by Natasha B. | May 12, 2023 | CMS in the News, Immigration, News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 12, 2023
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Serves Approximately 7,000 Asylum Seekers
Agency Prepared to Assist New Influx Expected with End of Title 42 Public Health Order
Brooklyn and Queens– Recognizing the plight of asylum seekers traveling through the southern border and their difficulties upon arriving in New York City, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has organized a collective response in both boroughs to welcome and provide essential emergency services to the new arrivals and their families. Since July 2022, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has served approximately 7,000 asylum seekers—and provided a total of 22,000 service units.
As one of the leading social service providers at the New York City Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has intimately engaged with the City to provide the services the asylum seekers need upon arrival. Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens’ programs and affiliates offer asylees limited financial assistance, emergency food and food pantry access, hot meals, clothing, diapers, English as a Second Language classes, access to WIC nutrition programs, NYC ID referrals, workforce development resources and MetroPlusHealth insurance.
For new arrivals with children, in addition to WIC nutrition services, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens also offers resources, information and referrals to Catholic Charities Head Start programs and New York City schools.
“The new arrivals are leaving horrendous situations in their home countries in search of safety, work, and an opportunity to provide for themselves and their families. The parishes are doing an incredible amount of work with us to help them acclimate to New York City and we couldn’t do the work we are doing without them,” said Reverend Monsignor Alfred P. LoPinto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens and Affiliated Agencies. With the Title 42 public health order set to end, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, affiliates and parish partners–while at capacity, is prepared to continue providing services as needed.
Catholic Migration Services, Inc., a Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens affiliate, has provided legal services to over 200 new arrivals, participated in multiple legal workshop clinics, and provided training to volunteer legal advocates to help with the surge of new migrants who have entered New York City over the last year.
Recently, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens began offering free Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) construction worker training workshops at local parishes, ensuring their safety as they prepare to work in the future.
Parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn, particularly those close to shelters where asylees are placed, have opened their doors to make their facilities available for OSHA training, hot meals, clothing drives, and baby showers for new and expectant parents.
About Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens:
For over 124 years, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has been providing quality social services to the neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens and currently offers 160-plus programs and services for children, youth, adults, older adults, and those struggling with mental illness. Since 1975, Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation, the affordable housing developer of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, has been transforming vacant land and buildings into affordable housing units and transforming the lives of individuals and families, and completed more than 4,567 units with supportive services for seniors, families, veterans and the formerly homeless. Since the pandemic began, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has provided much-needed food packages and services at 60 Catholic Charities parish-based food pantries and has distributed over $12 million in food assistance. Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens continues to deliver crucial mental health counseling, housing services, family services, early childhood education, and emergency services. Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens continues to deliver crucial mental health counseling, housing services, family services, early childhood education, and emergency services. For more information, please visit https://www.ccbq.org/annual-report-2022/ and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @cathcharitiesBQ or @catholiccharitiesBQ.
by Natasha B. | May 12, 2023 | Immigration, News
As Title 42 Expires, New York Immigrant Advocates Keep Working
By Fisayo Okare
MAY 09, 2023
After three years of using Title 42 to control the number of migrants crossing the border, the policy will finally expire tomorrow.
Title 42’s stated objective was to suspend the “introduction” of certain individuals who have been in “Coronavirus Impacted Areas,” and was used to expel many migrants at the southern border without letting them seek asylum. The federal government ended the national health emergency to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic last month, consequently necessitating the end of Title 42 too.
The number of undocumented migrants crossing the border has recently been estimated at around 7,500 per day. However, U.S. officials expect that number to increase to 13,000 each day as soon as Title 42 ends.
This means that destination or transitory cities that many migrants head to — such as New York City — are likely to see more migrants arrive.
A key question remains: Will New York City be able to provide necessary humanitarian services — shelter, food, and legal assistance — to migrants if there is an increased need?
Organizations Documented spoke to are continuing their work of providing information to migrants, connecting them to resources, and strengthening their ability to represent themselves in court. That includes UnLocal, which provides direct immigration legal representation and education to immigrants.
“We have experience in working with people who are seeking asylum, we have experience in working with people who are looking for humanitarian options for their immigration status,” UnLocal Executive Director Terry Lawson said. “And we are spending a lot of time at UnLocal thinking through Pro Se options with our community partners, and really doing our best in whatever ways we can.”
