The Immigrant’s Journal - Vol. 170

A DC-based Immigration Advocacy Group Has a Message for

BY CARLOS NOGUERAS, ALDIANEWS.COM

In the early morning of July 25, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group Voces de la Frontera gathered in protest outside the home of the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, expressing frustra tion with the administration’s policy sur rounding immigration.

"We are forced to do this because Biden and Mayorkas have not fulfilled their promise to end this racist and xenophobic program. As an administration that is supposedly standing up against white supremacy and racism, they must prove it

by ending the 287g program that legal izes racial profiling,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director at Voces de la Frontera.

Hundreds of activists organized to express their frustrations by way of Constitutionally-protected free speech to denounce the administration’s position in lieu of immigration reform or lack there of.

Peaceful protesters chanted “Mayorkas, escucha. Estamos en la lucha,” or “Mayorkas, listen. We are fighting,” while holding a sign that read “End Police-Ice Terror.” Camera footage showed the Secretary’s security detail

Asylum Seeking Families Surge New York City Shelters

BY JR HOLGUIN

Arecent and unexpected surge of migrants that began as early as May has arrived in New York City, causing a swell of people staying in NYC shelters. In a briefing, Mayor Adams addressed the current wave of nearly 3,000 newly arrived migrants.

Mayor Adams, Department of Social Services Commissioner Gary Jenkins, and other officials address the surge asking the Federal Government for assistance in the matter.

"We have organizations throughout

this city that have stepped up and stated they want to help," said Mayor Adams. "We will continue to meet that chal lenge, but we do need help from the federal government through FEMA to assist us."

Adams could not provide the amount of money they needed during this surge but did state that, at the moment, his administration is currently using emer gency funds to assist those newly arrived asylum seekers.

But meeting that challenge has indeed been difficult for Adams' administra

Secretary Mayorkas Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

Mayor Adams Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

ICE Is Developing New ID Card for Migrants Amid Growing Arrivals at the Border

BY PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN

The Biden administration is devel oping a new identification card for migrants to serve as a one-stop shop to access immigration files and, eventually, be accepted by the Transportation Security Administration for travel, according to two Homeland Security officials.

The initiative is part of an ongoing effort by the Biden administration to streamline processes that have often led to confusion among immigrants who are in removal proceedings — and comes as officials grapple with growing arrivals at the US-Mexico border.

Republicans have seized on President Joe Biden's handling of the US southern border and slammed the administration's immigration policies, including downsiz ing detention and limiting immigration arrests to focus on security risks. The lat est initiative by ICE is likely to also field criticism from some within the GOP. But officials say the card, likened to a photo ID, will facilitate accountability in the immigration process. The card — dubbed a "Secure Docket Card" — is expected to include name and nationality,

as well as a QR code to access a new por tal with relevant immigration informa tion.

That portal is intended to provide a sim pler way for individuals to update their information and check in with federal authorities as they go through the immi gration process. The card is expected to also be provided to immigrants in deten tion.

"Fifty percent of the problems that migrants have in just staying accountable in the process is because we're not com municating well," one DHS official said. "People are going to be smoothly, effi ciently, humanely working through the immigration process."

The card can be used as identification but can't be used to register to vote. Only US citizens can vote. Eventually, the card could also be utilized at airports for trav el in the future, the official said. TSA cur rently accepts some immigration docu ments as valid identification to travel.

"The ICE Secure Docket Card (SDC) program is part of a pilot program to modernize various forms of documenta tion provided to provisionally released noncitizens through a consistent, verifi able, secure card. The secure card will

contain a photo, biographic identifiers, and cutting-edge security features to the mutual benefit of the government and noncitizens," an ICE spokesperson said in a statement.

“Specifics of the program are still under development, but a primary goal of the SDC is to improve current, inconsistent paper forms that often degrade rapidly in real world use. Pending the outcome of the pilot, ICE will consider further expansion,” the spokesperson added.

A recent report from the House Appropriations Committee report men tioned the so-called ICE Secure Docket Card program and the $10 million appro priated to get it off the ground.The report, which accompanies the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill for fiscal year 2023, describes the program as allowing

“noncitizens

The agency plans to pilot the card by the end of the year, the Homeland Security official said.

Jeremy McKinney, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, expressed optimism about the card.

“If ICE is moving in a new direction in which eligible non-citizens can report on their status, provide information about their location and address, receive case management support to help them under stand and prepare for hearings, without the need for electronic surveillance or jail cells, AILA welcomes that approach,” McKinney told CNN. l

For more CNN news and newsletters cre ate an account at CNN.com

access to immigration files and documents.”

Editorial credit: David Peinado Romero / Shutterstock.com

Newly Naturalized Citizens Can Impact Midterm Elections in Key States, New Report Finds

NATIONWIDE: A new report released on July 20 by the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) and SEIU presents the profile of the New American Voters 2022 that could significantly influence the outcome of the upcoming midterm elections. The report showcases the demographic composition and geograph ical distribution of new Americans and how their voting power can substantially impact election outcomes in politically important states.

The findings are based on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data on naturalization from 2016 to 2020, as well as naturalization applications that the agency approved in 2021.

The report finds that a powerful voting bloc of over five million newly natural ized citizens could change the outcome of upcoming midterm elections in key states like Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Since 2016, more than four million of these voters naturalized in response to the Trump administration’s multiple attacks on immigrant and refugee communities. These new voters particularly come from African, Latin American, Caribbean, Asian, and Pacific Islander countries. The report concludes that targeting these voters is paramount to ensuring voter

turnout in the upcoming elections.

Recognizing this electoral power, NPNA and SEIU, along with its member organizations and national partners, are pivoting to mobilize newly naturalized citizens to increase voter registration efforts and turnout rates through the New American Voters 2022 campaign. This campaign strategically targets newly nat uralized citizens, especially in states where they reside in large numbers, to encourage them to get out to vote and exercise their democratic rights. The campaign uses multiple approaches, including digital and social media plat forms and partnerships with mayors and counties, to spread the message to newly naturalized citizens.

“This is a powerful voting bloc of peo ple who are multi-racial, multi-cultural, and composed of a slight majority of

women who have the power to shape electoral outcomes across the country. At a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies are spreading like wildfire in our country, the new American voters can uplift their voices and determine the out come of the upcoming midterm elections in politically important states, which could influence who will control U.S. Congress in 2023. Together with our partners, we are determined to encourage new Americans to register and exercise their most influential democratic right by voting,” said Nicole Melaku, NPNA’s new Executive Director.

“New American Voters are poised to exercise their power in unprecedented ways this fall at the polls. They represent tremendous untapped electoral potential – nearly 9 million people are currently eligible to become naturalized citizens. Just as working people voted in record numbers in 2020 to bring about change, New American Voters will lead the charge in November to reject the cynical politics of Trump et al, build a govern ment that works for all of us, and secure the American Dream,” said Elsa Caballero, SEIU Texas President. l

Read the key findings and full report at www.theimmigrantsjournal.com

AILA President Jeremy McKinney

Responds to SCOTUS Move

Keeping ICE Priorities On Hold

Washington, DC: Today, [July 21], the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to maintain a nationwide injunction blocking the Biden Administration from setting prosecutori al discretion policies for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The court also decided to take up the case in December. American Immigration Lawyers’ Association (AILA) President Jeremy McKinney responded with the following statement:

“Unbelievably, today, with a 5-4 vote the Supreme Court is allowing an unlaw

ful intrusion by the state of Texas on the federal administration of immigration laws by keeping in place a nationwide injunction until after arguments at the end of the year. This is untenable for the attorneys charged with representing the government and the noncitizens whose lives this will affect. Every single law enforcement agency uses prosecutorial discretion on a daily basis. When resources, whether human or financial, are finite then decisions must be made about where and how those resources are best allocated. That’s just common sense.

It is striking that, just a few weeks ago, SCOTUS halted the Texas state govern ment’s attempt to control a different enforcement policy in Biden v. Texas. For those same justices who railed against nationwide injunctions before, to completely reverse their position today and be okay with this Texas judge enjoin ing a federal immigration agency from implementing immigration law is bla tantly hypocritical and patently politi cal.”

—AILA Doc. No. 22072152.

