Immigrants' rights advocates are pushing Minneapolis to finally issue municipal identification cards to residents regardless of their immigration status.
The city passed the municipal ID ordinance in 2018 as a way to help residents obtain services such as bank accounts. But it halted the program's launch over concerns the information could be used to identify immigrants for deportation. "The city refuses to implement this policy for fear of putting immigrants at risk," Council Member Aisha Chughtai said Thursday at a news conference, where she was flanked by at least two dozen sign-carrying advocates. "But immigrants take risks every day, and we have to respond to the call to let immigrants make those choices for themselves." Implementing the municipal ID program is one of several demands advocates issued at the news conference. They also called on Mayor Jacob Frey and the City Council to take immediate action to improve and protect the lives of immigrant residents, including those who are unauthorized. Census data shows that about 15% of Minneapolis residents are foreign-born. A 2016 Pew Research report found about 70,000 metro-area residents were unauthorized. The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), a grassroots immigrant-rights organization, is spearheading the new Immigrant Power Now campaign in pursuit of "pro-immigrant changes" in Minneapolis. The group's demands include creating financial assistance for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewal applications, boosting funding and staffing levels for the city's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, and stopping Minneapolis police from arresting residents for citable offenses that could put them on immigration authorities' radar. Chughtai, a first-generation immigrant who represents the 10th Ward, said it's imperative that the city makes progress on all the proposals. But she said implementing the municipal ID program is a major priority for her because the cards could help make people safer and create a sense of belonging. Chughtai, a member of MIRAC, said the municipal ID cards would stop unnecessary arrests of many undocumented residents while allowing for greater access to services, such as opening bank accounts, renting apartments and receiving medical care. Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, data collected by the city when people apply for municipal ID cards would be public. And anyone, including federal immigration authorities, could get access it. Hand Up Network Launches Immigration Program With Discounted Services for East Texas Community7/11/2022
With a goal to assist our local community, Hands Up Network, an East Texas-based nonprofit, has launched an immigration service program to assist individuals with a variety of services.
Samuel Smith, CEO of Hand Up Network, said the program was created due to seeing a need in the community, especially through those who receive help from the non-profit. “We were noticing a lot of our clients were really struggling in this area for these types of services,” he said. “It became very apparent that the only way we were actually going to be able to find those types of services that our clients really needed was to do it ourselves. So we put together a proposal with a concept, developed a concept and so forth.” Smith, with the help of Flor Nichols, HUN Immigration Development Manager, has been developing the program for a year and even received a large donation from an anonymous donor in the start of 2022. “We started talking to people in our community, the particular anonymous donor, who asked very clearly to remain anonymous, became very passionate about that and it’s a family that’s very passionate about helping people to be successful in our community,” Smith said. Smith is excited for HUN to launch the program and said it will help the immigrants of the community who have established a need for the services. “We have over 20 different countries of immigrants being represented in this community. They ranged from just clients who were struggling with just having some tough times to actually victims of crime and so forth,” he said. “As we started to talk to them, we found that a lot had some significant issues related to immigration status, they needed to file things and so forth but they also needed areas of expertise.” The program will assist with services such as personal consultation, family-based immigration services, humanitarian relief, citizenship services, residence services, assistance to survivors of domestic and other violent crimes, DACA, etc. HUN is also currently developing training in regards to civics, FAFSA, ESL and other education curriculums, Nichols mentioned. As for those interested in the programs, a consultation must be done first in order to fully assist them, said Nichols. The consultations can be in-person or over the phone, with a cost of $50 which will be with immigration specialists who have received training and qualifications through the Department of Justice. Prior to the consultation, those scheduling must fill a questionnaire that must be completed before the appointment. It will ask for demographics and background information in order to fully assist and lead the client to the proper path. BOSTON — The state's voters may get an opportunity weigh in on a controversial new law authorizing state driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants.
On Monday, Attorney General Maura Healey certified a proposed referendum for the Nov. 8 elections that would ask voters if they want to repeal the new law. In a letter to Secretary of State Bill Galvin, Healey wrote that a review of the proposal by her office determined that it meets the legal criteria to appear on the ballot. The move clears a path for opponents of the controversial law to begin gathering the 40,000 signatures of registered voters needed to make the Nov. 8 ballot. The Committee for a Fair and Secure Massachusetts must turn in those signatures to local election clerks before a deadline Aug. 24. The group is headed by Maureen Maloney, a Milford woman whose 23-year-old son was killed in 2011 after being hit and dragged by a truck driven by an undocumented immigrant. In a fundraising email to supporters, Maloney said the signature gathering requirement is a "very achievable goal" and promised a "vigorous statewide campaign" to repeal the law. "Giving licenses to people who have illegally entered our country, people who may well be hiding records of violence and lawbreaking in their native countries, will open the door to more tragic, unnecessary deaths," Maloney wrote. "This law would open the door to more suffering for families like mine." Meanwhile, a coalition of immigrant rights groups backing the law have formed the Vote YES for Work and Family Mobility Committee in an effort to convince voters to uphold the law if the repeal effort makes the ballot. Under the new rules, which would take effect next year, immigrants without legal residency status can only acquire standard driver’s licenses, not federally authorized Real ID-compliant versions. Applicants would be required to produce at least two official identity documents. They will also need to prove Massachusetts residency. Supporters of the law say it would improve public safety and the livelihoods of the undocumented motorists who are already driving on the state’s roadways. Critics say the new law lacks basic safeguards to prevent abuses and would unfairly reward people who are living in the United States illegally. Democrats, who have supermajorities in the House and Senate, pushed the bill through the Legislature amid opposition from Republican lawmakers and even some members of their own party. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed the bill, citing concerns about the ability of the state Registry of Motor Vehicles to verify the identity of people seeking a license and the possibility that it could inadvertently authorize undocumented immigrants to register and vote in state and local elections. But the Legislature moved quickly to override Baker’s objections, mustering the two-thirds vote needed to make the proposal a law. Republicans and a handful of Democrats voted against the veto override during sessions two weeks ago. Within days, the state Republican Party announced plans to pursue a ballot question asking voters to overturn the new law. MassGOP Chairman Jim Lyons has also accused Healey of "slow-walking" the process of reviewing and certifying the referendum, using "political maneuvers" to delay the gathering of signatures. Healey is a vocal supporter of the new law. |