families and improving access to mental health care that is timely, culturally responsive, accessible, and affordable is critical to New York’s overall wellbeing.

While few models of a holistic youth mental health system exist, the long-term benefits of early intervention are potentially greater than with any other group. The need is also becoming clearer, with rates of depression among youth rising. As announced in Mayor Adams’ State of the City address in January, the city will invest $12 million to launch an expansive telehealth program for New York City high school aged teens, connecting them with mental health care. The city will also launch suicide prevention pilot programming at NYC Health + Hospitals for youth entering emergency departments for suicide attempts and communitybased suicide prevention programming to specifically serve Black and Brown youth.

To further understand risk factors to a young person’s mental health better, the city will also bring together youth, families, and community partners to assess the impacts of social media on youth and develop strategies to address potential harms.

Mayor Eric Adams Editorial credit: Ron Adar / Shutterstock.com

Ambitious Health Agenda

continued from page 18

Addressing the Drug Overdose Crisis

The year 2021 was the deadliest year on record for overdose deaths in New York City, with racial and geographic disparities worsening — reflecting trends of the national crisis. To tackle the opioid epidemic, the mental health agenda outlines how the city will expand access to highquality harm reduction services and sets a goal of reducing overdose deaths by 15 percent by 2025.

To meet this goal, Mayor Adams announced the city will expand non-fatal overdose response efforts to at least three additional hospital emergency departments and strengthen the 14 syringe service providers into a network of Harm Reduction Hubs with comprehensive services like a place to rest, addiction services, and medical and mental health services. The city will also expand drugchecking services and implement at least four Public Health Vending Machines that dispense naloxone to increase access in neighborhoods with high rates of overdoses — the first of its kind in New York City. New York will additionally increase support for children, families, and communities affected by the overdose crisis and work to reduce the number of people who develop problematic substance use.

Finally, the city will explore opportunities to expand overdose prevention centers (OPCs) to areas of the city with the

highest rates of overdose death, continue to support the two existing OPCs with the goal of allowing them to operate 24 hours per day, and also continue to advocate for legal pathways to fund and operate OPCs.

Expanding Serious Mental Illness Support

This plan focuses on connecting New Yorkers with SMI with four pillars of care: health care, housing, community, and crisis response. The city aims to double the number of connections of New Yorkers living with SMI with community-based care over the next four years, putting thousands more New Yorkers on

a path to stability. As part of this effort, the city will also expand mobile treatment capacity over the next year to serve 800 more people with high service needs through Intensive Mobile Treatment (IMT) and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT). To expand housing options for people with SMI, the city will add an additional 8,000 units of supportive housing, and invest $7 million more to significantly increase Clubhouse capacity over the next four years.

The mental health agenda additionally outlines how the city will strengthen the crisis response systems, expanding the BHEARD pilot program citywide to respond to more mental health-related crises with a health-led response and adding two peers to every mobile crisis team to divert people in crisis from unnecessary hospitalizations. Finally, the city will work in partnership with state partners to develop a streamlined referral system to care, expediting referrals from hospitals, jails, and shelters.

“As New York’s largest provider of behavioral health services, NYC Health + Hospitals welcomes this historic plan,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “Meeting the behavioral health needs of all New Yorkers has long been core to our mission, and this thoughtful strategy will bring critical new momentum to this work at a pivotal moment for our city. We thank the mayor for moving boldly and

making this issue a priority.”

“This is a remarkable moment to serve as a mental health provider and leader in New York City,” said NYC Health + Hospitals System Chief of Behavioral Health and Co-Deputy Chief Medical Officer Omar Fattal, MD, MPH. “This plan is a significant leap forward for our city’s mental health system. It will deliver a major boost to our ongoing work, provide our hospitals with much-needed tools, and connect our patients to muchneeded services. We look forward to coordinating with other agencies, community leaders, and partners to ensure its success.”

“We are proud to be a part of the mayor’s comprehensive mental health plan. This plan is essential in closing disparity gaps in mental health care” said Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH) Director Eva Wong. “We know that high-quality, compassionate, health-led, emergency mental health care, such as that provided by OCMH’s B-HEARD, is crucial to connecting New Yorkers to community-based support and longer-term care, which is why the citywide expansion of B-HEARD is needed and applauded. In service of this bold plan, OCMH will continue to partner across city agencies and with communities to strengthen protective factors and resilience as we work together to improve the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers.”l

DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan

Photo: DOHMH

Are You in an Abusive Relationship? You Can Get a Green Card Through VAWA

BY MARY CAMPBELL

In 2021, the United Nations published the report “Measuring the Shadow Pandemic: Violence Against Women During COVID-19.” It said that since the pandemic, violence against women has increased to unprecedented levels. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine said that domestic violence cases increased by 25 to 33 percent globally. The National Commission on COVID-19 and criminal justice shows an increase in the U.S. by over 8 percent. Domestic violence is widespread everywhere.

