The Immigrant’s Journal Vol. 116
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How the Coronavirus Is Impacting Immigration
Pence Praises Workers the Administration Wants to Deport
BY MELISSA CRUZ
BY FRANK SHARRY, AMERICA’S VOICE
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pread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, has caused panic across the United States. With the number of confirmed cases on the rise, the coronavirus has started to affect several facets of immigration. How government officials handle the virus could have a significant impact on people navigating our immigration process, their health, and the immigration system at large. Some government responses have already made an impact. USCIS Office Closures Over Coronavirus U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shut down its Seattle field office on Tuesday, March 3 due to concerns over the coronavirus. An
I employee of the USCIS office had visited a family member at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington before it was confirmed the facility had an outbreak of the virus. Other USCIS offices may close as the virus spreads across the United States.
USCIS is tracking office closures on their website. Those waiting outside the Seattle office last week were surprised to find it closed. One man, who had been ordered to leave the country for Mexico, couldn’t get to continued on page 2
Why Undocumented Immigrants Still Fear the 2020 Census enforcement authorities. Fear of being detained to face a deportation hearing. And, ultimately, fear of being deported. If data is missing from the 2020 census, that will harm national and community planning efforts.
BY MARY LEHMAN HELD THE CONVERSATION
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he United States might not be able to get information about more than 10 million people in the 2020 census. That’s the number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States. Another 16.7 million individuals live in a household with an undocumented member and so might also not be counted in this year’s census.
The primary reason that undocumented immigrants might forego participation in the 2020 census? Fear. Fear of being found by immigration
Fear of deportation The fear of being deported to one’s home country extends well beyond wanting to remain in the United States to simply have a better life. continued on page 6
What Happens at an Immigration Fraud Marriage Interview... page 5
Announcing Immigrant Heritage Week 2020: Thank You, Immigrant New York!
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April 16, 2020
n April 13, 2020, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) kicks off its annual Immigrant Heritage Week (IHW), which this year will recognize New York City’s essential workers. Among the one million essential workers who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic—delivery workers, EMS staff, drivers, health care personnel, and more—half are immigrants. This year’s IHW—running through April 19 and featuring virtual opportunities for all New Yorkers to join the celebration—is dedicated to those 500,000 immigrant New Yorkers who are keeping our city running every day. l
n the midst of a lethal pandemic, all of us are thankful for the essential workers who are risking their lives to save ours. Many are immigrants, many are undocumented. But thanks to the Trump-Pence administration, these essential workers live in daily fear of being deported. They may be ‘inspiring’ as Pence says; they are also in the administration’s crosshairs. The administration has ended DACA and TPS in an effort to put some one million undocumented immigrants with temporary work permits on a path to deportations. The administration keeps the dangerous and relentless detention and deportation machine running at full tilt. The administration, with help from its enablers in Congress, has done everything possible to scare immigrants away from seeking testing and treatment. If Vice-President Pence and the Trump administration really want to celebrate immigrant workers doing essential work, they should withdraw their assault on DACA and TPS in the courts, and automatically renew work permits. If Pence and Trump really want to praise these essential workers, they would be looking for ways to expand the number of undocumented immigrants eligible for work permits so they can take their minds off avoiding ICE and keep their focus on conquering COVID-19. If Pence and Trump really wanted to bring our country together, with no one left behind and no one left out, they would include rather than exclude immigrants in the next Congressional rescue package. We have too much experience with this administration to fall for pretty words. This is an administration that consistently demonizes immigrants and acts cruelly, all in the service of juicing turnout and clinging to power. Mike Pence’s gauzy spin does not drive the administration’s hardline policies toward immigrants; Trump and Stephen Miller do. l Frank Sharry is Executive Director of America’s Voice
IMMIGRATION CONCERNS
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Immigration/from page 1 his passport—it was locked inside the office. Another man had been waiting for his biometrics appointment but would need to reschedule. USCIS office closures can have a large impact on immigrants and their families. They often wait months or longer for their scheduled appointments. Rescheduling missed or cancelled appointments can result in further delays. The Seattle office has one of the worst wait times for naturalization appointments in the country. The average wait time for an appointment is one year and three months. In comparison, other offices in less populated areas only take four months for an appointment. USCIS says that all appointments during the closure will get rescheduled. Many people will wait even longer for citizenship appointments, marriage interviews, and visas for travel. Immigration Enforcement Under the Coronavirus Health experts are now asking the government to make hospitals and other healthcare facilities “immigration enforcement-free zones.” These zones allow everyone, including immigrants, to seek out medical services without fear.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sets up certain enforcement-free zones during times of crisis, like natural disasters or terrorist attacks. Immigration agents will not carry out enforcement initiatives such as arrests, searches, or interviews in these designated areas. A government official assured the Miami Herald that “individuals seeking medical treatment for the virus should continue to do so without fear or hesitation.” But President Trump nor DHS has officially made healthcare facilities enforcement-free zones. This is especially problematic because U.S. Customs and Border Protection has a track record of conducting enforcement at hospitals. In response, over 800 public health and human rights experts urged the government to establish these zones. Their open letter reads:
