by Natasha B. | Dec 23, 2017 | Immigration, Legal Services, Press Releases and Statements, Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
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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.
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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 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).
by Natasha B. | May 24, 2017 | Legal Services, News
Congratulations to the 2017 graduates of Brooklyn Law School and our very own, Very Rev. Patrick J. Keating, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Migration Services. Fr. Keating delivered the opening invocation and received his Juris Doctorate alongside 399 students during the 116th commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 18th.
Political anchor at NY1 News and a 2005 graduate, Errol Louis, delivered the commencement speech and received an honorary degree. According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the common theme that carried across everyone’s speech was the responsibility toward community. In the commencement speech, Louis reminded the graduates not to forget their “invisible clients.”
“Remember that you have clients beyond the ones who are paying you,” Louis said. “Justice is your client. Fairness is your client. Honesty and integrity and service are your clients, and they deserve your best effort.”
Read the full story from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Errol Luis delivers commencement speech at Brooklyn Law School graduation
by Natasha B. | May 22, 2017 | Immigration, Legal Services, News, Tenant Advocacy
Yolanda Coca, que en paz descanse, sirvió a sus hermanos con compasión, esperanza y fuerza en una época en que los marginados necesitaban una voz que pudiera luchar por ellos. Fue una activista y líder comunitaria que dedicó su vida al servicio de sus vecinos en Sunset Park, Ridgewood y Bushwick. Muchos de ellos se enfrentaron con la desigualdad en comunidades donde predominaban las familias inmigrantes y de bajos ingresos.
Su trabajo y colaboración con el Centro Scalabrini para familias migrantes y Servicios Católicos de Migración ayudó a expandir los servicios y recursos disponibles a la comunidad.
Lea la historia completa en Nuestra Voz: El legado de Yolanda Coca
by Natasha B. | May 10, 2017 | Immigration, Legal Services, News, Workers' Rights
Foundation Board member Martin Minkowitz, center, presents a grant to David Colodny, Director of Legal Services of Catholic Migration Services, left, and Father Patrick Keating, CEO of Catholic Migration Services. Photo: Nancy Pardo
From The New York Bar Foundation: The New York Bar Foundation recently presented a grant of $2,500 to Catholic Migration Services, Brooklyn. The grant will be used to support their Immigrant Workers’ Rights Program.
“Catholic Migration Services greatly appreciates the New York Bar Foundation’s critical support of our Immigrant Workers’ Rights Program,” states Father Patrick Keating. “The Foundation’s grant will support efforts to help low-wage workers who have fallen victim to wage theft, and to help educate hundreds of other workers about their rights in the workplace, such as their right to receive the minimum wage and overtime, and to work in safe conditions.”
In early 2017, The New York Bar Foundation allocated more than $640,000 in grants to programs across New York State. These grants assist in:
- Increasing public understanding of the law
- Improving the justice system and the law
- Facilitating the delivery of legal services
- Enhancing professional competence and ethics
The New York Bar Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the New York State Bar Association. To learn more about The Foundation and how you can support its charitable programs, go to www.tnybf.org, phone 518-487-5651 or email nybarfoundation@tnybf.org.
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