New York, NY-Today, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion stimulus package, which is the latest COVID-19 federal relief bill. Like the relief package last December, this bill provides economic relief to roughly 3.5 million U.S. citizens and green card holders married to noncitizens who file taxes using an ITIN number, including 314,000 New Yorkers but still leaves out countless other tax-paying immigrant families.
Immigrant Rights Advocates Successfully Win Inclusion of Immigrant Families in Latest COVID-19 Relief Package
Biden’s Refusal to Defend Public Charge “Wealth Test” Allows Immigrant NYers to Access Life-Saving Benefits Without Fear
New York, NY-On Tuesday, the Biden administration notified the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) that it will no longer defend a Trump-era policy that dramatically and illegally expanded the racist “public charge” rule. Yesterday’s decision, and subsequent court decisions dismissing other cases across the country, mean that Trump’s viciously anti-immigrant policy is no longer in effect.
Battle for NY’s DREAMERS, TPS & DED Recipients Gets Key Boost as NY House Reps Reintroduce Dream and Promise Act
New York, NY-On Wednesday, New York Representatives Nydia Velázquez and Yvette D. Clarke joined Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA) in reintroducing the Dream and Promise Act. The legislation allows many individuals brought to the country as children and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) beneficiaries to earn lawful permanent residence and eventual citizenship.
After NYS Senate Passes NY HERO Act, Advocates Call on Assembly and Gov Cuomo to ‘Finish the Job’
Albany, NY-Today, the New York State Senate passed the NY HERO Act, which ensures the protection of millions of front-line workers, regardless of immigration status, by providing protocols on testing, face masks, PPE, social distancing, hand hygiene, disinfection, and engineering controls during this pandemic and into the future.
With Carranza’s Resignation, Immigrant Advocates Call on Porter to Meet Needs of Underserved Students
New York, NY-On Friday, New York City officials announced that Richard A. Carranza will resign as chancellor of the city’s public school system in mid-March. Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Chancellor Carranza in 2018. Meisha Ross Porter, a Bronx superintendent, will become the new chancellor on March 15. Porter will be the first Black woman to hold the role in the city’s history.
Immigrant Rights Advocates Hail Partial End of Immigration Ban
New York, NY-Yesterday, President Joe Biden revoked his predecessor’s extremist immigrant visa ban. Last spring, the Trump administration halted the issuance of green cards until the end of 2020 citing the need to “protect” the coronavirus-wracked job market.
Advocates Hail Biden’s Decision to Scrap Onerous Trump-era Civics Test
New York, NY—Today, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it is reverting to the 2008 version of the naturalization civics test. The move came after USCIS determined that the 2020 civics test development process, content, testing procedures, and implementation schedule inadvertently created potential barriers to the naturalization process.
NY Immigrant Advocates Endorse U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, Pledge to Work with NY Delegation to Ensure Bill’s Passage
New York, NY-Today, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Congressmember Linda Sanchez (D-CA) introduced President Joseph R. Biden’s U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. The Biden/Harris administration originally announced the legislation shortly after their inauguration on January 20. The bill would create a pathway to citizenship for roughly 11 million immigrants lacking legal status.
Growing Together: Family-Centered Two Generation Approaches in New York State
As the COVID-19 crisis has made startlingly clear, the success of immigrant parents and their children are inseparably linked. Providing holistic support for immigrant students and their parents through the two generation approach to education and service delivery empowers immigrant families to learn together—and is of urgent importance, as younger students are already being left behind with the move to remote learning and parents are struggling to maintain a safe and stable environment.
Advocates Welcome Biden’s Expansion of Refugee Admissions as First Step in Undoing Trump’s Legacy
New York, NY-Today, President Joe Biden announced that the US will raise the cap on refugee admissions to 125,000 in 2021. The proposal is a stark departure from President Trump’s policies, which drastically cut admissions from 110,000 in 2016 to 15,000 in the current fiscal year.