“The COVID-19 response should not be linked to immigration enforcement in any manner. It will undermine individual and collective health if individuals do not feel safe to utilize care and respond to inquiries from public health officials… These policies should be clearly and unequivocally articulated to the public by the federal, state, and local governments.” Coronavirus’ Impact on Immigration Policy Some of President Trump’s immigration policies could exacerbate the health crisis. The administration’s public charge rule, which went into effect February 24, has led many people in immigrant communities and mixed-status families to avoid pursuing certain health benefits that they are legally permitted to use. They fear
jeopardizing their own or family members’ immigration status. Under the rule, officials can deny green cards to immigrants if they currently use or might use government benefits. These benefits include Medicaid and other public health programs. Seventeen U.S. attorneys general have asked DHS to delay the new rule during the coronavirus outbreak. The coalition says the public charge rule undermines states’ and cities’ extensive efforts to contain the spread of the disease. They also argue DHS ignored concerns about the rule’s possible impact on relief efforts: “DHS received warnings of the potentially devastating effects of the rule if its implementation were to coincide with the outbreak of a highly communicable disease—a scenario exactly like the one confronting our communities with the COVID-19 public health emergency. Your agency failed to consider such legitimate concerns.” Immigration status should never prevent anyone from accessing potentially life-saving medical care. Policies that make it more difficult for people to access that care put us all at risk. The Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus must take that into account so all people can be safe.l
Immigration Policies May Delay Help From Foreign Medical Grads BY CAMILA DeCHALUS, ROLLCALL.COM
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ore than 4,000 foreign medical graduate students are scheduled to begin U.S. residency programs this summer, but experts fear current immigration policies will delay their arrivals — and their ability to help doctors combat the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, the Trump administration barred most foreign travel to the United States amid the current health crisis. Many of those flights, however, would have included medical teachers and recent medical graduates arriving with J1 visas as part of a cultural exchange program. “If all of these international doctors or a large number of them are unable to arrive here and become part of their training program, it will definitely further stress health care systems and people’s access to proper health care,” William W. Pinsky, CEO of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, told CQ Roll Call. Pinksy’s commission is the sole organization sponsoring foreign medical graduate students who have J-1 non-immigrant visas, which are granted for workand study-based exchange programs. J-1 visas usually are allocated to interns, teachers and foreign medical graduates who have been accepted into a U.S. residency program. But J-1 visa holders are not allowed to arrive in the United States more than 30 days before their program begins, which
is July 1 for nearly all medical residency programs. Some immigration attorneys want the Trump administration to ease this restriction to give students ample time to prepare for their program, especially if they need to undergo a 14-day or longer selfquarantine after coming from Italy, China or another nation with high cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. “The solution here is to process them earlier and get them here before their July 1” start date, Greg Siskind, an immigration attorney who specializes in visas for foreign physicians, told CQ Roll Call. He said the State Department “needs to make it very clear that they are prepared to process these people faster than normal,” if that’s something it decides to do. The State Department has sent mixed messages pertaining to J-1 and other visas that allow medical professionals to come to the U.S. In March, the department temporarily closed all foreign U.S. embassies but later said those embassies
would continue to process certain visas. Then, in a March 26 tweet, the State Department encouraged “medical professionals seeking work in the U.S. on a work or exchange visitor visa (H or J), particularly those working on #COVID19 issues, to contact the nearest U.S. Embassy/Consulate for a visa appointment.” The State Department walked back its comments the following day to clarify it was not recruiting foreign residents and would only process applications already in the system. “The Department of State stands ready to work with doctors and other medical professionals who are already accepted into existing U.S. programs and otherwise expected to travel to the United States to work or study,” William Walters, the deputy chief medical officer for operations in the State Department’s Bureau of Medical Services, said at a March 27 news conference. Neither the State Department nor the Department of Homeland Security has issued guidance on how J-1 visa holders
