by changer | Feb 2, 2015 | feature
On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced a 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. It is estimated that at least tens of thousands of people within the Diocese of Brooklyn will be eligible to apply this new benefit which will include employment authorization and protection from deportation.
In furtherance of our mission to “Welcome the Stranger”, the Diocese of Brooklyn aims to provide reliable information and legal assistance to parishioners and other immigrants in response to the President’s announcement. Catholic Migration Services (CMS) will spearhead our Diocesan-wide effort to bring accessible and affordable services to eligible immigrants under this program.
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.
Please be aware that the United States government has not yet established procedures for individuals to get relief under this new program. Therefore, it is important that immigrants beware of advertisements or solicitations which promise legal assistance.
Additionally CMS will conduct a special information session on Administrative Immigration Relief at St. Sebastian’s Parish Center located at 39-60 57th St. Woodside, Queens on December 6th at 1:00 PM. All interested Individuals are encouraged to attend.
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 | Nov 20, 2014 | Immigration
CMS is hosting a free Citizenship Application Assistance Workshop on Saturday, December 6th at Our Lady of the Angelus in Rego Park, Queens.
If you are a Lawful Permanent Resident interested in applying for U.S. citizenship, please call (646) 597-8797 for more information and how to register for this event.
When: Saturday, December 6th, 2014
Time: 11:30 am – 5:30 pm
Where: Our Lady of the Angelus
63-63 98th Street
Rego Park, NY 11374
(take M or R Train to 63 Dr – Rego Park)
You will need to bring the following information and documents:
- Your green card, driver’s license (or state ID) and all passports you have
- Your addresses and job history for last five years
- If you have ever been arrested, court dispositions for all arrests
- If you receive public benefits, budget letter from agency (in English)
- Information about your children (name, birthdays, A numbers, address)
For more information on our citizenship services, please call Zachary Shultz, the
CMS Naturalization Coordinator, in our Brooklyn office at 718 236-3000.
by changer | Nov 19, 2014 | Immigration
On November 14, CMS staff Kenny Minaya and Quetzalli Rocha attended a press conference where Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation that will protect the rights of immigrants in NYC.
Mayor de Blasio met with members of the community in front of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona. He signed legislation that will limit New York City’s cooperation with the federal agency Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). Under this legislation NYC will now only acknowledge ICE detainers for residents who have been convicted of a serious crime or have a federal warrant out for their arrest. In addition, this law will eliminate ICE presence on Rikers Island Correctional Facility.
Mayor de Blasio discussed that this new law will protect all immigrants in NYC as well as protect the safety of the general public. Immigrants will feel secure under the law to approach and work with police officers in reporting crimes without fear of deportation.
Mayor de Blasio addressed the potential for executive action by President Barack Obama but that a more comprehensive immigration reform must be passed by congress to see lasting improvements. Speaker for the New York City council, Melissa Mark-Viverito, spoke in regards to the importance of cities and states acting in place of the federal government and creating their own legislation to improve the lives of immigrants in their community and to enact the change they want to see on a national level.
Council member Julissa Ferreras discussed the importance of signing this piece of legislation at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish where thousands of immigrant families attend service each week.
Speaker of the NYC council Melissa Mark-Viverito speaks to the significance of this legislation leading the way to national immigration reform. Ms. Mark-Viverito introduced this legislation along with other council members.
by changer | Nov 12, 2014 | Immigration, Workers' Rights
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on March 29th 2013 that increased the minimum wage in three increments, $8.00 an hour on 12/31/13, $8.75 an hour beginning 12/31/14, and $9.00 an hour beginning 12/31/15.
The minimum wage laws apply to all workers, even if you are undocumented or paid in cash or off the record. You must receive at least $8.75 per hour, regardless of whether you are paid on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. Overtime will also increase to a minimum of $13.13 for hours exceeding 40 in a work week.
For more information on the minimum wage please visit the New York State Department of Labor.
If you or someone you know is receiving less than $8.00 an hour, or $8.75 an hour beginning 12/31/14 or is not receiving overtime please contact CMS’ Linea Laboral 877-525-2267.
