by Natasha B. | Dec 12, 2017 | CMS in the News, Immigration, Legal Services, News
Dec. 7 protest against immigration arrests in NYS courthouses. Photo: Amanda Ottaway, Courthouse News Service
On a frigid Thursday afternoon hundreds of attorneys and community groups rallied at the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall against recent arrests of immigrants within New York State Courts. The rally demanded that the Office of Court Administration prevent court officers from collaborating with ICE while also calling attention to the arrests’ chilling effect on access to justice for all immigrants.
Read the full story via Courthouse News Service: Attorneys Hold Chilly Protest as Immigration Arrests at Court Surge
by Natasha B. | Dec 7, 2017 | Immigration, News, Workers' Rights
A proud win for clients featured in this article about wage theft in the construction industry. Catholic Migration Services alongside NICE (New Immigrant Community Empowerment Coalition) helped some of the Whisk Remodeling workers file claims with the New York Department of Labor, and also advocated to the New York Attorney General. The contractor pleaded guilty to defrauding it’s workers, and admitted owing them $90,000 in unpaid wages.
Read the full story from The New York Times: New York Officials Battle Wage Theft in Construction Industry
by Natasha B. | Nov 20, 2017 | CMS in the News, Immigration, News
Representatives of the Indian Ministry pose for a photo on the church steps. Photo: Marie Elena Giossi, The Tablet
On Saturday, November 18th the Annual Diocesan Migration Day Mass was held at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Hundreds of the faith gathered in the breaking of the bread to celebrate the rich diversity of Brooklyn and Queens by honoring immigrant and ethnic communities. As in past years, the Most Rev. Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn advocated on behalf of the community, a voice for compassionate and comprehensive immigration reform.
Read the full story in The Tablet: Immigrants Feel Strength in Numbers at Migration Mass
by Natasha B. | Jun 22, 2017 | CMS in the News, News, Tenant Advocacy
An undocumented immigrant residing in an apartment complex on Parsons Boulevard in Queens, NY seeks assistance from Catholic Migration and Queens Legal Services after realty company seeks to evict undocumented tenants. The landlord is accused of using scare tactics to encourage neighbors to report suspicious activity to the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Unit. Posting signs accompanied by tip line numbers, tenants in the largely immigrant community now live in fear. Carlos Ortiz, tenant organizer with Catholic Migration Services shares this unscrupulous approach with NY 1 reporter Ruschell Boone.
Read the full story and watch the interview with NY 1: Queens Landlord Accused of Trying to Scare Undocumented Immigrants into Moving Away
by Natasha B. | May 25, 2017 | Immigration, News
In an effort to expand how the Church accompanies people, the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development recently launched a new website, migrants-refugees.va “to ensure that those forced to flee are not left behind.” Accessible in 5 languages, the Vatican office is personally directed by Pope Francis and is a direct response to the Holy Father’s concern for the displaced and marginalized across the globe.
Photo Credit: CRS
During the Sixth International Forum on Migration and Peace at the Vatican, February 21 to 22, His Holiness shared four “verbs” when addressing migrants and refugees among us. He challenged leaders and citizens of the world to welcome, protect, promote and integrate our fellow brothers and sisters. In doing so, we are called to discover the “sacred value of hospitality.”
At Catholic Migration Services, our mission is to “welcome the stranger in our midst”, by being committed to empowering underserved immigrant communities in Brooklyn and Queens regardless of religion, ethnicity, national origin, or immigration status. We are proud to connect our community to the Vatican’s newest website as a way to expand our services, education, and advocacy among the many people we assist.
The Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development was originally announced by Pope Francis on August 31, 2016 and began operation January 1st of this year. According to Radio Vaticana, the new Dicastery was created “to better serve the needs of the most vulnerable, including migrants and refugees, in yet another expression of his strong concern for the protection of people on the move.”
Read the full address from the Vatican: His Holiness Pope Francis to Participants in the International Forum on “Migration and Peace”