will be affected under current travel restrictions or as the administration continues to adjust policies related to foreign travel. The U.S. health care system already relies heavily on immigrants, who make up about 17 percent of all medical professionals, according to a 2017 Migration Policy Institute study. Foreign medical professionals also may come to the U.S. under other visas, including the H-1B, which U.S. employers use to temporarily hire foreign nationals in specialty occupations like technology and engineering. The Department of Homeland Security conducts an annual lottery to determine which employers will be able to petition for those visas. More than 10,000 medical residents already are in the country on J-1 visas and H-1B visas, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. But immigration attorneys say medical professionals with H-1B visas face significant barriers to allowing them to help in areas of the country experiencing a shortage of health care workers. Under visa rules, people can only work in locations previously approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. If H-1B holders want to relocate, they must get government approval, which can take months. Immigration groups and attorneys are calling on DHS to provide more flexibility in terms of where foreign doctors can practice medicine so they can go to areas continued on page 4
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THOUGHTS
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Tough Test Ahead: Bringing Racial Diversity to New York’s Specialized High Schools BY BRUCE CORY & NICOLE MADER
Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip Assistant Editor Marilyn Silverman
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here’s a longstanding debate about why so few Black and Hispanic students are admitted to New York City’s specialized high schools, including Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Brooklyn Tech. They accounted for fewer than 9% of students offered admissions at eight specialized schools for the current school year; that’s down from 9.6% the year before. Some say the specialized high school admissions test (SHSAT) is discriminatory and should be scrapped; others say the test merely reflects the poor preparation most Black and Hispanic students, who make up some 68% of public school enrollment, get in the elementary and middle schools. Now, new research by the Center for New York City Affairs shows that even Black and Hispanic students who do very well in middle school—that is, those who as 7th-graders earn the best possible scores on either math or English Language Arts (ELA) State standardized tests—are much less likely to attend specialized high schools than their similarly high-performing Asian or White classmates. This suggests that the City’s Department of Education (DOE) may be able to increase Black and Hispanic specialized high school admissions without scrapping the SHSAT (a politically daunting task) or completely overhauling the elementary and middle schools. It offers hope that plans announced last week to increase the diversity of students taking and passing the SHSAT could produce progress. We found, for example, that almost 55% of Asian 7th-graders who scored Level 4 on either math or ELA tests in the 2012-13 school year are now wrapping up sophomore years at specialized high schools that use the SHSAT for admissions. However, only about 16% of such Black or Hispanic 7th-graders are now in one of these specialized schools. That means that as 8th-graders, these approximately 1,710 bright Black and Hispanic students either: passed the SHSAT in October 2013 but then declined offers from specialized high schools; failed the test; or didn’t even
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take it. Our analysis shows that most have now gone on to non-specialized public high schools also attended by high-performing White and Asian students. But more than 300, or about 21%, have not. They instead are scattered among some 142 high schools that high-performing White and Asian students don’t attend – at all. Collectively, these 142 schools have significantly lower rates of graduation and college admission than do either the specialized schools or the non-specialized schools attended by most high-performing White students and many such Asian students. Students at these schools earn far fewer Advanced Regents diplomas and also score lower on other measures of college-readiness. It takes nothing away from the skills and drive of high-performing Black and Hispanic students at such schools to say that with more outreach and preparation for the SHSAT at least some might now be doing more challenging high school work in a deeper pool of similarly sharp and ambitious students. And their prospects for success in college and careers would almost certainly be brighter. It’s also easy to identify middle schools where more Black and Hispanic students could benefit from intensive SHSAT help. In 2012-13, for example, the top five middle school “feeders” to the specialized high schools sent 62% of their high-performing White and Asian 7thgraders to those high schools, but only 24% of their similarly high-performing Black and Hispanic students. Looking at the numbers another way, in 2012-13 there were 54 middle schools with 10 or more high-performing Black and Hispanic 7th-graders – a total of exactly 900 kids. Only 129, or 14%, of them went on to specialized high schools.
To increase diversity at the specialized high schools the DOE should fish such waters. It seems ready to do so. Between now and the next SHSAT in October, it’s going to focus on giving high-performing Black and Hispanic middle-schoolers more attention through, for example, free tutoring and test-prep courses. Our data suggest this looks like a good strategy. Now, some caveats: The Center for New York City Affairs recognizes that even if this admissions diversity improves, at best such progress will likely be measured in dozens, not hundreds, of students. We also strongly believe this is far from the only pressing educational challenge New Yorkers face. Our InsideSchools and education research projects have long worked to improve the full spectrum of elementary, middle, and high schools. The InsideSchools staff regularly reminds high school-bound students and their parents that there are plenty of good options outside the specialized schools galaxy. Like others, we’ve also heard the criticisms that some of the specialized schools suffer from an unhealthy, hyper-competitive, and grades-obsessed student culture. But those aren’t reasons to maintain the status quo. We’ve all got a stake in reducing the troubling disparities at specialized high schools. They are, after all, very high-visibility reminders that in lowering class and racial barriers to quality education, we’ve still got a lot to do to bring up our grade. l Bruce Cory is editorial advisor at the Center for New York City Affairs and manages the Urban Matters blog. Nicole Mader is a data analyst at the Center and a PhD candidate at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy.