Linea Laboral is a call center for workers to learn about their rights and report abuses. Linea Laboral is part of the Immigrant Workers’ Rights Program (IWRP). This program assists workers across New York and New Jersey in disputes over wage and hour violations, unsafe working conditions, and other workplace abuses. Since the development of IWRP in 2009 we have sent nearly 1,000 complaints to federal and state government agencies and have recovered around $250,000 in wages.
For more information on the Immigrant Workers’ Rights Program click here.
by changer | Nov 3, 2014 | Immigration, Legal Services
Catholic Migration Services joins the list of organizations in 24 states and the District of Columbia who will receive nearly $10 million from USCIS for citizenship services
BROOKLYN, NY (November 3, 2014) – Catholic Migration Services (CMS) announced today that it was one of only 40 organizations nationwide chosen to receive a citizenship grant from U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The federal grant is awarded on a highly competitive basis and comes with an award of $250,000 dispersed over a two-year period to fund legal and educational services for lawful permanent residents interested in applying for U.S. citizenship.
Since it began its Citizenship and Integration Grant Program in 2009, USCIS has awarded a total of $43 million to immigrant-serving organizations in 35 states and the District of Columbia, helping more than 93,000 permanent residents prepare for citizenship. Thanks to this grant funding, CMS will expand its existing naturalization legal services, while at the same time its partner and sub-grantee, Brooklyn Public Library, will offer free citizenship instructional courses at several local library branches located throughout the borough.
“We are thrilled and honored to receive this grant from USCIS,” said Rev. Patrick Keating, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Migration Services. “With this federal funding, and through our partnership with Brooklyn Public Library, we will be able to do so much more to reach the hundreds of thousands of lawful permanent residents that call New York City home. There is a great need for quality citizenship preparation services in this city, and we are very happy to be working toward meeting the needs of our city’s diverse immigrant communities with this program.”
“We are thrilled and honored to receive this grant from USCIS. With this federal funding, we will be able to reach hundreds of thousands of lawful permanent residents that call New York City home,” said Rev. Patrick Keating, CEO of Catholic Migration Services.
If you would like more information about the CMS Citizenship and Integration Program, please visit our website. For information on how to enroll in citizenship courses at Brooklyn Public Libraries or how to receive naturalization application assistance, please call the CMS Citizenship Hotline at (646) 597-8797.
About Catholic Migration Services
Catholic Migration Services (CMS) is a non-profit legal services organization that was established in 1971 by the Most Reverend Francis J. Mugavero to serve the needs of immigrants and refugees in Queens and Brooklyn. Originally operating in a small storefront office as the immigration services arm of the Diocese of Brooklyn, today the organization is a fully independent 501(c)(3) corporation offering a wide range of legal services related to immigration, housing and employment. Since its founding, CMS has served tens of thousands of immigrants—regardless of religion, race or legal status—from at least 167 countries who speak more than 80 languages. For more information about CMS and how to access our legal services, visit us on the web at www.catholicmigration.org.
Acknowledgement of Funding
The services described in this press release are supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Grant Award Number 2014-CS-010-000009. The views and conclusions contained in this press release are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication.
Contact
To learn more about the CMS Citizenship Program, please contact:
Zachary Shultz, Naturalization Coordinator
191 Joralemon St, 4th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Office: (718) 236-3000
Fax: (718) 256-9707
zshultz@catholicmigration.org
by changer | Oct 31, 2014 | Legal Services
On October 28th, community members gathered for the Queens Tenant Monthly Meeting. Over 100 people participated in the event and several CMS partner organizations were present such as the Riis Settlement House, Catholic Charities, Fidelis Health Care, and JASA.
