by changer | Feb 25, 2015 | Legal Services
Last Friday February 20th, The National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) and Univision 41 brought together a panel of attorneys and immigration experts to address over 300 community members at the Casita Maria Cultural Center in the Bronx. The panel focused on updates surrounding the executive action programs announced by President Obama in November of last year.
The panel spoke to inform and update community members of all the legal services available to them and their families interested in applying for an immigration status. President Obama’s proposed plan to expand Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and introduce Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) would provide work authorization to and safeguard millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation. The more informed the community is of available services from licensed attorneys, the less likely they will be to fall victim to “notarios” or people not qualified to provide immigration legal services.
CMS and other organizations provided information on their services and hotlines to provide further information on the President’s executive action programs. The overwhelming interest further demonstrated the need for a more comprehensive solution to the existing immigration system and for the growing need for trustworthy legal service providers.
CMS Naturalization Coordinator Zach Shultz with Univision Anchor Jorge Viera.
by changer | Feb 23, 2015 | Immigration
A federal court in Texas has issued a preliminary injunction preventing USCIS from accepting requests for the expansion of DACA. Therefore, the program is on hold for now. We believe that this is just a temporary setback and we are optimistic that the program will go into effect in the near future. Therefore we encourage everyone who qualifies to continue to prepare and gather the documents they need and the fees for the application. This ruling does not affect the DACA program that is currently in effect from 2012 and those who are eligible should continue to apply and/or renew their status. Please check back for updates.
A dedicated hotline has been established at CMS to provide up to date information on this topic. All interested individuals are encouraged to call the hotline at 347-979-9360.
For more information about CMS, please contact our Brooklyn office at 718-236-3000 or the Queens office at 347-472-3500. You can also visit Catholic Migration Services.
by changer | Feb 16, 2015 | Immigration
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will honor Presidents Day by welcoming approximately 5,000 new U.S. citizens during nearly 40 Presidents Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the country Feb. 13-22.
“Congratulations to the nearly 5,000 immigrants who will become U.S. citizens around Presidents Day,” said USCIS Director León Rodríguez. “Citizenship is a critical component of immigrant integration. It provides immigrants with an equal footing, and fosters a sense of belonging and inclusion that strengthens the bonds of shared ownership in society. As we celebrate Presidents Day, I encourage anyone who is eligible for naturalization to consider the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of citizenship.”
USCIS Deputy Director Lori Scialabba will provide congratulatory remarks to 200 people at a naturalization ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on Feb. 17. Rodríguez will administer the Oath of Allegiance to 50 people and deliver keynote remarks atGeorge Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia on Feb. 22.
USCIS encourages new citizens and their families and friends to share their experiences from the ceremonies through Twitter and other social media using the hashtag #newUScitizen.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, visit uscis.gov.
by changer | Feb 10, 2015 | Immigration, Legal Services, Parish Outreach, Workers' Rights
On Sunday, Feb. 1, CMS staff Rebecca Rybaltowski and Lorena Lopez conducted outreach at St. Benedict Joseph Labre Parish in South Richmond Hill. They discussed CMS programs and the different services we offer after both an English and Spanish mass. In total there were around 150 attendees, after mass Rebecca and Lorena distributed materials to parishioners and answered questions. CMS will be continuing parish outreach throughout the remainder of winter and into the spring season.
by changer | Feb 2, 2015 | News
On Sunday December 14th 2014 CMS staff Alice Davis, Quetzalli Rocha, and Rebecca Rybaltowski attended a community meeting put on by Faith in New York, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and the Juan Newman Center at the Notre Dame Hall at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. This programming was made possible in part by the support of New York City Council Member Carlos Menchaca. Over 150 community members attended this event. Bitta Mostofi the director of the Municipal ID Outreach Campaign discussed the new Municipal ID program. Father Piedra from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish discussed President Obama’s new Administrative Relief.
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by changer | Feb 2, 2015 | News
On Thursday, December 11th 2014 CMS Staff Rev. Patrick Keating, Robert McCreanor, Alice Davis, and Quetzalli Rocha met with Ambassador Fuentes, Mario Cuevas, and Johannes Jacome, representatives of the Mexican Consulate. Throughout the meeting participants discussed the Immigrant Workers’ Rights Program (IWRP) and the program’s hotline, Linea Laboral. Nearly half of Linea Laboral callers are from Mexican nationals and since May 2014 59% of the cases sent through Linea Laboral to government agencies have been from Mexican citizens. The Mexican consulate has been a powerful ally in promoting the Linea Laboral hotline. Linea Laboral has been successful in addressing the needs of immigrant workers across the New York tri-state area, responding to 355 calls since May. CMS thanks the Mexican Consulate for their contribution to Linea Laboral!
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by changer | Feb 2, 2015 | News
On Saturday, December 6th, CMS hosted a Citizenship Application Assistance Workshop in its Brooklyn office. Staff and volunteers were able to assist over 20 registered participants with their applications to become U.S. citizens, as well as connect citizenship applicants to resources within their communities to help them prepare for the English and civics exam.
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by changer | Feb 2, 2015 | News
On Saturday December 6th 2014 CMS held an informational session on Administrative Relief at St. Sebastian Parish Center. Over 300 people attended this event to gather more information on the new policy that will provide an opportunity for certain undocumented immigrants in the United States to apply for a limited form of immigration legal relief.
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by changer | Feb 2, 2015 | News
On Wednesday, November 26, 2014 CMS held the Queens Tenant Monthly Meeting at St. Sebastian Parish Center in Woodside. We invited several organizations including Catholic Charities, JASA, and the Queens Library to provide attendees with information on their services. (more…)
by changer | Feb 2, 2015 | News
On November 12th CMS staff Marisol Canales and Rebecca Rybaltowski attended The Annual Immigration Town Hall Meeting hosted by Councilman Rafael Espinal of District 37 in collaboration with Catholic Charities. This meeting served to discuss various issues affecting the immigrant community. There were presentations on citizenship from CUNY Citizenship Now, from the Department of Consumer Affairs on the New Paid Sick Leave Law, and a discussion from the 83 Precinct police station in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Ms. Canales served as a member of the panel and discussed the resources CMS provides and common issues that the people we serve face.
Last Friday February 20th, The National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) and Univision 41 brought together a panel of attorneys and immigration experts to address over 300 community members at the Casita Maria Cultural Center in the Bronx. The panel focused on updates surrounding the executive action programs announced by President Obama in November of last year.