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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 recog nize the enormous contribution of immigrants to this country economically, socially and polit ically. Since September 11, 2001, however, immigrants have increasingly been discriminat ed against and Congress has passed legisla tion 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 natural ized 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

Editorial credit: Simone Hogan / Shutterstock.com

Know Your Rights with ICE

If approached by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents, you have rights!

What can I do if ICE is at my door?

• You do not have to immediately open the door for ICE and you do not have to speak to ICE.

• From behind the closed door, you may ask them who they are and to show their badge, ID or business card through the window or peephole or to pass it under the closed door.

• You can ask if they have a judicial warrant:

If they say No, you do not have to let them in. You may say,

“I do not want to speak with you.”

If they say Yes, you can ask them to slide it under the door. To know if it is a judicial warrant, look to see who signed the warrant.

A judicial warrant is a warrant from a court, signed by a judge. For example, judge signatures may have “Honorable/Hon.” “Judge” “Justice” or “Magistrate” in front of them.

• In an emergency, such as a threat to public safety or a threat to someone’s life, ICE can come in without asking your permission. If this happens, you still do not have to speak to ICE.

• If ICE is looking for someone, you do not need to speak. If you choose to speak, you can ask ICE to leave contact information. While you do not need to tell ICE where the person is located, providing false information puts you at risk.

What can I do if ICE is inside my home?

• If ICE enters your home without your permission, you can tell them clearly: “I do not consent to you being in my home. Please leave.” Saying this may not always stop them, but it may help any future legal case.

• If ICE starts to search rooms or items in your home, you can tell them, “I do not consent to your search.” You can continue to repeat this if they continue to search without consent.

• You can tell them if there are children or other vulnerable residents in your home.

What can I do if ICE stops me on the street or in public?

• Before you say anything, you can ask, “Am I free to go?”

If they say Yes: you can say, “I don’t want to answer your questions”

If they say No: you can say,

“I want to remain silent.”

If ICE agents try to search your pockets or belongings, you can say,

“I do not consent to a search.”

If they search you anyway, you cannot physically stop them, but clearly saying it may be important in any future legal case.

This fact sheet gives only general information. It is not legal advice. Consult an attorney for legal advice. English

Call 855-768-8845 for an Immigration Consultation

Keeping the Fight Alive to Enfranchise Nearly 1 Million New Voters

BY CHRIS TOBIAS

On Friday, July 22, the New York City Law Department filed a notice that it would appeal with the Appellate Division, Second Department. The effort gives hope in the fight to enfranchise nearly 1 million new voters starting next year. Local Law 11 is a new law extending voting rights to cer tain non-citizens. Last month, the Richmond County Supreme Court decid ed to invalidate "Our City Our Vote"Local Law 11, which gave New Yorkers with legal permanent status or work authorization the right to vote in munici pal elections. Under the legislation passed by the New York City Council in December 2021, non-citizens who have lived in the City for at least 30 days and are legal permanent residents in the US. Green card holders, individuals with work permits, and DACA holders — would be allowed to vote in city elec tions, including the mayor, public advo cate, borough president, and city council. The law was set to go into effect in January 2023, with over 800,000 New York City residents will become eligible to vote.

There had been apprehension among advocates over whether the City would

join them in appealing Richmond County State Supreme Court Justice Ralph Porzio's ruling. The deadline to file a notice of appeal is Wednesday, July 27. Advocates, who had joined the lawsuit on behalf of individuals who would gain voting rights and were committed to an appeal, are included in the claim. The papers were filed on behalf of Mayor Eric Adams, the BOE, and the City Council.

Chair of the City Council Immigration Committee, Shahana Hanif, applauded the City's move and tweeted, "the fight isn't over." In response to the Adams

administration appeal of the Richmond County Supreme Court's ruling, Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition said: "As expect ed, the City has appealed the Richmond County Supreme Court's politically moti vated ruling overturning the Our City, Our Vote law (Local Law 11-2022). We are ready and eager to continue defend ing the right of nearly one million New Yorkers to have a voice in their local democracy. We remain confident that this law is legal and an essential expansion of our democracy as it faces divisive parti san attacks."

At the time of its passing in December 2021, Then-Mayor Bill de Blasio declined to sign or veto the bill. His suc cessor Adams — who said he supported the measure despite initial "concerns" — allowed it to become law shortly after taking office in January by failing to take any action within 30 days of the bill's passage. There was opposition from a group of New York Republicans led by Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, who then filed a lawsuit to block the new law from being imple mented. A handful of Democrats, most notably then-Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo opposed Local Law 11.

In his 13-page ruling, State Supreme Court Justice Ralph Porzio, based in Staten Island, said in a written decision that the legislation is illegal and violates the state constitution, which only allows citizens to vote. "There is no statutory ability for the City of New York to issue inconsistent laws permitting non-citizens to vote and exceed the authority granted to it by the New York State Constitution. Though voting is a right that so many cit izens take for granted, the City of New York cannot "obviate" the restrictions imposed by the constitution," Porzio wrote.

The fight continues.l

Editorial credit: Janet Julie Vanatko / Shutterstock.com

How to Get Free Summer Meals at City Schools, Pools and Parks

BY AMY ZIMMER, CHALKBEAT

New York City’s education department recently served its millionth free summer meal to young people across the five boroughs. The vast majority of those meals were served during the school day to children attending Summer Rising, the city’s free program that mixes academics and enrichment for elementary and middle school students. Only about 16% were takeaway meals, according to city offi cials.

Advocates are still trying to get the word out about the program’s free break fast and lunch. Anyone 18 years old or younger, whether or not they attend pub lic school, can get meals at more than 300 city sites.

Before the start of the pandemic, 1 in 5 children in the city were hungry. Now it’s 1 in 4, according to anti-hunger non profit City Harvest. Advocates are con cerned the problem will get worse. Skyrocketing rents, grocery prices, and energy costs are squeezing many New York City families just as some safety net programs, such as child tax credits and the eviction moratorium, have ended.

The state has distributed what may be the last installment of Coronavirus Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer or P-EBT funds, allocating this June $375 in food benefits per public school student to make up for school meals lost last summer, whether they attended summer school or not.

Nearly two-thirds of public school par ents have found it harder to afford food and groceries, according to a recent poll from the No Kid Hungry campaign at the nonprofit Share Our Strength. The cam paign created a site to help families find free meals.

“Summer is the hungriest time of year for kids in New York – but it doesn’t have to be,” Rachel Sabella, No Kid Hungry New York’s director, said in a statement. “Free summer meals are a lifeline to families and kids.”

Providing free meals to students is also a major education issue, and is crucial in boosting academic outcomes, researchers have found. Children who

are hungry are more likely to repeat a grade in elementary school, have lan guage or other delays, and exhibit more social and behavioral problems, accord ing to the nonprofit Feeding America.

Where do I find free school meals this summer?

The 300 summer meal sites include schools, community pool centers, and parks, including food trucks at three parks (Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan’s Chinatown, Holcombe Rucker Park in Harlem, and Rufus King Playground in Jamaica Queens).

You can text “NYC Food” or “NYC COMIDA” to 304-304, and No Kid Hungry will respond with your nearest locations. You can also call 311 for near by meal sites.

The education department’s website also has a list of locations.

When are the meals available?

The program runs through Sept. 2. Breakfast is served from 8-9:15 a.m. Lunch is served from 11 a.m.-1:15 p.m.

Who is eligible for meals?

All children 18 and under can get the meals whether they attend public school or not. No reservation, documentation, or ID is required. (Adults must be accompa nied by a young person to pick up meals.)

You must remain on-site to eat hot meals, but can take pre-packaged cold meals to go.

Prior to the pandemic, only children could eat free summer meals, and they had to do so at their pick-up locations because of federal guidelines. That shift ed during the past two summers when the city began allowing any child or adult to pick up meals and eat them off-site thanks to pandemic-related waivers.

This summer, only young people once again are eligible for the summer meals. But Congress passed the Keep Kids Fed Act at the end of last month, extending pandemic-era waivers allowing school districts to offer young people grab-andgo summer meals.

While some districts may have found it difficult to pivot to the grab-and-go meals after the last-minute waivers were

granted, the New York City education department’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services was able to make tweaks, for instance, by allowing stu dents flexibility with to-go meals.

“We were well prepared,” said Christopher Tricarico, the office’s execu tive director.

Still, only about 160,000 of the to-go meals have been distributed so far this summer, according to officials.

How are the meals funded?

The meals are funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

What’s on the menu?

