New York, NY—Only hours after reporting a positive case of COVID-19 among its staff, the immigration court on Varick street reopened with no warning. Advocacy groups are renewing their demand that Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) release all detainees and immediately adopt policies in line with the recommendations of public health officials.
Immigrant Advocates Applaud House Leadership’s Stimulus Bill for Protecting Health of Every Family, Regardless of Status, During Crisis
Washington, DC-Yesterday, the House leadership led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act. The Democrats' bill makes healthcare affordable and accessible; provides cash assistance to all families, as well as support to small businesses in need of direct grants or small business loans; and injects nearly $40 billion into schools and universities to stabilize funding; among other measures crucial to supporting the health and well-being of the country and every family, regardless of status.
DOE Must Provide Child Care to the Essential Immigrant Workers Serving on Front Lines of COVID-19 Pandemic
New York, NY—Today, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) is opening 93 Regional Enrichment Centers to provide front-line workers with childcare to ensure their parents can continue to serve the city in this time of need. Unfortunately, the DOE's Regional Enrichment Center criteria is currently limited to health care workers, FDNY, NYPD, Office of Emergency Management, and some New York City Transit Authority roles, and the DOE has not provided clarity on how many available spaces, if any, will be accessible to children of other essential workers like grocery clerks, home healthcare workers, delivery and restaurant workers, and cleaners.
NYIC Releases Comprehensive Multilingual COVID-19 Resource Page
New York, NY-Today, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) published a comprehensive multilingual resource page providing accurate information on the resources immigrant New Yorkers need to know during the COVID-19 crisis. The community resources will be updated daily at 9 AM each weekday and include information about how our undocumented community members can access health insurance now; updates from the Department of Education concerning school meals and remote learning; news about immigration court closures; the moratorium on evictions, and more.
With COVID-19 Exposure at Buffalo Federal Detention Center, All Immigrants Must Be Released Now
Batavia, NY—The risk of exposure to COVID19 for immigrants incarcerated in the Buffalo Federal Detention Center, known as Batavia, increases by the day and the time is now to release all immigrants in Detention say immigration advocates. On March 12, one day after the World Health Organization declared COVID19 a pandemic, there was a transfer of 40- 52 people to Batavia, some of whom came from Bergen County where a corrections office tested positive for COVID19.
This news of exposure comes as advocates sound the alarm regarding the court in Batavia, which has remained fully open, further increasing the risk of exposure to all who must go to court.
Paid Sick Leave Bill Ignores Immigrant New Yorkers Serving on the Front Lines During the COVID-19 Crisis
New York, NY—With Albany lawmakers moving quickly to pass an emergency paid sick leave bill, immigrant advocates are raising the alarm that the legislation leaves out thousands of immigrant workers and poses hardships to New York’s small and micro-businesses, the majority of which are owned by workers.
Immigrant NYers Left out of COVID-19 Response Planning, Launch “New York United” Campaign for Immigrant Communities
New York, NY—Today, immigrant advocates, community leaders and elected officials came together to demand the inclusion of immigrant communities in COVID-19 response planning by the city, state and federal governments, and call for the implementation of specific policy and budget proposals as outlined in the "New York United" platform to ensure New York’s immigrants are protected and empowered during this crisis.
Trump Declares National Emergency, Torpedoes Crucial Congressional Bill, While ICE Agents Escalate Enforcement Activities
New York, NY-Today, President Trump declared a national emergency and said he was making $50 billion in emergency funding available, lifting restrictions on doctors and hospitals and waiving interest on student loans. But he rejected a sweeping House economic relief package that would have included paid sick leave, free virus tests, and expanded food security.
As City Responds to Coronavirus, Immigration Advocates Highlight Importance of School Meals, Other Supports for Low-Income and Immigrant NYers
New York, NY—As part of New York City’s response to COVID-19, the city closed two South Bronx schools Thursday morning and additional schools on Friday. In response to this situation, Kim Sykes, Director of Education Policy, New York Immigration Coalition issued the following statement:
“We applaud Mayor de Blasio, Chancellor Carranza, and City Council leaders for recognizing that many New York families rely on schools for more than their children's educational needs, including access to health care, meals, and other essential supports.
Leaked CBP Document Show ICE and CBP Granted Extraordinary Powers During Pandemic Including Indefinite Surveillance and Detention
Washington, DC-A leaked Customs and Border Protection directive allows the agency to actively surveil and detain individuals suspected of carrying illness—indefinitely. The document, obtained by The Nation, is titled “Operations Plan for Pandemic Response” and was drafted during the avian flu pandemic of 2007. The plan describes CBP and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) overseeing potential tent cities of quarantined detainees at the border and coordinating with unspecified intelligence agencies—both foreign and domestic—as well as the Pentagon.