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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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IMMIGRATION MATTERS
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Help a Family Member or Friend
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ocial distancing and movement restrictions aimed to stop the spread of the coronavirus appears to be making violence in homes more frequent, more severe and more dangerous. As thousands of families spend weeks at home confronting the challenges of a global pandemic compounded by mounting financial and emotional stress, law enforcement officials and nonprofits that help children and adults escape abuse say they worry about a surge in domestic violence. They fear that statewide shelter-inplace orders, while necessary to combat the spread of the coronavirus, may isolate victims and contribute to a sense of helplessness as they’re forced to hunker down with their abusers without the reprieve of work or other daily tasks. Police Chief Ken Savano offered thesewords of wisdom: “In times like this, when there’s uncertainty over income and your ability to be able to go out on your own, sometimes people feel they can’t get away or won’t be able to get away from their abuser. Our message to anyone out there that is experiencing violence is that there’s help.” How Can You Help Are you concerned that someone you care about is experiencing abuse? The National Hotline offers the following advice. Maybe you’ve noticed some warning signs, including:
Graduates/from page 2
help a person in an abusive relationship is to consider how you might empower them to make their own decisions. Additionally, you can offer support in various ways:
•Their partner puts them down in front of other people •They are constantly worried about making their partner angry •They make excuses for their partner’s behavior •Their partner is extremely jealous or possessive •They have unexplained marks or injuries •They’ve stopped spending time with friends and family •They are depressed or anxious, or you notice changes in their personality If someone you love is being abused, it can be so difficult to know what to do Your instinct may be to “save” them from the relationship, but it’s not that easy. After all, there are many reasons why people stay in abusive relationships, and leaving can be a very dangerous time for a victim. Abuse is about power and control, so one of the most important ways you can
Acknowledge that they are in a very difficult and scary situation, be supportive and listen Let them know that the abuse is not their fault. Reassure them that they are not alone and that there is help and support out there. It may be difficult for them to talk about the abuse. Let them know that you are available to help whenever they may need it. What they need most is someone who will believe and listen. Be non-judgmental Respect your friend or family member’s decisions. There are many reasons why victims stay in abusive relationships. They may leave and return to the relationship many times. Do not criticize their decisions or try to guilt them. They will need your support even more during those times. If they end that relationship, continue to be supportive of them Even though the relationship was abusive, your friend or family member may still feel sad and lonely once it is over. They will need time to mourn the loss of the relationship and will especially need your support at that time. Encourage them to participate in activities outside of the relationship with friends and family Support is critical and the more they feel supported by people who care for them, the easier it will be for them to take the steps necessary to get and stay safe away from their abusive partner. Remember that you can call the hotline to find local support groups and information on staying safe. Help them develop a safety plan Check out our information on creating a safety plan for wherever they are in their relationship — whether they’re choosing to stay, preparing to leave, or have already left. Encourage them to talk to people who can provide help and guidance Find a local domestic violence agency that provides counseling or support groups. Call us at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) to get a referral to one of these programs near you. Offer to go with them. If they have to go to the police, court or lawyer’s office, offer to go along for moral support.
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Remember that you cannot ‘rescue’ them Although it is difficult to see someone you care about get hurt, ultimately they are the one who has to make the decisions about what they want to do. It’s important for you to support them no matter what they decide, and help them find a way to safety and peace. l
most affected by COVID-19. “It would go a long way toward us being able to give better advice to our clients, and to give the states what they need in terms of physician mobility — because the states are doing everything that they can to get doctors to come here,” said Elissa Taub, an immigration lawyer based in Memphis, Tenn., who specializes in visas for foreign physicians. New York has already waived state licensing requirements to allow foreign medical graduates with at least one year of U.S. residency training to contribute to the coronavirus response. No other state, however, has followed suit. New York also was the top destination in the J-1 physician exchange program last year, according to the State Department. Michigan, Florida, Massachusetts and Illinois rounded out the list of states in the top five. As of Friday, there were at least 245,658 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers keeping tally. In New York, the number of deaths from COVID-19 has surpassed 1,000. The federal government must take steps to help clear the red tape preventing foreign medical professionals from working in the U.S., said Frank Trinity, AAMC’s chief legal officer, during a call with reporters on Friday. “If there were ever a time when we needed the administration to take all necessary actions to maintain and reinforce the health care workforce, now is that time,” he said.l Correction: This report was revised to reflect that J-1 visa holders may not arrive more than 30 days before the start of their education or cultural program. Revised April 6, 2020.