For hot meals, similar to the school year, Mondays are meatless and Fridays are vegan. There are also daily cold offerings such as peanut butter and jelly sandwich es, cheese sandwiches, and hummus.

No artificial colors, flavors, or preserv atives are used. No fried food is served.

Twenty-two sites offer halal food, and the city posted a list of five sites on Tuesday offering kosher meals.

What happens to uneaten meals? Waste is kept to a minimum since cafete ria staffers do batch cooking that factors in the ebb and flow of students, Tricarico said.

Last summer, the city donated unused meals to food pantries, he said. At a City Council hearing last month, he men tioned a forthcoming pilot this school year to divert unused food to pantries.

Elected officials raised concerns that stu dents sometimes just want one thing from the cafeteria, such as an apple or carrots, but they have to take a full meal regardless because of federal reimburse ment rules, so much of that food ends up in the trash.

Who prepares the meals?

The city’s school cafeteria workforce dipped this year, especially after the COVID vaccine mandate took effect.

Tricarico noted that there were 500 vacancies, but that the city was holding frequent job fairs.

Another issue is the lack of cooling and ventilation, with kitchen temperatures reaching 130 degrees, according to last month’s City Council testimony from Donald Nesbit from District Council 37 AFSCME, the union representing 9,000 school food workers.

This summer, cafeterias got a boost from the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which provides jobs to youth, ages 14-21, in various industries. About 100 young people got jobs making summer meals, Tricarico said.

“We are providing them with training,” he said. He hopes the experience pro vides a career pathway into school food services.l

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organiza tion covering public education. This story was published on July 20, 2022 by THE CITY.

Before the start of the pandemic, 1 in 5 children in the city were hungry. Now it’s 1 in 4, according to anti-hunger nonprofit City Harvest. Advocates are concerned the problem will get worse.

Updated ICE Directive Fails to Deliver

Meaningful Protections for Immigrant Families

BY GIANNA BORROTO

U

.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently announced a new directive aimed at preserving family unity and the parental rights of noncitizens. The direc tive, “Interests of Noncitizen Parents and Legal Guardians of Minor Children or Incapacitated Adults,” went into effect on July 14. Though media outlets have laud ed the policy as a way to end family sep arations at the border, it falls short of offering significant protections to keep families together.

The directive provides guidance to ICE officers who encounter parents of minor children or guardians of incapacitated adults during apprehension and deten tion. Most of the guidance relates to situ ations where ICE has apprehended an adult caregiver, while the minor child or incapacitated adult is not detained. Under the new guidance, caregivers should be allowed to coordinate care for minor chil dren and/or incapacitated adults before detention, have regular visitation with their dependent family members while detained, participate in custody or similar state court proceedings, and be paroled

into the United States under limited cir cumstances after removal.

The first parental interest directive was published in 2013 by the Obama adminis tration. In 2017, the Trump administra tion stripped the original directive of many crucial protections and placed greater emphasis on whether children were lawful permanent residents or U.S. citizens. The July 2022 directive super sedes the 2017 Trump-era guidance.

The latest guidance mirrors many aspects of the original Obama-era parental interest directive, with a few expansions. For example, while the 2013 directive only covered parents of minor children, the new directive includes pro

tections for legal guardians of incapaci tated adults. The new directive also makes it clear that the child or incapaci tated adult need not have lawful immigra tion status to benefit from the guidance.

The updated guidance includes a new requirement that immigration officials affirmatively inquire about a noncitizen’s parental or legal guardianship require ments during initial and subsequent encounters. Officers must enter and track the family’s information in a government database. Though this policy could poten tially help identify families who have been separated en route to the United States, the directive does not provide guidance on whether family units should

be detained together. Nor does the policy apply to close family members who do not have legal custody but are nonethe less acting as a child’s primary caregiver.

Another part of the directive allows for deported parents or guardians to be paroled back into the United States for the limited purposes of attending a hear ing on the termination of their parental or guardianship rights. The directive makes clear that the person must leave the United States after the hearing and certi fy that they are not traveling to the U.S. for immigration purposes. Paroling an individual when their custodial rights are about to be terminated does little to keep families together. The guidance could have instead asked officers to consider the effects of deportation on an individ ual’s minor children or others in their care before moving forward with removal.

While the expansions to the directive are welcome additions, the updated guid ance is not groundbreaking. It is com mon sense for ICE to allow parents and guardians to arrange care for dependent family members before being removed from their homes and taken to immigra

Supreme Court Refuses to Restore Biden’s Immigration Enforcement Priorities for Now

BY REBEKAH WOLF

In a blow to the Department of Homeland Security’s attempts to set priorities for immigration enforce ment, late last week the Supreme Court of the United States decided 5-4 to deny a request from the Department of Justice to restore the priorities while litigation continues.

This decision comes after a confusing several months, culminating in opposing decisions in the 5th and 6th circuits which led to the emergency request at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether the enforce ment priorities are lawful in December. Until then, the 5th Circuit’s decision stands and they are blocked from being implemented.In September 2021, DHS Secretary Mayorkas issued a memo that laid out new priorities for the arrest, detention, and deportation of individuals subject to immigration enforcement. The purpose of the priorities, like similar ones issued by previous administrations, was to direct U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to prioritize its use of limited resources. While the memo marked improvements on the

Trump era of mass, indiscriminate enforcement, it still allowed local ICE officials significant discretion in making enforcement decisions.

The memo created three broad cate gories of individuals who should be pri oritized for enforcement: those deemed to be threats to national security, public safety, and border security. As the memo clearly states, these priorities did not pre vent ICE from arresting, detaining, or deporting people who did not fall within these groups. It did, however, provide ICE guidance on prioritization and gave attorneys and advocates important insight into DHS’s overall priorities. The memo was used as an important tool for advocates to request prosecutorial discre tion on individual cases.

Shortly after DHS issued the final memo in September, two parallel cases were filed by attorneys general of a vari ety of states that sought to stop the imple mentation of the priorities and have them declared unlawful. Arizona, Montana, and Ohio filed suit in Ohio while Texas and Louisiana sued in Texas, all arguing that the federal government did not have the power to issue the guidance in the manner it did.

The heart of the legal argument against the enforcement priorities (as well as other lawsuits brought against this administration trying to keep Trump-era policies in place) is deceptively simple: two sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) say that some immigrants, at some parts of their cases, “shall be detained.” The states argue that this means that any policy that suggests that the people who fall into these cate gories may not be detained is unlawful. Because the enforcement priorities say that ICE should prioritize some groups of people for arrest and detention but not

others, these states argue, they are in opposition to the directive “shall detain.” DHS defended the enforcement priori ties. First, it pointed out that Congress has never provided the resources neces sary to arrest and detain everyone, and so the government has always made deci sions about who to prioritize. In fact, Congress specifically empowered the federal government to do so.

Second, it pointed out that the enforce ment priorities don’t prohibit anything, including enforcement against people who fall outside the priorities. The guide lines are just that—and therefore do not order ICE to do anything that contradicts language in the INA.

In both Texas and Ohio, the district court judges issued nationwide decisions prohibiting the federal government from implementing the enforcement priorities. Since June, ICE has not been guided by any enforcement priorities. However ear lier this month the 5th Circuit upheld the Texas court’s decision while the 6th Circuit court reversed the Ohio court’s decision, leaving two opposing orders from circuit courts. The 5th Circuit large ly accepted the states’ arguments that the enforcement priorities were “tying the hands” of ICE in their enforcement of immigration laws, while the 6th Circuit agreed with DHS that the guidelines acted simply as guidelines and did not force ICE to do anything except allocate finite resources.

That fundamental debate—of whether the federal government has the authority to direct ICE enforcement in the field—is critical to larger questions about the criminalization of immigrants and their communities. It is still not answered, though the Supreme Court’s decision to not issue a stay of the injunction that is in place due to the 5th Circuit’s opinion is disheartening. In the meantime, the courts continue to be used to deter attempts to roll back the previous admin istration’s worst immigration policies.l

tion detention. However, reports of scared and confused children left to fend for themselves after immigration raids show that even basic parental interest policies are crucial. The government must work to ensure that officers in the field consistently follow these policies.

Nearly 10 years have passed since the first parental interest directive and the Biden administration’s new guidance is a missed opportunity to bolster protections for caregivers and to preserve family unity. While the updated guidance is an improvement compared to Trump-era policies, it merely restores the status quo.

