by Natasha B. | Jan 18, 2018 | Immigration, Legal Services, Press Releases and Statements, Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
January 18, 2018
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti on November 23, 2017. TPS for Haitian recipients will expire on July 22, 2019. Please read the following for information pertaining to the re-registration process.
Catholic Migration Services urges anyone who receives TPS for Haiti to call our office and schedule an appointment for a free legal consultation.
What are the important deadlines?
- If you are a current Haitian TPS holder with a pending TPS application as of January 18, 2018 you do NOT need to apply again. If TPS is approved from the pending application, TPS will be granted through the termination date of July 22, 2019 and you will receive an Employment Authorization Document (work permit) with an expiration date of July 22, 2019.
- Current Haitian TPS holders who received an Employment Authorization Document with an expiration date of January 22, 2018, will receive an automatic extension of their work permit for 180 days (valid through July 21, 2018) however, you must re-register in order to continue receiving TPS through the termination date of July 22, 2019.
- Re-registration for Haitian TPS runs from January 18, 2018 through March 19, 2018.
- If you do not re-register during this time period, you will not be in lawful status and will effectively abandon your TPS.
Do I need to apply for a new Employment Authorization Document (work permit)?
- The Department of Homeland Security has automatically extended the validity of work permits expiring on January 22, 2018 for 180 days, through July 21, 2018. If you wish to maintain status and have a valid work permit through July 22, 2019, you should apply for a new work permit before the July 21, 2018 expiration date.
Do I need to pay any fees?
- If you are 14 years or older, you must submit an $85 biometrics fee with your re-registration;
- If you are unable to pay the biometrics fee, you may submit a request for a fee waiver;
- You do not need to pay a filing fee for renewing your TPS if you are under 14 years old;
- If you wish to receive a new work permit with a July 22, 2019 expiration date on the face of the card, you must pay the $410 Employment Authorization Document fee;
- All forms and payments can be filed together.
To be screened for other possible forms of immigration relief or if you have any questions, please contact Catholic Migration Services at 718-236-3000.
Download this update as a PDF
by Natasha B. | Jan 18, 2018 | Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Immigration, Legal Services, News, Press Releases and Statements
January 15, 2018
Presione aquí para la versión en Español
Due to a federal court order issued on January 9, 2018, USCIS has resumed accepting renewal applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Until further notice, individuals previously granted DACA may request a renewal of their status and employment authorization. USCIS is not accepting applications from those who have never before received DACA.
What this announcement means:
If you previously received DACA and your DACA expired on or after September 5, 2016, you may file a renewal request. Renewal requests can be made up to 180 days (6 months) before your work permit expires.
If your DACA expired before September 5, 2016, or it was terminated at any time, you may file a new initial request now. However, if you have never received DACA in the past, you are not allowed to file an initial application at this time.
Travel with DACA:
It is no longer possible to submit an application for Advance Parole (permission to re-enter the United States granted in advance of travel abroad) as a DACA recipient.
Expiration of DACA and Enforcement:
According to DHS, as of now, “information provided in DACA requests will not be proactively provided to other law enforcement entities (including ICE and CBP) for the purpose of immigration enforcement proceedings unless the request or poses a risk to national security or public safety, or meets the criteria for the issuance of a Notice To Appear or a referral to ICE under the criteria.” However, this policy may change at a later time.
Catholic Migration Services urges anyone who currently receives DACA to call our office and schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Please visit our website periodically at www.catholicmigration.org for information pertaining to DACA assistance.
Download this statement as a PDF.
by Natasha B. | Jan 6, 2018 | Immigration, News
As we embark on a New Year, January 1st marked the annual World Day of Peace. This year, on the 51st anniversary, in his World Day of Peace message, the Holy Father, chose the theme “Migrants and Refugees: Men and Women in Search of Peace.” The Pontiff urges to turn a “contemplative gaze” toward our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters and to respond to their plight with four “mileposts for action.” The four mileposts include: welcoming, promoting, protecting, and integrating these men and women into our communities. In his weekly column, Put Out Into the Deep, the Most Rev. Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn offers insight on helping immigrants.
Read the full column in The Tablet: Guidelines to Helping Immigrants
For additional resources from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops click here.
by Natasha B. | Dec 23, 2017 | Immigration, Legal Services, Press Releases and Statements, Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Presione aquí para la versión en Español
Peze la pou tradui nan Kreyol Ayisyen
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently made important announcements impacting the rights of people from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Haiti who receive Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Honduras and Nicaragua were originally designated for TPS in 1999, after the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch while Haiti’s original designation for TPS was issued in 2010 following the effects of a 7.0-magnitude earthquake. The TPS designation has permitted Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Haitian nationals to live and work in the United States legally, to own homes and businesses, and to establish family roots.
Catholic Migration Services urges anyone who receives TPS for Honduras, Nicaragua, or Haiti to call our office and schedule an appointment for a free legal consultation.
