Biden’s Plans for Border Wall Through Friendship Park Condemned

by Asante-Ra

The Weingart Foundation has issued a statement condemning the Biden Administration's plan to build a wall through the iconic Friendship Park.

On January 17, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a branch of the Department of Homeland Security responsible for border management, ended the delay of the Friendship Circle Project in San Diego, California. The project aims to replace the outdated primary and secondary border barriers near Friendship Park.

CBP paused work in August 2022 to receive further input from the community and address any concerns. After analyzing feedback and balancing it with the needs of the agency, CBP has come up with a plan that they say addresses both community concerns and border security requirements. The replacement work is expected to begin again in early 2023 and will take approximately six months to complete.

In response, Miguel A. Santana, President and CEO of the private, nonprofit grantmaking organization based in Los Angeles, said on Feb 2, “For generations, Friendship Park has been a gathering place for people on both sides of the border to build goodwill and unite with family. The importance of this meeting place runs parallel to the increasingly restrictive immigration policies of the U.S. that separate families.”

According to Santana, before the U.S. closed its side in 2020, Friendship Park offered the only opportunity for thousands to see their loved ones through thick metal mesh. He further believes that if this plan proceeds, instead of a symbol of friendship, the park will represent division.

“We join the Friends of Friendship Park in calling on the Biden Administration to halt its plans to destroy this connection between our two countries,” proclaimed Santana. “Instead of more barriers, the Biden Administration should repair existing fencing and reopen this historic park so it can continue to be a gathering place for families on both sides of the border.”

The Weingart Foundation was founded in 1951 by Ben Weingart and his wife Stella and is dedicated to "building a better Southern California by supporting nonprofit organizations to more effectively serve the underserved." with a particular focus on organizations that deliver high-quality health and human services and education.

Over the years, the Weingart Foundation has granted more than $1 billion to organizations in the areas of human services, housing, health, education, and community power-building.

As she stands on the Mexico side of Friendship Park, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib peers through the border wall looking onward to the U.S. side on December 22, 2019. Today, community members on both sides of the border are raising their voices to call on President Biden to halt his plans to destroy the connecting wall of Friendship Park. (Aryana Noroozi for Black Voice News Newsroom/ CatchLight Local).

Millions of Californians, continued from page 7 them to enroll and stay enrolled in safety net programs like Medicaid, despite being eligible.”

In California, an estimated 15 million people — one-third of the state’s population — are enrolled in Medi-Cal and up to three million people could lose coverage if they fail to renew coverage or no longer qualify.

According to Erzouki, research predicts that of those receiving Medicaid coverage, 64% of Latinos, 50% of Asian Americans/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders and 40% of Black beneficiaries could lose coverage compared to 17% of White enrollees. Nearly three in four children — 72% — are at risk of losing coverage under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

“The good news is that coverage loss is not inevitable,” Erzouki noted. “State agencies can and must act now to ensure that eligible communities have the information they need to stay covered and that people who are not eligible for Medicaid anymore can transition to another form of coverage.”

On Jan. 12, 2023, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) updated its operational plan for California's unwinding process. The plan is divided into two key parts: the unwinding of Medi-Cal program flexibilities and resuming normal Medi-Cal operations.

In order to minimize red tape, “DHCS will maintain the Medi-Cal beneficiaries’ current renewal month in their case records and conduct a full redetermination at the next scheduled renewal month following the end of the continuous coverage requirement,” the plan states.

The plan also includes a two-phase communications strategy for the unwinding process. Phase one involves using DHCS Coverage Ambassadors to encourage beneficiaries to update their contact information with county offices via flyers, social media and website banners. In Phase two, ambassadors will remind beneficiaries to watch out for renewal packets in the mail.

What beneficiaries need to know:

• Importance of updating address and contact information

• Medicaid/Medi-Cal enrollees who have moved, changed address or have new contact information will need to update contact information with county offices. Residents who live in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties can find where to update their Medi-Cal information by visiting this website.

“[People] could receive their renewal notices at some point this year or early next year because remember, states will have about a year to initiate the renewals and so people could be on the earlier side of the renewal process or on the later side, so they should be alert to this,” explained Laura Guerra-Cardus, CBPP’s Director of State Medicaid Strategy, during the media briefing.

Beneficiary Notification

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide at least a 60day notice prior to the official end date. Every Medi-Cal beneficiary will receive notification regarding the annual renewal, but not every Medi-Cal beneficiary will receive an annual renewal packet because counties may renew their eligibility using available information and databases such as information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Residents will receive an initial notice in the mail, so officials recommend updating your address to ensure the document is sent to the correct location. The notice will come in a yellow envelope like the one shown in this story.

What happens if you are not automatically renewed

Medi-Cal members who are not automatically renewed will be sent a form requesting updated information, due within 60 days. The annual renewal packet will be mailed out, but that is not the only way an individual has to complete the annual renewal. According to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), the annual renewal can be completed by calling the local

Asante-Ra | Contributor

Inland Empire-based non-profit Reach Out partnered with the Ontario Police Department and Ontario Fire Department to install two Medication Drop Boxes to help mitigate the opioid crisis in the region.

One Drop Box is located in the lobby of the Ontario Police Station, and the other is at the Ontario Fire Station on 425 East B Street, Ontario. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on