We were joined by two presenters: Joby Thovalil, the campaign organizer from the New Economy Project, spoke in regards to passing legislation that prohibits employers from running a credit check on potential and current employees. Bitta Mostofi, the director of the Municipal ID Outreach Campaign, discussed the new Municipal ID program. This program provides a form of photo identification for every New York City resident, despite immigration status. Residents can apply for a Municipal ID beginning January 1, 2015.
by changer | Oct 29, 2014 | Family Resources
On October 28th 2014 CMS staff Frederik Stefani and Jennifer Park held a workshop at the Institute for Community Living (ICL) Family Resource Center in Brooklyn. CMS staff spoke to a small group of 10 people about various eligibility options for victims of crimes, such as the Violence against Women Act, U and T visas, and Gender-Based asylum. The Institute for Community Living (ICL) Family Resource Center is a community-based service provider that equips parents with the skills and tools to assist children who experience behavioral and emotional problems. CMS is developing our outreach and partnership efforts throughout Brooklyn and Queens to be more accessible to people out in the community.
by changer | Oct 21, 2014 | Legal Services, News, Parish Outreach
CMS is currently conducting outreach for our legal services programs in parishes throughout Brooklyn and Queens. Thus far we have distributed important information and provided consultations to hundreds of parishioners at St. Margaret Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Catherine of Alexandria, Sts. Joachim and Anne, St. Joan of Arc, St. Agatha, St. Teresa, Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Leo, Corpus Christi, Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Helen, St. Sebastian, St. Matthias, Our Lady of the Angelus, St. Rita, and St. Patrick.
We have staff on site ready to assist parishioners and provide information about our housing, immigration, and labor programs. CMS is working to increase accessibility by offering critical legal services to people who may otherwise not have the ability to come into our office during business hours. We will continue to conduct outreach in parishes across Brooklyn and Queens every Sunday through November.
For a full schedule of the churches we will be visiting this fall, please take a look at our Events Calendar!
by changer | Oct 2, 2014 | More News, Uncategorized
Julissa Ferreras, council member of the 21st district in Queens, spoke at the Queens Tenant Monthly Meeting.
CMS held our first Queens Tenant Monthly Meeting of fall 2014 on Wednesday September 24.Over 80 community members attended the meeting at St. Sebastian Parish Center. We were joined by council member Julissa Ferreras of the 21st district in Queens. She spoke about current housing issues in the Elmhurst, Corona, and Jackson Heights area and a new development for affordable housing that is opening in Corona. Ariel Salazar of the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs gave a presentation on the new paid sick leave law that was enacted in the city of New York on April 1st 2014. This law grants new rights for employees to receive compensation for days that they or a loved one are sick and cannot work.
CMS housing attorney Kenny Minaya ended our meeting with announcements that effect tenants throughout the 5 boroughs. He explained the rent increases that are beginning on October 1st and he reminded tenants about the legal temperature in New York City apartments. He also spoke regarding the expiration of the rent stabilization law in June 2015 and a renewal that further protects the rights of tenants. CMS staff Jennifer Park, Alexina Delvecchio, Alice Davis, and Quetzalli Rocha were present to speak with community member about our Immigration Legal Services and Immigrant Workers Rights Program. Members of CMS partner organizations JASA, Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, and Fidelis Health Care were available to speak with community members about the various services they each provide. CMS will be holding the Queens Tenant Monthly Meetings now through June.
For more information about the CMS monthly meetings, please contact Kenny Minaya at kminaya@catholicmigration.org.
Location: St. Sebastian Parish Center
39-60 57th St., Woodside, NY 11377
Time: 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Dates:
October 28, 2014
November 26, 2014
December 17, 2014
January 28, 2015
February 25, 2015
March 25, 2015
April 30, 2015
May 27, 2015
June 24, 2015
For a full list of CMS events, please see our Events Calendar!
by changer | Sep 26, 2014 | fundraising, News
On September 18, friends and supporters of Catholic Migration Services gathered at the offices of Time Warner, Inc. at Columbus Circle to enjoy beautiful views of Central Park and celebrate CMS’ legal services programs. For the fifth consecutive year, Time Warner, Inc. generously sponsored CMS’ Fall Benefit, which is an important source of financial support for the organization.
Attendees were welcomed by Time Warner, Inc. attorney Kwanza Butler who expressed Time Warner’s commitment to pro bono work and civic engagement including its relationship with CMS. CMS is thankful for its partnership with Time Warner, Inc. and for the support of all those who contributed to make the Fall Benefit event a success.