ICE is considering releasing vulnerable detainees during the pandemic
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CE recently informed lawmakers that it was considering releasing some atrisk detainees in view of the COVID19 pandemic. The cases of pregnant women and those over 60 are being reviewed in particular. So far, ICE has identified 600 detainees as vulnerable and has released 160. l
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HOW TO GET A GREEN CARD
What Happens at an Immigration Marriage Fraud Interview BY IIONA BRAY
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f U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has doubts about whether the marriage that you're using as the basis to apply for a Green Card is a real one, they will summon your spouse and you (if you're in the U.S.) for an interview before approving the I-130 petition (the one your spouse filed to classify you as the spouse of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident). The purpose is to provide USCIS an opportunity to ask questions about your marriage, to make sure it's not just a fake arrangement to get you lawful permanent residence. Being called for a fraud interview that's not part of the usual application process is definitely not a good sign. It means that your application has been singled out because you haven't given enough evidence to prove a real marriage, your application contains some inconsistencies, or something about you and your spouse looks suspicious. But if your marriage really is authentic, you shouldn't be worried. The interview is your opportunity to show USCIS that you married because you wanted to, and not just to get a green card. Marriage fraud interviews will occur
even after the I-130 is approved. Almost always, if you are "adjusting status" (applying for your Green Card without going back to your home country to get a visa), USCIS will call you and your spouse in for an interview. Although the purpose of this interview is not just to uncover fraud, the USCIS officer will be questioning you and your spouse and looking for any signs that your marriage is not real. The same thing will happen if you're outside the U.S. at a U.S. consulate applying for an immigrant visa based on your marriage (although your spouse probably won't be able to attend this
interview with you). The visa officer will want to hear you give a realistic account of the development of your relationship. The officer will also try to spot any inconsistencies between your story and the application forms and documents. If you have not reached your second wedding anniversary by the time you are approved for a Green Card or enter the U.S. on an immigrant visa, you will receive what's called conditional residency, which lasts for two years. A fraud interview can be scheduled during or at the expiration of that time, as well. If after an initial interview USCIS still has suspicions, and you're in the U.S., it
will summon you and your spouse for a second, more intense and probing interview, known as a "Stokes" interview. This might be the time to start worrying. If you get notice of a second (Stokes) interview, consider hiring a lawyer to attend the interview with you. The lawyer does not really have a lot of power over the questions that you are required to answer, but can be a calming influence on everyone. Also, if the lawyer attends the interview, he or she will be better prepared to deal with any follow-up matters. In the classic Stokes interview—and sometimes during an initial Green Card interview—a USCIS officer puts you and your spouse in separate rooms and asks each of you an identical set of questions. Later, the officer compares your answers to see whether they match up. You and your spouse should be ready for any and all types of questions, from what you gave each other for recent holiday gifts to the form of contraceptive (birth control) you use, if any. The questions vary among different officers and different years.l Source: nolo.com
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CENSUS 2020
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Census 2020/from page 1 A large proportion of recently arrived undocumented immigrants are from the northern triangle regions of Central America that include El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Though approximately 1.2 million Mexican immigrants in the U.S. returned to their home nation between 2010 and 2018, an estimated 265,000 Central Americans are fleeing annually to the United States, due to extreme violence and high murder rates. There are 4.1 million U.S. citizen children who have an undocumented parent. Deported parents will often protect their children by leaving them behind in the U.S. This potential, and likely permanent, separation feeds the fear endured by undocumented immigrant parents. Increased immigration enforcement policies and threats of more raids and detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have escalated the fear associated with deportation. In two qualitative studies that colleagues and I conducted with health and social service providers serving documented and undocumented Latinx immigrants in Texas and Tennessee, fear of detention and deportation emerged as a consistent component of immigrants’ daily lives. Fear was described as so intense that undocumented immigrants avoid using medical or social services, even when their children have known medical
needs. Texas providers reported that parents are unwilling to share their home addresses, since permitting outsiders into one’s home can pose risk of detection and, ultimately, deportation. Census effects Despite the mandated protections that prevent the U.S. Census Bureau from sharing information with law enforcement or other government organizations, fear and lack of trust of the government could very well supersede undocumented immigrants’ willingness to participate. Interviews and focus groups conducted by the Census Bureau suggest that immigrants fear their responses would be used to identify and penalize them or their undocumented household members. Furthermore, among those who do par-