The administration can and should issue additional guidance to ensure that detention and deportation do not tear families apart, leaving vulnerable indi viduals without their primary caregivers.l

Editorial credit: Ron Adar / Shutterstock.com

4 Terrible Mistakes Made by First-time Home Sellers

There are a lot of different factors that go into selling a home for the first time that can make it a stress ful process, but there are a few things home sellers should avoid for a successful sale. If you're going to be putting your home on the market in the near future and are hoping for quick success, here are some common mistakes you'll want to be sure to bypass:

Pricing Your Home Too High

It's entirely likely that there's an amount you have in mind when it comes to selling your home, but it's important that your asking price is in line with the market conditions and what's being offered. Instead of winging it, check the local neighborhood listings and see what simi lar homes are selling for so yours won't be left to linger on the market.

Forgetting the Small Repairs

After you've put your home up for sale and have arranged an open house, one of the first things people will notice is the small repairs – like paint chips or loose doorknobs – that haven't yet been fixed. Instead of letting this negatively impact the offers you'll receive, complete the lit tle fix-ups before you schedule your open

house so potential homebuyers are not turned off.

Missing on Marketing

There are so many avenues for selling a home these days that it can be hard to know which way to go. However, it's best to consider all of your options and utilize social media to widen the audience you'll attract. Keep in mind that if you're invest ing in a website or brochures, it's impor tant to hire a good photographer to show your home in its best light.

Selling It on Your Own

Hitting the market on your own can be rife with a lot of questions, so as a first-

time seller you may want to consider the services of a real estate agent. It's just important to ensure that the person you choose is qualified and has experience in your community so they can steer you in the right direction and offer up helpful advice when it's required.

Selling a home for the first time can be a stressful thing to take on, but by utiliz ing the right agent and having reasonable expectations, it may be off the market before you know it. If you're getting ready to put your home up for sale, you may want to contact one of our real estate pro fessionals for more information at 888670-6791.l

5 Reasons to Become a Paralegal

BY

CHAMBER COALITION

Acareer as a paralegal (also known as a legal assistant) can be a wonderfully fulfilling pro fession. Paralegals perform legal, regula tory, and business-related research for lawyers working at their organization. Most of the time, paralegals work for law offices, non-profits, corporations' legal departments, or courts. These profession als also provide legal support services to attorneys. They assist lawyers in filing motions, memoranda, pleadings, and briefs in various court systems and accompany lawyers to see clients and go to court. Here are five great things about being a paralegal:

1. Rise in Pay

Paralegal compensation has risen steadi ly in the past decade. As paralegals per form a broader and more complex range of tasks (paralegals even represent clients in court in certain countries and administrative tribunals), their earnings continue to rise. The average paralegal salary hovers at around $50,000 per year, but paralegals often make more through bonuses. Overtime hours can also add significant cash to a paralegal's pay check.

2. Explosive Employment Outlook

The paralegal field is one of the fastestgrowing professions on the globe. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, predicts the employ ment of paralegals and legal assistants by over 25 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations. Among the factors driving this growth is client demand for cheaper, more efficient delivery of legal services. Since hourly rates charged by attorneys are typically double or triple the rates of paralegals for the same task, law firm economics man dates the increased use of paralegals to minimize costs. As a result, a paralegal career is one of the hottest non-lawyer jobs in the legal industry.

3. Easy Career Entry

Unlike lawyers who must complete seven years of formal education and pass the bar exam to practice law, you can become a paralegal in as little as a few months of study.

4. Intellectual Challenge

Paralegal work is intellectually challeng ing and involves a range of high-level skills. The most successful paralegals are problem-solvers and innovative thinkers. Paralegals must become subject matter experts in their specialty areas and mas ter legal procedure, research, drafting, and other skills. They must stay on top of ever-changing laws and new legal trends and developments while interfacing with

attorneys, opposing counsel, vendors, staff members, clients, and others. The work is varied, and each day brings new challenges.

5. Rising Prestige

As paralegals perform more complex and challenging work, paralegal prestige is rising. Paralegals are no longer simply lawyer's assistants; they assume corpo rate management roles, leadership roles in law firms, and entrepreneurial roles in independent paralegal businesses. Over the years, paralegals have transcended the image of glorified legal secretaries to become respected legal team members.

Ready to Take the Leap?

A career as a paralegal can be rewarding professionally and personally and offers a unique opportunity to help others; options vary, depending on the parale gal's practice area. Paralegals in the pub lic interest sector help poor and disad vantaged segments of the population with legal issues ranging from protection from domestic abuse to assistance preparing wills. Ready to take the leap, the next step? Call us at 718-722-9217 or visit www.freeparalegal.org to complete your registration which includes pay ment.l

Immigration Agencies Get Hit with Record-High Lawsuits as Delays Worsen

BY LESLIE DELLON

Lawsuits asking courts to order government employees to decide long-pending immigration filings have increased sharply in the past year.

According to a recent report by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), in May 2022 the federal courts recorded 647 immigrationrelated lawsuits for agency delay. This is “the highest number of such cases filed in a single month since at least October 2007, the earliest date for which TRAC has data.”

TRAC examined data for mandamus and similar civil actions for “immigra tion-related applications.” A mandamus action compels a government officer or employee to issue a decision when a per son has a clear right to receive the deci sion, the government officer or employee has a clear duty to decide, and the person has no other adequate legal remedy. The Administrative Procedure Act includes a similar action to obtain a deci sion when a government officer or employee has unreasonably delayed tak ing a distinct action they are required to take. If either action is successful, then the court orders the government officer or employee to decide. The court cannot make the government officer or employ ee approve the immigration filing, but they must take some action.

While some recent lawsuits were filed against Department of State employees, the “vast majority” were against the Department of Homeland Security. Many named the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

According to the report, USCIS identi fies increases in processing time delays due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and “recent under-resourcing.” The report also references a March 2022 USCIS public statement with steps the agency intends to take to reduce the backlogs. However, the report acknowl edged that noncitizens facing delays may view lawsuits as their “only means” of receiving a decision “when they hear nothing back from agencies for months or even years.”

The number of immigration-related delay lawsuits continues to climb. At the current rate, total cases for Fiscal Year 2022 will be 6,276, when compared with 4,347 for Fiscal Year 2021.

USCIS has taken some steps to lessen the impact of processing delays. It has lengthened the automatic extension of work authorization for timely-filed renewals in certain categories from 180 days after expiration to 540 days. USCIS also has begun premium processing for certain pending immigrant visa petitions in two employment-based categories.

But many other people are waiting for USCIS to make decisions on immigra tion filings where the agency has not begun improvements. For example, the USCIS median processing time (the time

USCIS took to process 50% of the peti tions) for employment-based immigrant visa petitions (non-premium processing) increased significantly over a two-year period—from 4.9 months in Fiscal Year 2020 to 10.7 months for October 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.

In addition, current processing times for employment-based green card appli cations at the three USCIS Service Centers handling them—which are cal culated based on 80% of cases complet ed—are bleak, with two Service Centers at 18 months and the third at 25 months.

The report points out another possible reason for the increase in lawsuits—the extremely high number of employmentbased immigrant visa numbers available in Fiscal Year 2022. Congress has pro vided for 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas annually. In addition, family-based immigrant visa numbers that are not used in a particular fiscal year are added to the annual employ ment-based limit for the very next year. Most family-based immigrants apply at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, which have been operating at reduced capacity.

The sharp reduction in family-based

immigrant visas used in Fiscal Year 2021 means that approximately 280,000 employment-based immigrant visa num bers—twice the normal limit—are avail able, but only through September 30, 2022. Employment-based green card applicants who, but for USCIS delays, could have their applications decided this fiscal year, may view a lawsuit as their

best chance at becoming a permanent resident without even further delay.

The TRAC report underscores the need for USCIS and the Department of State to take prompt, concrete steps to reduce delays for people who have submitted the documentation the agencies require but continue to wait for agency employees to decide.l

Asylum Seeking Families/ continued from page 1

tion. With an already overburdened shel ter system, Adams' administration failed to house four migrant families seeking shelter by the required time. The admin istration came under fire for poor han dling of the situation when word began to circulate that the families had no place to stay for 24 hours.

