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 | 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