3 Signs You Are in an Emotionally Abusive Relationship

Sometimes relationships end up being a source of pain. You may feel you're not getting the security and comfort of having a partner. Instead, your life may start to feel like it's a series of traumas. In such situations, you may often end up doubting yourself. You may feel confused about why your partner treats you so bad. At the same time, you may still hold on to the positive aspects, making it hard for you to make a decision.

If you're not sure if your relationship is abusive, here are three signs to look out for. These are by no means the only symptoms. But they signal a high-level of danger to your physical and emotional health.

You're Not Allowed to Have an Opposing Opinion

People will always disagree on certain things. Conflict is not a bad thing if it's an avenue to learn, grow, and exchange ideas. However, certain people can only accept their own points of view.

If you keep getting dismissed or demeaned in arguments, you're being abused. It doesn't matter if your views are accurate or not. Nobody has the right to make you feel inferior.

Sadly, certain people don't know how to deal with opposing opinions. This may cause them to lash out. They may also use your disagreements as a chance to take out their frustrations.

You Can't Raise Issues About How You Feel

Similar to the point above, you may end up being attacked when you raise an issue. This may be a demand for something you want, such as more attention or

affection. Or perhaps your partner has a double standard. For example, they may think it's OK for them to make you look bad in public. Yet, if you complain about it they'll accuse you of disgracing them.

Such situations may make you feel worthless. You may feel confused about whether your perception is based on reality. This may weaken your confidence and damage your self-image.

You Find Yourself Hurting Your Partner

In certain cases, you may end storing up feelings of anger and humiliation. When

you can't take anymore, you may end up lashing out at your partner. This may increase conflict and you may end up getting hurt even more.

The key here is to not allow your partners behavior to turn you into something you're not. Don't let their abuse be an excuse for acting against your own beliefs. Instead, assess your situation. Decide if you want to continue being in a situation that causes you to lose self-control.

Dealing with emotional abuse is hard. At the same time, staying a victim will only make your life worse. If you feel abused, take action to change the situation. Most importantly, connect with yourself and learn to understand your own actions. Do things that make you feel loved and respected. That will make it harder for you to stay in situations that threaten your well-being. Be prepared for an uphill battle. But remember, you're fighting for your life.

Immigrants and Domestic Violence

Immigrants in the US. have the right to live life free of abuse. Due to the victim’s immigration status, abusive partners have additional ways to exert power and control over their victims. If you are an immigrant or refugee in an abusive relationship, you may face unique issues that make it hard to reach out for help.

VAWA

As a victim of domestic violence, there are laws that can allow you to gain legal status in the United States. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was created in 1994 by then Senator Joe Biden, to protect victims of domestic violence, and offers specific protections for people without legal status in the US. VAWA also protects men and children who are victims of domestic violence.

As part of the perpetration of domestic violence, abusers often may refuse to assist you with applying for immigration status, may promise to apply for you, but never actually help, or threaten to contact immigration and report you. VAWA helps victims of domestic violence allowing them to self-petition for their own legal status without the abuser’s help or knowledge.

A specialized immigration attorney should always be your first point of contact when it comes to immigration questions and concerns. You can also listen to Ask the Lawyer Radio Program on WVIP 93.5FM on Thursdays, 10pm11pm and Sundays, 11pm to 12am. The program provides great information and also an opportunity for a confidential, no obligation legal consultation. The number to call is 855-768-8845. You can also visit www.askthelawyer.us

Domestic violence is against the law regardless of one’s immigration status. Be a loving family member, good friend, and caring neighbor: please share this information. l

This Trait Could Be Key to a Lasting Romance

BY TONI ANTONUCCI, KRISTINE J. AJROUCH & NOAH J. WEBSTER THE CONVERSATION

Passion and commitment are widely believed to be the foundation of strong romantic relationships. But a relationship is made of two unique individuals, and personality traits these individuals possess or lack can often make a relationship more likely to endure.

In a 2019 study, we found that one trait in particular – humility – is an important indicator of successful relationships.

An honest view of shortcomings

Humility can sometimes be confused with low self-esteem, low confidence or meekness.

But researchers have come to realize that being humble generally indicates the presence of deeply admirable personal qualities. It means you have the ability to accurately assess your deficiencies without denying your skills and strengths.

For example, you might recognize that you’re smart but realize it would be absurd to call yourself all-knowing –especially when the scope of human knowledge is so vast. This is an honest and sober view of your shortcomings.

As the philosopher Jason Baehr has argued, “To be humble is to be attentive to and disposed to ‘own’ one’s limitations, weaknesses, and mistakes. A humble person does not ignore, avoid, or try to deny her limits or deficiencies.”