"Four families did not meet the dead line that's required by law, [that is] not acceptable," said Mayor Adams. "As the commissioner stated, they were not there for 24 hours. They immediately moved to address the issue."

The increase of migrant families arriv ing in New York City has many stumped and have no definite answer about where they are coming from. Mayor Adams went as far as to say that these migrants were part of the wave of bused asylum seekers that had arrived at the Arizona and Texas-Mexico border.

Since April, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been sending buses full of asylum seekers to Washington, DC. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey followed the example and joined Abbott in May. Buses full of migrants continue to arrive to this day. They come so frequently that D.C. has been feeling the toll.

Governor Abbott released a statement blaming President Biden, saying, "Texas has not bussed any migrants to New York. Instead, it's President Biden who

has flown planeloads of migrants to New York. Mayor Adam should address his frustration with migrants to the root cause: Joe Biden."

Despite the overburdened shelters, the backlash for handling the four families that were not processed by the required times, what many would call a humani tarian crisis, and dealing with the current housing crisis, the Adams administration has not let up.

They continue to say that they are proud of their work during this time. Adams believes this city should be commended that they are not Texas or Arizona, send ing asylum seekers to other states. While migrants are sent away, New York City embraces them with open arms and will "provide them with what they need and stabilize their lives."

"We do not become callous and send people away that are looking for help," said Adams. "All of us came from some where, even [those] from Texas, they came from somewhere. And so, they should not have sent people away that was seeking refuge."l

USCIS Extends COVID-19-related Flexibilities

U

.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is extending certain COVID-19-related flexi bilities through Oct. 23, 2022, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors. Under these flexibilities, USCIS consid ers a response received within 60 calen dar days after the due date set forth in the following requests or notices before tak ing any action, if the request or notice was issued between March 1, 2020, and Oct. 23, 2022, inclusive:

•Requests for Evidence; •Continuations to Request Evidence (N14);

•Notices of Intent to Deny; •Notices of Intent to Revoke; •Notices of Intent to Rescind; •Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers;

•Notices of Intent to Withdraw Temporary Protected Status; and •Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant.

In addition, USCIS will consider a Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, or a

Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings (Under Section 336 of the INA), if: •The form was filed up to 90 calendar days from the issuance of a decision we made; and

•We made that decision between Nov. 1, 2021, and Oct. 23, 2022, inclusive.

In an effort to take the lessons learned from our pandemic posture, USCIS has been evaluating which flexibilities can and should be extended permanently. As a result of this evaluation, the reproduced signature flexibility announced in March, 2020, will become permanent policy on July 25, 2022.l

shoving protesters back, saying: “This is private property, buddy.”

Why It Matters

During the 2020 elections, then-candi date Kamala Harris met with Voces de la Frontera in a closed-door meeting, pre sumably to discuss campaign matters related to immigration, followed by a prompt endorsement from the organiza tion.

In a written statement, Neumann-Ortiz expressed confidence in the Biden administration’s “clear policies” for immigration reform, labor protections, and access to COVID testing. Today, Neumann’s words are a sharp contrast. “Now is more urgent than ever consider ing that the U.S. Supreme Court has recently removed enforcement priorities and all 11 million [undocumented immi grants] — including children — are in danger of deportation and separation from their families. Mayorkas, as an immigrant, son of Holocaust survivors and a Latino, should stand against any policy that that forces families to live in fear. If this is a free country, prove it, end 287g now!” she wrote.

The Big Picture

On July 22, the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) struck down Biden’s executive order on immigration to over

ride what his administration called a “misguided” approach to deportation measures by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement units.

Under the Trump administration, ICE agents had little to no guidance when identifying illegal immigrants, resulting in the deportation of immigrants with no criminal record, many of whom were the sole breadwinners in their households.

Trump’s broad approach had damaging effects on the deported families, often leaving them impoverished and emotion ally traumatized by the experience. The Center for Migration Studies found that Biden’s policy was in line with past administrations and resulted in recordlow deportations.

However, Texas and Louisiana chal lenged the executive order, alleging it was not in line with the current law. After U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton,

appointed by Trump, granted a restrain ing order on Biden’s moratorium, the U.S. Fifth District was inclined to agree, vacating Biden’s priority-based deporta tion measures and leaving the agency with no guidance.

The Shadow Docket

Following Tipton’s restraining order on Biden’s executive order, the administra tion appealed to SCOTUS, which evalu ated the case as part of the shadow dock ets, a method of deliberation where judges don’t reveal their opinions to the public. In a tight 5-4 margin, SCOTUS struck down the executive order, pending further merit hearings on the matter in December.

Immigrants Still Work Meanwhile, ICE agents resumed their no-guidance operations to identify and

deport immigrants, many of whom par ticipate in the U.S. economy. "Not only is the administration neglecting the basic dignity and humanity of immigrants across the country, but the entire milk industry in Wisconsin also depends on immigrant labor," a community member noted.

Will Democrats Recover Their Base? SCOTUS’ ruling comes as the most recent setback for the Democratic party, after a streak of crucial platform losses, such as Roe v. Wade. "You tell us you will work for us and our rights to get our fam ilies who can vote to vote for you. And then when they say immigration is too controversial, you do nothing. Three months from now, [Democratic candi dates] will make more promises. But we will not believe you until you deliver on the promises you made two years ago,” said Jesse Thornton, another organizer. As the march subsided for the day, pro testers gathered in a nearby park to dis cuss immigration reform and how it impacted community individuals. In a statement to AL DÍA, they assured the campaign would continue until a response was heard.

"The next move is for Secretary Mayorkas and President Biden.” l

Reprinted with the kind permission of www.aldianews.com

Voces de la Frontera, a DC-based advocacy group gathered in protest outside Secretary Mayorkas' home.

Photo: Courtesy of VDLF

USCIS Updates Guidance for Afghans and Iraqis Seeking Special Immigrant Classification

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding Afghan and Iraqi nationals seeking special immigrant clas sification. The new guidance is effective immediately. The updated guidance:

•Explains that noncitizens seeking an Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) on or after July 20, 2022, must file Form DS-157, Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV Applicants, with the Department of State when they are applying for Chief of Mission approval. In some circum stances, noncitizens must still file a peti tion with USCIS to pursue an Afghan SIV;

•Updates eligibility criteria to reflect that the employment requirement for an Afghan SIV is now one year and clarifies what type of employment with the International Security Assistance Force qualifies;

•Updates eligibility criteria for surviving spouses and children of deceased principal noncitizens to expand the scope of who may apply for Afghan and Iraqi SIVs;

•In cases where a visa is not immediately available, removes the date limitation to convert an approved petition for an Afghan or Iraqi translator or interpreter to an approved peti tion for an Iraqi or Afghan employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government; and

•Clarifies statutory requirements that a noncitizen seeking an Afghan or Iraqi SIV must establish that they provided faithful and valuable service to the U.S. government by submitting a positive recommendation or evaluation from their supervisor.l

NeON Nutrition Kitchen Available to Immigrant Communities

On

With the rising cost of food, Commissioner Castro and Commissioner Bermudez encouraged immigrant New Yorkers to take advantage of the NeON Nutrition Kitchens, regardless of their immigration status.

NeON Nutrition Kitchens operates in all five boroughs and are City-funded neighborhood food pantries that help community members get access to free food including shelf stable pantry items as well as fresh produce. For more information, visit: www.nyc.gov/neon.l

July 27, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro and the NYC Department of Probation (DOP) Commissioner Ana Bermudez joined for in-person press conference to promote the Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NeON) to NYC’s immigrant communities.

$1 Million Anonymous Donation to Launch Student Loan Forgiveness Program for Behavioral Health Professionals

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Health + Hospitals on July 24, announced the launch of a new student loan forgiveness program for behavioral health providers, funded by a $1 million contribution from an anonymous donor. The new program is designed to help attract and retain doc tors, nurse practitioners, and other clini cians who care for New Yorkers with mental health or substance use needs as the U.S. faces a national mental health professional shortage. NYC Health + Hospitals will offer psychiatrists, psychi atric nurse practitioners, psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers between $30,000 and $50,000 of debt relief in exchange for a three-year com mitment to serve the public health sys tem.

NYC Health + Hospitals provides about half of all behavioral health servic es for children and adults in New York City. The loan forgiveness program will be available to eligible employees and new hires for the next year or until the $1 million donation has been distributed.