ticipate, data might be incomplete or inaccurate as a result of fear. For example, evidence suggests that proposals to include a citizenship question, though ultimately thrown out by the Supreme Court, would possibly result in more unanswered questions related to age, race and Latinx household members on the census, especially among individuals who were born in Mexico or Central America. Counting matters How might these high levels of fear influence the 2020 census? School, voting and legislative district boundaries will be based on incorrect figures. Allocation of resources for schools and communities will fail to account for the accurate number or
demographics of community members. Researchers, businesses and community organizations will design and implement projects based on misinformation. If the Census Bureau wants to overcome barriers to participation, it will have to make efforts to educate and facilitate participation among undocumented immigrants. Some ideas might include educating immigrants about how census data are used, in their native languages, or sharing information through trusted community members or organizations serving undocumented immigrants. Flyers, emails and texts from these organizations could potentially serve as an invaluable tool to disseminate accurate content related to the census. Another idea is that the federal government might be able to reduce fear by ceasing immigration enforcement activity while 2020 census data are actively being collected. The United States has an opportunity to accurately assess who resides in our country and in our communities. Fostering a climate of safety around the census is essential to achieving a complete count.l
Mary Lehman Held is the Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Tennessee. Article originally published on April 2,
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CORONAVIRUS
Family Matters: Helping Children Cope
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t is very important to remember that children look to adults for how to react during stressful times. With the COVID-19 virus gaining international media attention, information about the pandemic is everywhere. If parents seem overwhelmed with the situation, children will naturally react in the same way. As parents, teachers and other adults in the lives of children, it’s up to us to reassure and educate them in the most honest, compassionate way possible. Tips on interacting with children Here are some tips on talking about COVID-19 with your children or students, according to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP): • Remain calm and reassuring. • Make yourself available. • Avoid excessive blaming. • Be aware of their exposure to the news. • Maintain a normal routine, if possible. • Be honest and accurate. Handling children’s anxiety What you say and do about COVID-19 can either increase or decrease your children’s anxiety levels related to the virus and the news they are hearing. Remind them that you and the adults at their school or daycare are there to keep them
safe and healthy. Always let your children talk about their feelings in a safe way. This will help them get things into the open and allow for opportunities for you to educate them on what’s going on. model basic hygience The NASP recommends you teaching children the following hygiene measures: • Wash hands multiple times a day for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star slowly).
• Cover mouths with tissue when sneezing or coughing and throw away the tissue immediately, or sneeze or cough into the bend of the elbow. • Do not share food or drinks. • Practice giving fist or elbow bumps instead of handshakes. Carry on with normal life Encourage your child to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep and exercise regularly.
Not only will this give them comfort during disruptions, but it will help their immune system stay strong. Going along with this guidance, you should also take the time to talk with your children. Don’t go out of your way to avoid conversations related to COVID-19. If they have questions, be ready to give them educated answers and advice on dealing with any inquiries they may have. l
NEW YORKERS:
STAY HOME TO STOP THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS New Yorkers working together and staying home can slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in New York City. When you go out for essential needs, work or to get fresh air, keep distance between yourself and others and take the following precautions.
PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS • Keep at least 6 feet between yourself and others. • Wash your hands with soap and water often. • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing. • Do not touch your face with unwashed hands. • Monitor your health more closely than usual for cold or flu symptoms.
IF YOU ARE SICK • Stay home. • If you have a cough, shortness of breath, fever, sore throat and do not feel better after 3-4 days, consult with your doctor. • If you need help getting medical care, call 311. • NYC will provide care regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.
PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE • Stay home if you have lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, cancer or a weakened immune system. • Stay home and call, video chat or text with family or friends who have one of these conditions.
REDUCE OVERCROWDING • Stay home. • Telecommute if possible. If you do go out: • Stagger work hours away from peak travel times. • Walk or bike. • Do not gather in crowds.
Text COVID to 692-692 for real-time updates or visit nyc.gov/coronavirus. Call 311 to report harassment or discrimination. Call 888-NYC-WELL, text "WELL" to 65173 or chat online at nyc.gov/nycwell to connect with a counselor. *Messages and data rates may apply. Check your wireless provider plan for details.
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Bill de Blasio Mayor Oxiris Barbot, MD Commissioner
BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT
8
Shortage of Farmworkers Threatens American’s Food Supply BY KATY MURDZA
Salinas, California, USA - June 19, 2015: Immigrant (migrant) seasonal farm (field) workers pick and package strawberries directly into boxes in the Salinas Valley of central California.