Community supporters, volunteers, and pro bono attorneys have been helping recently arrived migrants to receive Pro Se assistance in completing and filing their asylum and work authorization applications. The Pro Se Plus Project, which UnLocal and its partners run, trains people to understand the requirements for asylum so that they too can help recently arrived migrants.
“We want people to have access to information, and teach them what to do when you are in court,” Lawson said. This includes how to fill out an I-589 asylum application form. “So that we take away some of the mystery around it, which is really scary for people, and so we feel like people are as equipped as they can be going in, knowing that it’s going to be very hard for them to get a lawyer.”
As Texas Governor Greg Abbott began sending migrants that had crossed the Texas-Mexico border to New York City last summer, mutual aid groups and nonprofit organizations stepped up to help them access food, clothing, legal services, and other assistance.
The City administration also stepped up its efforts to help migrants by setting up a dedicated team as well as humanitarian relief centers to house them. Now, those services may need to meet a growing demand in the coming weeks.
To create more space in the City for migrants who might arrive, Mayor Eric Adams has said migrants who are already in the City and are willing to head to other neighboring communities like the Hudson Valley will be transported there.
Officials in the region haven’t embraced the idea. Two days ago, Rockland County even declared a state of emergency for 30 days and barred the City administration from sending migrants to its communities.
“Sending busloads of people to this county that does not have the infrastructure to care for them will only compound that issue tenfold while straining support systems that are already at a breaking point,” said Rockland County Executive Ed Day in a statement.
Adams has said only single adult men will be sent to the Hudson Valley for up to four months, as the City is trying to create more space for new migrants.
Andrew Heinrich, executive director and supervising attorney at Project Rosseau, offered representation on Monday to someone who only got to New York last week on a bus from Texas. On average, between 40 to 50 families visit Project Rousseau weekly to use their immigration screening services.
“I evaluated their case and we offered them representation that quickly,” he said. “So that’s the only way we’re going to be able to stay ahead of the curve here.”
Read the original story in Documented: As Title 42 Expires, New York Immigrant Advocates Keep Working
by Natasha B. | Apr 17, 2023 | CMS in the News, News
April 11, 2023
By Univision 41 Nueva York
Por Univision 41 Nueva York
Tras una batalla legal y decenas de denuncias, inquilinos de un edificio en Jackson Heights en Queens lograron una victoria en la corte, y el dueño de los apartamentos comenzó con reparaciones.
El mes pasado los inquilinos, en su mayoría de origen hispano, habían denunciado a Univision 41 el abandono en el que se encontraba este complejo ubicado en la 34th Road.
Moho, roedores, elevadores sin funcionar, ventanas con daños eran parte de la lista de problemas con los que convivían a diario.
Los afectados se unieron con la organización Catholic Migration Services para demandar al rentero en la corte civil de Queens.
El juez le dio un ultimátum a los dueños reparar los desperfectos y le dio como plazo hasta el 31 de mayo para terminar.
La remodelación ya inició, pero en caso de no terminarse, se le impondrá una multa al rentero.
“(Si no cumple) los inquilinos pueden demandar al dueño y entonces el juez va a decir que el dueño necesita pagar una multa”, indicó Bryan Fotino de la asociación Catholic Migration Services.
Fidel Portales tenía dos años con moho en el baño de su apartamento, además de problemas con una ventana.
Ambos problemas ya fueron solucionados.
“Si no era por ellos (la Catholic Migration Services) esto no va padelante”, agradeció Portales.
by Natasha B. | Apr 5, 2023 | CMS in the News, News
April 3, 2023
By Ethan Marshall
Photo by Ethan Marshall, Jackson Heights Post
Tenants of the Jackson Heights apartment building at 94-16 34th Road were joined by representatives from the Right to Counsel NYC Coalition (RTCNYC) and Catholic Migration Services on April 3 for a rally demanding safer living conditions and a statewide right to counsel.
The rally outside the Queens Housing Court in Jamaica marked the second held by the tenants in just over a month.