Applications opened on Monday, July 25, 2022, and New Yorkers can support this effort by donating directly to NYC Health and Hospitals.

"The behavioral health professionals in our public health system work tirelessly to support the most vulnerable New Yorkers living with mental illness and alcohol and substance use disorders," said Mayor Adams. "Too often, these health care workers graduate with crip pling debt and have no choice but to work in the private sector to pay off their bills. Especially at a time when the nation is facing a shortage of these life saving practitioners, and simultaneously facing an increased need for these profes sional due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

this loan forgiveness program will help us attract and retain top talent to continue serving New Yorkers across the city. I'm grateful to the anonymous donor for this generous donation, and I encourage other businesses and individuals to chip in if they are able to support this important cause."

"We need psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and other practitioners in the behavioral health field now more than ever," said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne WilliamsIsom. "Thank you to the anonymous donor for recognizing this need and tak ing action. The funds now available for loan forgiveness for eligible practitioners will help attract and retain the best and brightest to NYC Health + Hospitals."

"As we continue to see an increasing number of New Yorkers struggling with mental health and substance use disorder, the essential services of our behavioral health team are needed more than ever," said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. "This donation will allow us to recruit and

retain extraordinary clinicians to help address the ongoing mental health cri sis."

"Since very early in my educational tra jectory, I stumbled upon a quote that read, 'Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life.' This has been true to me, as my career as a clinical social worker with NYC Health + Hospitals has allowed me to fulfill my career objectives and gain tremendous pride in doing that as a public servant in my own city," said Adriana RodriguezBoseman, clinical social worker, NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Roberto Clemente Center. "However, the cost of these professional goals has come with a steep price tag. The future is always uncertain, but loan forgiveness will make these dreams a reality."

Early-career psychiatrists have on aver age $190,000 of medical school debt, psychiatric nurse practitioners have on average $56,000 of debt, social workers have on average $68,000 of debt, and psychologists have on average $80,000 of debt.l

Let's Talk About COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids

BY LINDA NWOKE, JOURNAL EXCLUSIVE

It's the height of summer. Schools are out, and summer camps are in full swing. New Yorkers are traveling and exploring different sites in the city, gen erally enjoying life; for some alone, with family, and some with their kids. For par ents, the arrival of summer break poses an emotional challenge, lack of access to the weekly in-school coronavirus testing program for students and notifications in case of an infection.

New York families began vaccinating children younger than five against Covid-19 in late June after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved vaccines. Afterward, health providers started offering vaccines to young children. The city set up over ten vaccine hubs to serve children six months and older.

Despite the initial rush, vaccination among these age groups is stalling. As NYC Mayor Eric Adams noted, "parents still have concerns about the vaccines and have a lot of questions." This state ment supports the data on the number of children vaccinated to date.

To address these concerns, the city's

health department, in conjunction with the Mayor's Office and the NYC. Health and Hospitals organized a virtual town hall. Three health experts, including NYC's Health Commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, addressed general con cerns of parents about COVID-19 vac cines for six months and older, among other issues.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Vasan shared the immense relief and sense of pride in the city compared to two years ago—a period when hospitalizations and death from COVID 19 were so high. "We have waited for this moment where we can protect our little ones," he said.

The situational analysis report shows, "Cases of COVID-19 increasing within the city, because of the new variants — BA.4, BA.5, as well as a lot of reconnec tions that is taking place after the relative isolation that lasted over two years."

Dr. Vasan feels that "despite rising cases in the last months, there is no strain on the hospitals, and deaths from the virus have remained relatively low." Yet he reiterated that many people's choices will always affect others, especially those who are the most at-risk individuals in the community.

Who Should Get the Vaccine?

Dr. Dara Kass, Regional Director in the Health and Human Services Unit explained that everyone should get the vaccine and booster doses when eligible. These include pregnant women to protect their unborn children.

The Senior Vice President at New York City Health and Hospitals, Dr. Ted Long, cited several options. Like calling 877Vax4NYC or requesting in-home vacci nations (which became accessible on June 1), especially for people over 65 or unable to go to the clinic. "I got my chil dren vaccinated at Jacoby Hospital. I rec ommend going to any of our hospitals and center," he encouraged.

Dr. Kass also emphasized the various options — parents talking to their med ical providers, calling 212-COVID19 to speak to an expert about COVID 19 if they have questions.

They reiterated that the vaccine remains free and accessible to anyone irrespective of their immigration status in the State.

Differences Between Rate of Vaccination in Adult and Children

Despite the excitement expressed by some parents about the availability of vaccines for young children under five years, some parents have remained cau tious about vaccinating their younger children.

The experts revealed the stark contrast in vaccination data between adults and children. Findings show that over 98% of adults have received at least one dose, compared to only 68% of children. Furthermore, about 2% of adults have not yet received any vaccination, compared to over 31% of children.

Some parents are concerned about side effects, long-term effects, information that children are less at risk, or are 'wait ing to see.'

However, the Health Commissioner says it is a risky gamble. "Children are getting less COVID than children, but parents shouldn't play Russian roulette with their kids' lives."

He says, "Even if COVID is not fatal for your child, we are still learning about COVID's long-term effect. So, we must consider the vaccine's protective effect against the long-term effect of COVID among the unprotected."

Why Get Vaccinated?

Dr. Kass said, "You should get vaccinat ed to prepare yourself." She explains, "As a parent with three children, and having a child with compromised immu nity, I was always worried, but once they were vaccinated, I became reassured. Knowing that even if they got COVID, they had the internal defense to fight the virus. But there is a higher risk of longterm complication without the vaccine, "she says.

Findings from existing data reveal that, after getting COVID-19, children can still have various health problems. However, getting vaccinated can help prevent severe sickness among children even if they get infected and help prevent short-and severe long-term complica tions of COVID-19.

"This is in addition to the measures we know that work like masking up in small spaces, making sure we get tested before gathering, "says Dr. Kass.

Dr. Ted Long shared his experience as a parent of a less than one-year-old who caught COVID 19. "One reason for pro moting the vaccination is that when my child got COVID, it was difficult to watch my daughter go through the coughs and shortness of breath. The sleepless night and the anxiety about the possibility of hospitalization. The magni tude of the clinical trials has taken care of all parents' concerns about the side effects because there are none".

The experts reported that scientists had conducted clinical trials with thousands of children to establish the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines. Furthermore, the vaccine is still undergoing the most intensive safety monitoring in America's history. Moreover, organizations like the CDC continue to monitor the vaccines even after approval.

Facts Supporting the Need to Get Vaccinated

include:

Evidence of ongoing safety monitoring shows that the known risks and possible severe complications of COVID-19 are more than the risks of a rare and adverse reaction after vaccination.

Secondly, the common side effects tend to be mild and temporary, such as irri tability, crying, or loss of appetite in chil

dren. There are rare cases of severe reac tions after vaccination.

The ones who experience the small risk of inflammation of the heart and its sur rounding tissue (predominantly among adolescents and young adult males) often improve rapidly after rest and medica tion.

Can People with Medical Conditions Get Vaccinated?

Responding to this question, one of the experts explained that there are vulnera ble children whose COVID will compro mise their immune system and must be protected.

Research shows that many medical conditions, like developmental disabili ties and chronic lung disease, put people at a heightened risk of serious illness if they contract COVID 19.

Scientific evidence proves that many people who participated in the clinical trials had underlying health conditions, and the vaccine was safe and effective. Additionally, many people in the public who have underlying medical conditions are also vaccinated, and there are fewer casualties afterward.

"Therefore, people with any medical condition can get vaccinated unless they have an allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine ingredient," says Dr. Kass.

"People don't need to stop taking pre scription medicine when they receive their vaccination," she added.

Effect of COVID-19 Vaccine on Fertility or Development of Children and Teens before Puberty

The experts emphasized the lack of evi dence that vaccines cause female or male fertility problems. The same is a lack of evidence that the vaccine's ingredients, including mRNA or antibodies, can cause many problems with people getting pregnant, affecting puberty now or in the future.

"We know it doesn't affect fertility as many women have become pregnant even after taking the vaccine. It is also important that if you are pregnant, you should get vaccinated so that you can protect yourself and your unborn baby," says Dr. Kass.

Should People get COVID 19 Vaccine if previously Infected?