If you’re humble, you lack a host of negative qualities, such as arrogance and overconfidence. It means you can acknowledge mistakes, see value in things that are riddled with imperfections and identify areas for improvement.

The link between humility and forgiveness

Humility appears to be a huge asset to relationships. One study found that people tend to rate this quality highly in their significant other. It also found that someone who is humble is more likely to initiate a romantic relationship, perhaps because they’re less likely to see themselves as “too good” for someone else.

But in our study, we wanted to explore the link between humility and forgiveness in couples.

Humility is tricky to measure; we worried that people who were arrogant might presumptuously declare their humility, while people who were actually humble would, as a sign of their humility, down-

play this trait.

So we approached this question by asking each partner in a romantic relationship about their own and their partner’s humility. We hoped that even if a truly humble person didn’t consider themselves humble, at least their partner would recognize this trait.

We asked 284 couples from the Detroit metropolitan area questions about how humble they were, how humble they thought their partner was and if they were likely to forgive their partner if they did something that was hurtful, like insulting them.

We found that people who felt their partner or spouse was humble were more likely to forgive them following a hurtful situation. This wasn’t true, however, of those who felt their partner or spouse was arrogant. Many of our respondents with arrogant partners indicated that because their partners were less likely to admit to any personal failings, they were less likely forgive them.

Interestingly, the strength of an individual’s social network can play a role too. If someone has a humble partner, they’re more likely to forgive that person. If someone has a lot of close, supportive friends and a humble partner, they’ll be even more likely to forgive that partner after he or she has screwed up. But if your partner is arrogant, it doesn’t matter how many great friends the couple has, they’ll still be less likely to be forgiven.

The ability to forgive is so important because pain is an inevitable part of any relationship. People mess up. They might say something they don’t mean, be unknowingly inconsiderate or forget an important event. So when looking for a partner, it’s probably a good idea to find someone who recognizes that making mistakes is part of being human.l

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‘I’m not perfect –and I know you aren’t, either.’

Keeping New York The Safest Large City in America

BY HON. ERIC ADAMS

Ayear into my administration, New York City remains the safest large city in America. We are following through on a 360-degree approach to fighting crime that includes both strategies for investing in our communities and excellent policing.

Thanks to two years of tireless efforts and coordination between the NYPD Gun Violence Suppression Unit and the Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau, on February 14th, we announced an 85count indictment that charges 23 gang members in Queens with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, reckless endangerment, and gun possession. Eight of the men had fired a weapon previously. All of them had no regard for others’ lives or safety.

The indictment covers eighteen acts of gun-related violence that took place in and around the Astoria Houses and the Woodside Houses. The gang members fired their weapons in broad daylight next to an ice-cream truck, in a courtyard and at a playground. Children were present and on one occasion, an innocent

media and threatening rap videos—but the online activity spilled over into real life with real consequences. I have said this before: gangs plus guns equals graves. No one should have to fear for their life as they go about their daily life. No one should have to fear for the safety of their children while they are playing in a playground or courtyard or buying icecream.

Along with the NYPD’s units and Commissioner Sewell, we are grateful to the office of the Queen’s District Attorney, Melinda Katz, for also playing a crucial role in bringing about the charges.

My goal in tackling crime is to be proactive—to take guns and dangerous individuals off our streets, as well as offer alternative solutions like jobs, education, and violence prevention programs to neighborhoods that are most affected by gun violence. This is intervention, and prevention.

And our efforts are bearing fruit. Shootings are down, murders are down, and major crimes were down last quarter for the first time in six quarters. We have the highest murder clearance rate since

down 20.9%, and between January 1, 2023, and February 12, 2023, we’ve seized nearly 900 firearms.

This is no coincidence. These numbers are the result of a strategic, data-driven enforcement plan, and the NYPD has also utilized existing resources to increase patrols in key neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs and strengthened detection efforts. By the time guns get into the wrong hands, we are too late, so we are also investing in systems of community care like mental health care, childcare, affordable housing, and parks. Addressing these basic necessities goes a long way toward solv-

ing. A recent study shows that New York City spends more on this kind of care relative to criminalization than any nearly every other major city in the nation. Creating a safe city requires excellent policing as well as a system of support that provides hope, opportunity, and meets our most vulnerable New Yorkers’ needs. Our administration is taking all the steps necessary to tackle comprehensively tackle crime and create an even safer New York for everyone. l

Mayor Eric Adams has served the people of New York City as an NYPD officer, State Senator, Brooklyn Borough President, and

NY, NY USA June 2, 2022. Gun violence activists marched across the Brooklyn bridge to City Hall for a press conference with Mayor Adams on gun violence. Editorial credit: Steve Sanchez Photos / Shutterstock.com

The lawyer you hire, does make a difference!

Brian Figeroux, Esq.