With the building’s tenants being predominantly low-and-middle-income people of Hispanic descent, they held the rally to bring attention to the poor living conditions that has put the health and safety of the building’s residents for the last 30 years. Additionally, they are uplifting their case to call for the passage of legislation-Statewide Right to Counsel (A1493-Joyner/S2721-May) for all New York state residents in any type of case that could result in eviction.
When the tenants and landlord met at their Feb. 27 court appearance, an agreement was ultimately reached to arrange access for maintenance to complete the repairs. However, the landlord’s workers frequently didn’t show up on certain access dates, according to the tenants. This has led to unresolved repairs, including insufficient heat and a malfunctioning elevator.
According to one of the tenants, Wanda Martinez, in her 30 years living at the building, she’s seen it change from owner to owner without any of the violations being addressed. She credits the Catholic Migration Services for helping the tenants organize and get the case to court.
“The first time [we were here] we established dates of access so that they can come in and start the repairs,” Martinez said. “They showed up to some, but didn’t show up to others, so we’re back here to negotiate. We’re going to give the [landlord] one more time to do what they have to do before we approach the judge and let them see that there is no good faith and that we may have to present a court case.”
Martinez said that the feedback she has received from the Catholic Migration Services attorney representing them, as well as the willingness of tenants to discuss their problems, has led her to determine April 3 as being an ultimatum date for the landlord.
According to Catholic Migration Services attorney Sarah Hainbach, there has been an agreement to a May 31 deadline of getting the building’s issues fixed. If the issues are not resolved by then, the tenants would sue the landlord.
“The landlord and the tenants agreed to a settlement today,” Hainbach said. “They agreed to all the repairs being completed by May 31, 2023. We’re hoping that’s what happens.”
Photo by Ethan Marshall, Jackson Heights Post
“Our thing is to get our repairs done, to have a good quality of life and not to be at a war with the owner,” Martinez said. “We understand that it’s his property, but we live in it and we deserve a good quality of life.”
In addition to repair issues like a lack of heat and hot water and the failure to address the building’s broken elevator in a timely manner, other factors leading to the tenants’ legal action include the failure to address mold and pests in the building. Additionally, the landlord attempted to pressure tenants to sign illegal leases without offering them new correct leases as well as harassing them by showing up at tenant association meetings and banging on their doors without warning.
A representative from the office of Assembly member Jessica González-Rojas was also on hand to read a statement she provided. In the statement, González-Rojas voiced her support for the tenants.
“No one should have to experience harassment at home,” Assemblymember González-Rojas said in her statement. “It is outrageous that the landlord has not provided the tenants with the renewal leases and that the repairs are not being completed since [the workers] are failing to show up on the dates arranged. Everyone deserves dignified housing and it’s clear that the tenants are not receiving that from the landlord. I urge the landlord to correct these issues immediately and stand and will continue to stand with the tenants of 94-16 34th Rd. until the repairs and needs are met.”
According to Catholic Migration Services Tenant Organizer Bryan Fotino, the landlord will be held accountable for doing the bare minimum in getting the repairs done before the deadline. If the work is not done by May 31, he said they plan to file a lawsuit against the landlord in contempt.
Photo by Ethan Marshall, Jackson Heights Post
“We are also out here in support of statewide right to counsel,” Fotino said. “We have been up in Albany working with state legislators to support this statewide right to counsel legislation. It would not only expand right to counsel throughout New York State, but it would also cover affirmative cases. Tenants who have repair issues will now have a lawyer who can support them as they’re filing their cases to sue their landlord. It’s been very important for the tenants to have the support of CMS legal team, helping them file out paperwork, helping them magnify their voices, helping answer questions about their rights. What this law would do is expand that for everyone.”
by Natasha B. | Mar 3, 2023 | CMS in the News, News, Tenant Advocacy
Por Univision 41 Nueva York
Inquilinos se unieron para exigir soluciones a las constantes problemáticas en sus viviendas, en las que deben lidiar con la presencia de ratones, cucarachas y la falta de mantenimiento. Además, aseguran que el elevador del edificio presenta fallas, lo que afecta a los adultos mayores y personas con problemas de movilidad. El caso llegó hasta la corte y un juez le impuso un mes de plazo al casero para que complete las reparaciones.
Vea la entrevista por Univision 41 Nueva York: “Queremos calidad de vida”: inquilinos denuncian las malas condiciones que viven en un edificio en Nueva York