The DHS Determination for TPS Holders from Honduras
The Department of Homeland Security announced that additional information is necessary regarding the TPS designation for Honduras, and therefore it has made no determination regarding Honduras at this time. As a result of the inability to make a determination, the TPS designation for Honduras will be automatically extended for six months from the current January 8, 2018 date of expiration to the new expiration date of July 5, 2018. TPS recipients from Honduras must re-register with DHS between December 15, 2017 and February 13, 2018.
TPS beneficiaries are reminded that, prior to July 5, 2018, the Secretary will review the conditions in Honduras and decide whether to extend or terminate the TPS designation. During this period, beneficiaries are encouraged to prepare for their return to Honduras in the event Honduras’ designation is not extended again and if they have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States, including requesting updated travel documents from the Government of Honduras.
The DHS Determination for TPS Holders from Nicaragua
The Department of Homeland Security announced that the TPS designation for Nicaragua will terminate on January 5, 2019. At that time, nationals of Nicaragua (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Nicaragua) who have been granted TPS under the Nicaragua designation will no longer have TPS.
Nationals of Nicaragua (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Nicaragua) who have been granted TPS and wish to maintain their TPS and receive TPS-based Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) valid through January 5, 2019, must re-register for TPS. The 60-day re-registration period runs from December 15, 2017 through February 13, 2018. (NOTE: It is important for re-registrants to timely re-register during this 60-day period and not to wait until their EADs expire).
The DHS Determination for TPS Holders from Haiti
The Department of Homeland Security announced on November 20, 2017 that the TPS designation for Haiti will terminate on July 22, 2019. At that time, nationals of Haiti (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) who have been granted TPS under the Haiti designation will no longer have TPS.
Nationals of Haiti (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) who have been granted TPS and wish to maintain their TPS must re-register. Information about re-registration will be published in the Federal Register. No Federal Register Notice has been issued as of November 21, 2017. Please check this website periodically for updates regarding the renewal process.
How Anyone Can Advocate on Behalf of TPS Recipients
We urge the community to contact your local representatives and inform them to maintain this critical humanitarian protection. Take action by writing a letters(s) to the Administration and your local members of Congress requesting an extension of TPS; share stories; and learn more.
Catholic Migration Services is a non-profit organization that offers free immigration, employment, and housing legal services to Brooklyn and Queens residents. Please continue to visit our website at catholicmigration.org for further updates and important information about the government’s immigration policies.
Download this statement as a PDF
by Natasha B. | Dec 12, 2017 | CMS in the News, Immigration, News
Monsignor Kieran Harrington and Fr. Patrick Keating discuss TPS on In the Arena.
In the most recent episode of In the Arena, host Monsignor Kieran Harrington sits down with Father Patrick Keating, CEO of Catholic Migration Services. The two discuss recent changes to TPS (Temporary Protective Status) while also addressing what Catholic Migration is doing to to assist clients and what the community could do to advocate on behalf of their neighbors.
Watch the full interview of In the Arena via NET TV: In The Arena: Season 9, Episode 12
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 David Colodny | Sep 14, 2017 | News
Help us help Dreamers!
Dreamers are recipients of the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. They are young people who came to the U.S. before the age of 16 and are currently in school, a graduate of high school or equivalent, or honorably discharged from the U.S. military. They also have a clean criminal record and have passed a background check. The DACA registration is good for two years, after which the DACA recipient must again meet the same requirements in order to renew DACA for two more years.
An estimated 790,000 young people have undergone the rigorous vetting and are enrolled in the DACA program.
On September 5th, Attorney General Sessions announced that the current administration is terminating DACA. Current DACA recipients have only until October 5, 2017 to renew their status.
Terminating DACA will have immediate devastating consequences for DACA recipients. With your support, we will continue to reach out to the community to ensure that as many DACA recipients as possible renew their DACA status before the deadline of October 5th.
Please take action now to support the Dreamers by donating to Catholic Migration Services and earmarking your donation to support our DACA work. We will use these funds to help Dreamers needing financial assistance pay the $495 fee charged by the government and to support our expanded efforts to assist Dreamers with their renewal applications.
by changer | Sep 13, 2017 | Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Home and More News, Immigration, Legal Services, News
Catholic Migration Services is deeply troubled and saddened by the Trump administration’s lack of commitment to immigrant youth. On September 5th 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump administration was rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). DACA was a program put in place by President Obama to protect young people from deportation if they had been brought to the U.S. as children, and to enable them to lawfully work. An estimated 800,000 children and young adults across the country applied for, and were granted DACA status. These DACA recipients have been able to finish school and obtain jobs, contribute to our economy and communities, and live without the constant fear of deportation.
For more information on the government’s termination of the DACA program and what it means to current DACA recipients, see our fact sheets in English and Spanish. For advice or assistance with DACA renewal applications, please call us at (718) 236-3000 (Brooklyn) or (347) 472-3500 (Queens).