In response, the Commissioner explained that the CDC and other experts recom mend getting vaccinated even if you already had COVID 19. "The unequivo cal answer is 'yes'; the vaccine generates a high level of antibody than the socalled 'natural immunity' without vaccine can ever generate. The vaccine can gen erate a high level of antibody more than the natural immunity."

He explained that getting vaccinated is a safe way to support the strengthening of the immune system. It also lowers the chance of reinfection, as the vaccine may also give better protection against new and more contagious variants.

"Several discussions have been held on how long you are protected if you have the infection and weren't vaccinated. We noticed that after about 90 days, the pro tection from infection starts to wear off, while it might last up to eight months in some people. However, it is unpre dictable, and people risk getting COVID again," said Dr. Vasan.

Experts report that there is no evidence that COVID 19 will cause a person to react badly to the vaccines. However, recently infected people should consider delaying their next vaccine dose by three months, whether primary or booster, from the symptom onset or positive test.

They also explained that the COVID 19 vaccine can be taken before, after, or simultaneously when they receive other vaccines like Flu, anti-tetanus, etc.

Concerns about the Components of the COVID-19 vaccine?"

The vaccine consists of a particular type of sugar, salt, protein, and fat layer that helps to slip the ingredients into the cell. The health commissioner explained that there are minor differences between the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. They are effective for kids between 6 months to 4 years for Pfizer but up to 5 years for Moderna. While Pfizer gives little quantity over the three doses, Moderna gives a slightly higher quantity over two.

The experts reiterated that the best way to prevent the virus and protect yourself and your family from the worst effects is to get vaccinated and boosted.

The CDC's recommendation of the vac cines for very young children, including those previously infected with Covid-19, is to get still vaccinated.

"Although we are no longer in an emer gency, we are still on the path where COVID is endemic, so share accurate information from authentic sources. Let's focus on facts and information as a soci ety, as people who want better lives for ourselves, our family, and our communi ty," says Dr. Vasan.l

Eric Adams

Ashwin Vasan, MD, PhD Mayor Commissioner

Health Commissioner Dr Vasan Photo: NYC Dept of Health

Everyday Ageism Impacts Physical and Emotional Health of Older Adults

BY SUNITA SOHRABJI EMS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Aman goes to his orthopedist to complain about his aching left knee. “Oh, you’re just getting older,” says the physician dismissively.

“I may be getting old, doc, but my right knee isn’t hurting,” says the man.

Birthday card greeting: “A woman is unlike a bottle of fine wine. She tends to get sour and bitter with age.”

Younger worker jokes to co-worker: “You’re still coming in every day? Step aside, make some room for young blood.”

These are three seemingly benign exam ples of “everyday ageism,” defined as discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyp ing based on age. Countless others exist, including in the spheres of health care, employment, and housing. Age-related bias is expressed both explicitly and implicitly, by individuals, or institution ally and culturally.

Ageism can have profound impacts on an older adult’s physical and mental well-being. Over 82 percent of adults

over the age of 50 say they regularly experience one or more form of everyday ageism on a regular basis, reported the University of Michigan which surveyed 2,048 adults in a 2019 poll. Women dis proportionately suffer from age-related bias, which has harmful impacts on their financial health.

Moreover, ageism can also impact the electoral process. Mainstream media have questioned whether President Joe Biden should run for a second term,

given his age. Media have also published ageist pieces on Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, questioning her cognitive ability, and whether she should step down to make room for new progres sives. And a July 20 op-ed in Esquire magazine proposes a “maximum age” of 80 for politicians.

At a July 15 news briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services, four panelists discussed the impacts of everyday

DHS Urged to Protect the Right to Abortion After Dobbs

The American Immigration Council joined a letter signed by 156 organizations calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take concrete steps to protect the right to abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs. The letter calls on DHS to take steps to pro tect the right to an abortion for individu als held in DHS custody, but also to instruct Border Patrol not to prevent undocumented individuals from travel ling through a checkpoint if they are seeking medical treatment for reproduc tive health care such as an abortion. continued on page 19

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Everyday Ageism Impacts

ageism. Higher levels of everyday ageism are associated with increased risk of evaluating one's physical and mental health as fair or poor, said Dr. Julie Ober Allen, Adjunct Faculty Associate, Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.

“Higher levels of ageism were also associated with having multiple chronic health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease,” said Allen, who was the lead researcher on the recent JAMA paper: "Experiences of Everyday Ageism and the Health of Older US Adults."

Everyday ageism is also believed to con tribute to accelerated aging as well as premature mortality, said Allen.

Structural inequities in the US health care system deny life-saving procedures to older adults, such as organ transplants and clinical trials, said Allen. Moreover, physicians tend to communicate with the caregiver who has brought the patient in, so that older adults cannot directly advo cate for themselves, she said.

Dr. Louise Aronson, geriatrician, and Professor of Medicine at UC San Francisco, discussed the disproportion ate impact of ageism on women. She noted that women of color face racism, sexism, and ageism together, a troubling brew which affects economic stability, and self perception, among other factors.

Women across the board earn 82 cents for every dollar a man earns. Black and Latino women earn 65 cents versus their male counterparts. Women of color with advanced degrees earn 70 percent of what men earn.

“So women enter old age with less money and fewer resources,” said Aronson, who was a Pulitzer Prize final ist in 2020 for her book: "Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, and Reimagining Life."

“Lookism” also comes into play for older women, said Aronson. “The impor tance of youthful and attractive appear ance matters so much more for women than for men. There's a lot of pressure for women to look youthful, the hair dye, all the cosmetic surgeries.”

Women who eschew products to make

them look younger are evaluated as being less valuable, less competent, and are more likely to be fired with the same qualifications and performance reviews as men,” said Aronson.

Paul Kleyman, national coordinator at Journalists Network on Generations, and editor of Generation Beats Online, dis cussed the impact of ageism in politics.

Media are promoting the concept of gerontocracy — government based on rule by older people — as unhealthy for the status of the country, said Kleyman. “There have been calls for sweeping aside leaders in their 70s and 80s because they form a gerontocracy of people pre sumed to be out of touch with the coun try's needs,” he said.

“Too many economic and political lead

ers still see our rapidly aging population as a looming budgetary burden,” said Kleyman, adding that media must refo cus its reporting to examine the contribu tions older adults make to our society.

Patricia M. D’Antonio, Vice President, Policy and Professional Affairs at the Gerontological Society of America, and Executive Director of the Reframing Aging Initiative, talked about solutions to addressing ageism at both an individ ual and societal level.

Communication is key. “We must rec ognize that that's a good thing that you have a hearing aid, it's a good thing that you have access to a wheelchair or access to a shuttle, some transportation to be able to get around. Because then we know that we are able to feel that we con tinue to contribute to society,” said D’Antonio.

“So we even recognize in our frailty, when people may have more chronic conditions and more challenges, there's still that opportunity to contribute because of that accumulated wisdom that we have gained over our life course,” she said. “Quite often it's important for us to highlight and tell a more complete story about aging that shows the creative solu tions, that demonstrates that we are high ly innovative.”

“These are the kind of values that we know that will get people to think about aging in a much more complete way,” she said.l

The Dark Side of Supportive Relationships

BY EDWARD LEMAY & MICHELE GELFAND THE CONVERSATION

Imagine that you’ve had a heated argument with a co-worker, and you call up your husband or wife to talk about it. Your partner can react in one of two ways.

They can assure you that you were right, your co-worker was wrong and that you have a right to be upset.

Or your partner can encourage you to look at the conflict objectively. They can point out reasons why your co-worker may not be so blameworthy after all.

Which of these responses would you prefer? Do you want a partner who unconditionally has your back, or one who plays devil’s advocate?

Which is better for you in the long run?

In a recent study, we wanted to explore the contours and repercussions of this common relationship dynamic.

Do we want unconditional support?

If you’re like most people, you probably want a partner who has your back. We all tend to want empathetic partners who understand us, care for our needs and

validate our views.

These qualities – which relationship researchers refer to as interpersonal responsiveness – are viewed as a key ingredient in strong relationships. Research has identified links between having a responsive partner and being happy and well adjusted.

But having an empathetic partner isn’t always a good thing – especially when it comes to your conflicts with others out side the relationship.

When we get into an argument with someone, we tend to minimize our own contribution to the dispute and overstate what our adversary did wrong. This can make the conflict worse.

After being involved in a dispute, we’ll often turn to our partners to vent and seek support.

