On Aug. 19, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting applications for the first step of the process under the Keeping Families Together program. A week later, however, a Texas judge put a temporary hold on parole. Here’s what we know.
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: Mayor Adams Wants to Turn NYC Into ‘Cop City’
Priyanka Shetty |
“This project speaks not just to one isolated facility but the current administration’s overarching goal to make all of New York City a ‘Cop City’ in and of itself.”
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: Correcting Racial Injustices in New York’s Legal System—And Beyond
Robert Gangi |
“While from time to time, our system does hold people of wealth, power, and/or influence accountable for their violations of the law, these kinds of cases do not represent the bulk, or even close to it, of the criminal prosecutions that take place here.”
Citywide
NYC Budget Closes Gap for NYCHA Senior Security Program
Tatyana Turner |
After weeks of negotiations, the unarmed security program that was poised to end on June 30 will continue.
Government
Advocates, Lawmakers Frustrated By Late City Hall Report on Homeless Encampment ‘Sweeps’
Jeanmarie Evelly |
City Hall was supposed to begin reporting more details on how it removes homeless New Yorkers from public spaces, sharing data on where each sweep took place, the agencies involved, how many people were affected and the costs. But a month after the first due date, advocates and lawmakers are still waiting.
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: NYC’s Budget Must Include Immigrants for the Success of Our City
Murad Awawdeh |
“With legal services to obtain work authorizations, language access so they can navigate our government bureaucracy, childcare so they can go to work, and education so their kids can get on the pathway to future success, immigrant families will be able to contribute even more to our city.”
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: NYC Can’t Solve Its Housing Crisis Without Addressing Voucher Discrimination
Amy Blumsack |
“Opening the Section 8 waitlist was huge, but it only addressed part of the problem—the city must invest more resources in addressing discrimination against voucher holders by increasing funding for the City Commission on Human Rights.”
Government
Advocates Renew Call for Poll Sites in NYC Jails
Mary Cunningham |
Voter education is one hurdle. But a bigger one, advocates say, is the cumbersome voting process itself for people behind bars. “There are impediments and obstacles that create real and serious concerns about the viability of an absentee ballot,” said Cesar Ruiz, associate counsel at LatinoJustice.
Government
Migrantes detenidos por ICE en Nueva York inician breve huelga de hambre por suspensión de llamadas telefónicas gratuitas y condiciones en detención
Daniel Parra |
El programa de “minutos gratis” se remonta a principios de la pandemia del COVID-19, cuando los centros de detención de todo el país cerraron sus puertas a las visitas. “Las llamadas telefónicas son un instrumento vital para las personas detenidas”, afirma Rosa Santana, de Envision Freedom Fund.
Government
Migrants Detained by ICE in New York Stage Brief Hunger Strike Over End of Free Phone Calls, Conditions
Daniel Parra |
The “free minutes” program dates back to early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when detention centers across the country closed their doors to visitors. “The phone calls are a lifeline to people in detention,” said Rosa Santana of Envision Freedom Fund.
Government
Homeless Drop-In Center Mainchance Gets Fresh Chance to Fight Closure
Emma Whitford and Patrick Spauster |
A state judge has agreed to hear arguments in late July, temporarily protecting the Midtown East site beyond the city’s planned June 30 contract termination.