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he U.S. agricultural industry depends on seasonal guest workers to produce the food Americans eat. Since 1986, the H-2A visa program has allowed employers to fill labor shortages with temporary and seasonal workers from other countries. The Trump administration recently classified agricultural employees as “essential critical infrastructure workers” during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). At the same time, the pandemic is complicating the guest worker application process. This in turn threatens farmers’ ability to provide the food we serve on our tables. Last month, the State Department announced that it would pause the processing of all new H-2A applications because they require an in-person interview at a U.S. consulate. The State Department began limiting their services in all countries with a level 2, 3, or 4 Travel Advisory due to the coronavirus. The State Department issues these warnings when it’s considered dangerous to travel to certain countries. As a result, the consulate in Mexico—
Editorial credit: David A. Litman / Shutterstock.com where many seasonal farmworkers are from—is currently unable to process H2A applications. The government took some measures to compensate for the setback. Visa processing continued in countries without travel warnings. Interviews for certain returning workers were waived. For the first time, the Department of Labor committed to helping workers finishing their seasonal contract with one farm to transfer immediately to another farm. Normally, H-2A workers can only work for the employer who petitioned for them. Still, thousands of positions remain at
NY WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
risk of going unfilled. Mexico is home to more than half of H-2A workers. About half of those are new applicants, and most are issued in the spring months. The Agriculture Workforce coalition sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on March 17, expressing “deep concern” about the consulate closures. The CEO of Western Growers Association said that “delays are potentially very hazardous to farmers who were counting on that workforce to show up at an exact period of time to harvest a perishable crop.” Many agricultural employers had already been struggling to fill labor shortages before the virus. Their attempts to fill farmworker positions have caused the H-2A visa program to double in size the past five years, to over 200,000 workers. Immigrants account for 73% of the U.S. agricultural workforce.
The State Department later announced that interviews for first-time applicants and a broader group of returning applicants would also get waived. The announcement is a positive development, but some complications remain. Employers of H-2A workers are required to provide housing. The workers generally live in close quarters where social distancing is difficult, if not impossible. Similar complications must be addressed for workers in the fields and meatpacking facilities. Many workers don’t speak English and may not have access to information on COVID-19 prevention. And if they do contract the coronavirus, it might be difficult to get treatment. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act now requires many employers to provide paid leave to workers under emergency circumstances. This includes agricultural workers. But many do not have health insurance. Canada relies on 60,000 temporary workers each year and has faced similar challenges. Workers traveling to Canada must go into quarantine for 14 days after arriving. Canadian employers must pay them during that time. The H-2A visa program is crucial to keeping food on our tables and in our pantries. The government must continue to process these visas. It also must take measures to protect the health of workers and the surrounding communities.l
Are you working? Have you been injured on the job? Was it a serious injury as defined under NY Workers’ Compensation Law? If yes, then call Figeroux & Associates for a FREE Consultation at 718-222-3155.
Why Should I Hire A Lawyer? In addition to being eligible for workers' compensation, you may also have a claim against a party other than your employer. That is why it is so important to seek assistance from our experienced team.
Workers who know their rights and speak to a lawyer put themselves in a better position to obtain a recovery.
Find Out What Our Firm Can Do For You The Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates. Call us at 718-222-3155.
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9
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Connecting with Someone in a LongTerm Care Setting During the Coronavirus Outbreak
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s many nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other longterm care settings close their doors to outsiders for safety reasons amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is proving tips on how families can still stay connected with a loved one in a care setting. “Right now, families across the country cannot visit their relatives in long-term care settings, and while they can’t be there with them in person, they can, and should, still be there for them,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “There are other ways that individuals can remain connected with a loved one with Alzheimer’s from anywhere.” AFA offers the following suggestions: • Speak to the care setting. Keep in touch with the care setting’s staff to get regular updates on your loved one and make sure they are safe. • Utilize technology to stay connected. Many care settings are helping families stay connected through video chat, such
as FaceTime, Skype or Zoom. Ask your loved one’s care setting if they offer this type of service. Phone calls, emails and letters are also good ways to keep in touch and stay connected. • Have a dialogue through photographs. Some care settings are working with families to regularly send pictures of their residents to their loved ones, and also encouraging families to send photos back for the residents to see. In some cases, they’ll encourage “themed” photos (i.e. wearing a funny hat) to keep things
fun and engaging. • Send care packages. Familiarity often helps reduce stress and improve mood, so sending favorite snacks, trinkets, lotions or activities to the person can be helpful. Check with the care setting before sending to see if there are any items they do not allow for health reasons. • Don’t panic. According to officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Health Care Association, moving an