In our study, we found that empathetic and caring partners were more likely to agree with their loved ones’ negative views of their adversary and blame the adversary for the conflict.

We also found that people whose rela tionship partners responded this way ended up being far more motivated to avoid their adversaries, tended to view them as bad and immoral, and were less interested in reconciliation. In fact, a full

56% of those who had received this type of empathy reported avoiding their adversaries, which can harm conflict res olution and often involves cutting off the relationship.

On the other hand, among the partici pants who didn’t receive this sort of sup port from their partners, only 19% reported avoiding their adversaries.

Receiving empathy from partners also was related to conflict escalation: After their partners took their side, 20% of par

ticipants wanted to see their adversary “hurt and miserable,” compared to only 6% of those who did not receive this sort of support. And 41% of those who received empathetic responses tried to live as if their adversary didn’t exist, compared to only 15% of those who did n’t receive unwavering support.

Long-term consequences

These dynamics became entrenched over time. They kept people from resolving their disputes, even as people found their partners’ responses to be emotionally gratifying. For this reason, they contin ued to vent, which created more opportu nities to fan the flames of conflict. People seem to seek partners who end up making their conflicts worse over time.

What’s the lesson here?

We often want partners who makes us feel understood, cared for and validated. And it’s natural to want our loved ones to feel supported.

But soothing and validating responses aren’t always in our best long-term inter ests. Just as prioritizing immediate emo tional gratification over the pursuit of long-term goals can be costly, there are downsides when partners prioritize mak ing us feel good in the moment over help ing us properly wrestle with life’s diffi cult problems from a rational, unbiased perspective.

Those who want to better support their loved ones’ long-term welfare might want to consider first providing empathy and an opportunity to vent, but then mov ing on to the more difficult work of help ing loved ones think objectively about their conflicts and acknowledge that, in most conflicts, both parties have some blame for the conflict, and just see the situation from very different perspec tives.

The truth can hurt. But sometimes an objective, dispassionate confidant is what we need most. l

Edward Lemay is an Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Maryland. Michele Gelfand is a Distinguished University Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland

Hispanic Federation Applauds House for Passing Respect for Marriage Act, Urges Senate to Swiftly Pass the Bipartisan Bill

WASHINGTON:Hispanic Federation is thrilled with the House of Representatives' passage of the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, ensure protec tions for same-sex marriage at the feder al level, and establish more legal protec tions for marriage equality. Hispanic Federation calls on the Senate to move quickly to pass the bill in a similar bipar tisan manner.

“We applaud the 267 House members who voted to pass this bipartisan bill to defend and ensure equality for same-sex couples wishing to marry. This bill is a proactive step to protect our existing LGBTQ+ rights. Having the government recognize marriage equality is also essential for immigration purposes. At Hispanic Federation, we recognize the need for our communities to live free of hatred and discrimination, and we under stand the intersectionality of our lived experiences and histories as Latinos, immigrants, people of color, and queer folks and the necessity to protect and cel ebrate our communities’ diverse, inter

sectional identities and needs. As a gay man who was separated from my hus band for ten years because of immigra tion barriers and a lack of legal recogni tion of our relationship, I can speak first hand about the importance of these legal protections. We will continue to fight future legislative and judicial efforts that undermine our human rights to ensure that our families and future generations can thrive and live free of discrimination.

We urge the Senate to swiftly pass the Respect for Marriage Act without equiv ocation,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation.

“Sadly, this bill is especially needed at a time when the shadow of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson opens the door for undermining protec tions for private sexual acts, access to contraception, and same-sex marriage.

All people, regardless of their race, sex ual or gender orientation, should have the freedom to marry the person they love and be able to live and build their lives together, knowing that the govern ment recognizes and respects their mar riage. The recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade proves that the conservative majority Supreme Court is willing to undermine the constitutional grounds for equality and take away a right that is widely supported by the public. Today, more Americans than ever support LGBTQ+ rights, with Hispanic Americans showing the highest support (80%) among all racial and ethnic groups. 70% of Americans support samesex marriage, a record high since 2015. But since Justice Thomas already stated that the Supreme Court should revisit previous rulings that gave protections to same-sex marriage and relationships, the stakes cannot be higher. Our leaders must do everything in their power to ensure that marriage equality remains the law of the land,” added Laura M. Esquivel, Vice President, Federal Policy and Advocacy, Hispanic Federation. l

The GOP’s Cynical and Vicious Circle on Immigration Keeps Dreamers in Limbo

BY AMERICA’S VOICE

Washington, DC: A Dallas News story by Todd Gillman highlights the tenuous future of the popular and successful Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program due to Republican-led legal challenges. Yet, as the story makes clear, Republicans and their allies are citing the current focus and fears over the border as an excuse against a permanent legislative fix to protect Dreamers. It’s part of a vicious GOP circle.

For well over a decade, Republicans have relied on the “border security first” excuse to try and justify inaction on leg islation that would provide a path to citi zenship for Dreamers and other long-set tled undocumented immigrants. These efforts are now in overdrive, as the GOP’s fearmongering and falsehoods around the border is at a politicized fever pitch including the continued conflation of record-high apprehensions and border encounters with an “open border” and support for Trump era policies like Title 42 that make border enforcement more difficult. In combination with their antiimmigrant judicial activism, the border

excuse for legislative inaction seeks to ensure that popular solutions are blocked while even temporary protections are stripped from Dreamers, making those with DACA – who have lived in the U.S. a minimum of 15 years and registered with the government multiple times –deportable.

According to Douglas Rivlin, Director of Communication at America’s Voice: “It’s a vicious and cynical circle by Republicans that goes like this: fearmon ger over the border and conflate border apprehensions with an ‘open’ border; seek to strip DACA protections from Dreamers in the courts relying on the “anti-immigrant judicial pipeline;” and cite the very border you’re politicizing as an excuse to justify blocking a popular and long overdue legislative solution for Dreamers and other long-settled immi grants. And one of the biggest perpetra tors of this cycle is Texas’ own Senator John Cornyn, who’s long talked a big game at home only to continually be a roadblock to progress on an issue many of his donors support.

It adds up to cynical politics at odds with what the country needs, Dreamers have earned, and what three-fourths of

Americans support.”

Below, find key excerpts of the Dallas News story, “Border crisis hobbles DACA progress in Congress, prolongs limbo for Dreamers:

“Friday marked one year since a federal judge in Houston ruled the program unlawful, a victory for Texas and eight other states that had challenged DACA. The clamor for Congress to step in has only grown since then.

Business and religious groups are demanding action. “Dreamers,” as they are often called — based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act — have grown increasingly anxious. The window is closing fast. An appeals court heard arguments earlier in

July. By the time the Supreme Court set tles the fate of DACA once and for all, Republicans will probably have regained control of the House. They’ll be in no mood to confer legal status on anyone… Republicans accuse President Joe Biden of signaling an open border by trying to reverse Donald Trump’s hard-line poli cies.

Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz led a group of GOP senators on Friday to survey the situation around McAllen and keep up pressure on the White House.

… The assessment that the border is “wide open” is disputed. If enforcement was so lax, says the White House and its defenders, how could so many people be caught? Rather, they argue, it’s the rem nants of harsh Trump-era policies that force desperate people to wade the Rio Grande or find holes in the fencing — policies barring asylum-seekers from presenting themselves at ports of entry, or turning most away under Title 42, the pandemic-era emergency health order.

“That doesn’t mean that the border is not secure. It means that it’s very much closed. That’s why people try to find other ways to cross. If we were to fix the asylum system and reopen the border, we wouldn’t have that problem,” said Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, deputy director of federal advocacy at United We Dream. “The border situation is the way it is because Republicans made it so, so that they could have this narrative” about chaos at the border, she asserted, calling it “cynical” to punish Dreamers who have spent most of their lives in the United States for current problems at the border.

Macedo do Nascimento herself could face deportation if DACA disappears. She was 14 when her family moved from Brazil to Southern California in 2001. Now 36, she’s never been back.

Those kinds of tales make the plight of DACA-eligible immigrants the lowhanging fruit of immigration policy. Three-fourths of the public supports granting permanent legal status.

“These are people’s lives,” Macedo do Nascimento said. “A vast majority of the American people really want to see Congress act on this and provide a path way to citizenship for us.” l

Editorial credit: Diego G Diaz Shutterstock.com