older adult from a long-term care center and exposing them to more people and places is risky and could have long-lasting impacts. Additionally, the levels of care needed for residents in a professional care setting are usually higher than those that can generally be provided at home. All care settings are required to have plans in place to monitor and prevent infections and safeguard the health of their residents and staff and will provide you with information about these procedures if you ask. AFA’s Helpline, staffed entirely by licensed social workers, is available seven days a week to answer questions about this topic, caregiving during the coronavirus outbreak and more. l You can reach the Helpline by: • Calling 866-232-848 • Visiting www.alzfdn.org and clicking on the blue and white chat icon on the lower right-hand corner of the page •Sending a text message to 646-586-5283
Wills, Trusts & Nursing Home Asset Protection Learn how to Protect your Assets and Provide for your Loved ones
Get Answers to Start Your Estate Plan
At this consultation, we will discuss issues that include: Nursing home costs- the myth of the 昀ve year look back The advantages of Wills, Living Trusts & Probate How to maintain your privacy and protect your estate if you become disabled (Hint: Not all Powers of Attorney are valid) Why putting property in children’s names may be a mistake Protect one’s spouse when the other needs nursing home care Preserve your estate for your kids if your surviving spouse gets married How Probate works and more importantly, how to avoid probate How you can qualify and use Medi-Cal to pay for nursing home expenses Provide for special needs (disabled) children and grandchildren How you may be able to minimize federal and state taxes
Get your FREE CONSULTATION 855-768-8845
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26 Court Street, Suite 701, Brooklyn, NY 11201
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CONVERSATIONS & BOOK REVIEW
10
Put Your Goals in Pictures BY CANDACE BAHR
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ecently my client Jennifer called me.“I did it!” she exclaimed over the phone. “I bought the vacation home that I visualized.” That excitement in her voice was a pleasure to hear. Seven years ago she was widowed at age 27 when her husband died in an auto accident near their home in Southern California. Though she received more than $1 million from a life insurance policy and a lawsuit settlement, she spent years coming to terms with what had happened. Her newfound wealth was coupled with a great deal of survivor’s guilt, which left her uncomfortable and unable to move forward. That is not uncommon. For many women, discomfort with money runs deep. As a result, women generally shy away from wealth. In an AARP study, 42 percent of women responding said they didn’t want to be wealthy. Somewhere along the way, women got it into their heads that wanting money makes them greedy and cold-hearted. Yet building personal wealth is how we can ensure a better future for ourselves and our families. In addition to the competent money management I was providing, I saw that
Jennifer needed a vehicle to articulate her goals and propel herself forward. I told her how the power of visualization had helped my husband John and me, and how we periodically create picture-board collages to help us visualize what we would like to accomplish in our lives. We have found that pictures help us envision crystal-clear goals in ways that words simply cannot convey.
It’s no surprise that visualizing goals is far more effective than simply writing them down. Jennifer agreed to try it, and early last year she created a collage for herself. Still unconvinced of its power, she put it aside until last month, when she decided to update it for this year. That’s when she was shocked to see a picture she had included in the collage. It was a home in a valley surrounded by snow-covered mountains that was nearly identical to the vacation home she had just purchased. Though she had forgotten about the picture in her collage, apparently it was the clarity of that visualization that made her fall in love with the vacation home she purchased as soon as she saw it. While a pretty picture won’t make your dreams come true, it may help you clarify goals so you can develop an action plan to make those goals a reality.l
Book Looks Behind-theScenes at the Men and Women Seeking a Green Card BY MARILYN SILVERMAN
Candace is the co-founder of the nonprofit Women’s Institute for Financial Education, WIFE.org, Reprinted with permission.
Are you looking to get into the health & wellness business?
Contact:
Stacy Young Board Certified Holistic Health Coach
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plethora of governmental statistics document the insufferable plight of our illegal immigrants—charts, columns, tables, numbers, percentages, but we the public don’t see that man working below the minimum wage who is confronted with a brick wall since due to his illegal status is powerless to complain to any governmental body. We don’t see that man toiling away a grueling twelve hours a day at a neighborhood deli. We don’t see that man sharing a cramped room in an apartment. Grant Kennedy, in The Power of the Green Card They Did What They Did for a Green Card! pushes away those cold passionless statistics and lets us see faces and the struggles that confront them as they arrive on our shores with the dream of obtaining a green card. Kennedy is an immigrant from Jamaica. Unlike the immigrants he writes about in this book, he came to America legally, with a green card. But as someone from the immigrant community, he was privy to and was always very intrigued by the stories of hardship and courage of those around him who came to the United States illegally. Kennedy is a CPA and lives in Westchester County, New York. p
Tel: 917-459-8431 Stacy@HealthCoachStacyNYC.com
Mydoterra.com/stacyyoung
To read the full book review, visit www.workersworldtoday.com.
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This FREE Citizenship Program does not apply to anyone who has ever been arrested since getting their Green Card.
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The lawyer you hire, does make a difference! VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.IJLEF.ORG FOR MORE IMMIGRATION NEWS & UPDATES