Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival Pro Bono Training

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) 
 Pro Bono Training
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An estimated 100,000 undocumented Asian immigrants are eligible for “Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals” (DACA). A new Department of Homeland Security directive, DACA gives eligible undocumented youth a two-year pause from the threat of deportation and an opportunity to secure a work permit. For many, this will be the first opportunity to legally work and live in this country.

  Many of these immigrants are from the communities served by the various Asian bar associations of New York. Taking on a DACA case pro bono is a discrete  way to learn basic immigration law and impact the life of undocumented youth. 

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) is seeking pro bono counsel to represent eligible young people applying for DACA. No prior legal experience is required, but pro bono counsel will be required to attend a training prior to taking a case. These cases will help support the work of AALDEF’s youth group for undocumented Asian Americans.

  

If you are interested in taking a DACA case through AALDEF, please join us for the training on:

Wednesday, September 5 from 6pm-7pm

at O’Melveny & Myers, 7 Times Square

To register for the training, please email AALDEF at: [email protected]

For more information about what this new directive means for Asian American communities, see our legal alert.

Generously Co-sponsored by:
 
Asian American Bar Association of New York  
 Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York
Muslim Bar Association of New York  
South Asian Bar Association of New York

Immigrant Bridge Program

A message from Elena Mayer regarding the Immigrant Bridge Program:

Good morning,

My name is Elena Mayer; I work on the LINK pilot initiatives at the New York City Economic Development Corporation. This suite of programs, being launched this fall, aims to better connect low-income residents and neighborhoods to emerging opportunities in the New York City economy.

I’m writing specifically to let you know about two RFPs we released this week for a new pilot program called the Immigrant Bridge Program. The goal of the Program is to help high-skill, unemployed or underemployed immigrants in NYC to obtain gateway jobs in their field of expertise. Our classic example is the engineer from Belarus who is today stocking shelves at a grocery store, who for a variety of reasons is unable to attach to the labor market in a job that utilizes his engineering training. Our program model combines two pieces: first, a case management, career plan development, and soft-skills training component that will arm participants with the appropriate next steps and necessary job search capabilities–the “Workforce Program.” Second, we will connect participants to microloan opportunities from a partnered “Loan Fund,” to help them cover the cost of any necessary classes, accreditation fees, or general costs incurred as they pursue their career plan (e.g., childcare, transit, etc.). Our analysis suggests that these low-income immigrants stand to increase their annual incomes by $15-30K through successful completion of the program.

We welcome proposals  for both of these two RFP opportunities. The links to download the RFP documents can be found here:

Immigrant Bridge Workforce Program RFP

Immigrant Bridge Loan Fund RFP

Below are some relevant dates to note:

Workforce Program

·         Optional information session: Thursday, September 6that 2:30pm, NYCEDC, 110 William Street, Conference Room 4A/B

·         RFP Submission Deadline: Friday, September 28thby 4:00pm

Loan Fund

·         Optional information session: Tuesday, September 11that 9:30am, NYCEDC, 110 William Street, Conference Room 4A/B

·         RFP Submission Deadline: Friday, September 28thby 4:00pm

If you have any questions broadly about the Immigrant Bridge program concept, please feel free to reach out to me ([email protected];212-312-3561). If you have any questions specific to the RFPs, please direct your inquiries to[email protected]or[email protected](respectively).

I look forward to your proposals, and to being in touch with you about this opportunity.

Best,

Elena

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More than 100 AABANY members and friends registered for the End of Summer Happy Hour on August 29 at Tavern 29 (on 29th and Park Avenue South) and from about 6 pm to 9 pm, it seemed like everyone who signed up showed up to join AABANY to bid a fond farewell to summer 2012.  Attorneys, law students, in-house counsel, members and non-members met, mingled and caught up with each other over drinks and munchies.  We took over the second floor, and for those who wanted some fresh air, they could take their networking to the outdoor rooftop space. 

About an hour into the event, President Jean Lee stood on a chair and at the top of her voice encouraged everyone to sign up for the Fall Conference.  For those who didn’t hear everything she said, Fall Conference brochures were available for everyone to take with them.  Thanks to all for coming and making this our biggest End of Summer Happy Hour yet.  We wish everyone a happy, safe and fun Labor Day Weekend.

Press Release: NYC Council Unity Map Released

From our friends at AALDEF:

Civil Rights Groups Announce Unity Map for NYC Council Redistricting and 9/4 Press Conference

Thursday, Aug 30, 2012

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), LatinoJustice PRLDEF, National Institute for Latino Policy (NILP), and the Center for Law and Social Justice (CLSJ) of Medgar Evers College have released the NYC Council Unity Map, a joint proposal for new City Council districts that reflects New York City’s changing demographics and protects the voting rights of Blacks, Latinos, and Asian Americans.

AALDEF, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, NILP, and CLSJ will hold a joint press conference on the Unity Map on Tuesday, September 4 at 12 noon on the steps of City Hall. Please RSVP to [email protected] or 212.966.5932 ex.217.

To read more and see the maps, go to http://bit.ly/unitymaps.

Unity Maps

Important Information – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

From NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I’m sure you’ve heard about President Obama’s new program for undocumented youth, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The following message and attached documents outline vital information about this new initiative.

Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is a new federal immigration process that allows certain undocumented young people to request temporary deportation relief and work authorization from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The City estimates that 50,000 to 60,000 New Yorkers may be able to request deferred action.

In order to show that they meet the criteria, Deferred Action applicants will need to submit verifiable documentation to the federal government with their applications. They may be able to get some of the documents they need from City agencies. Attached is a one-page flyer that highlights the types of documents the City can provide to individuals who have records on file, along with instructions on how to access those documents. I have also attached flyers in English and Spanish created by USCIS to show the eligibility criteria and application process.

Please note: unlike the DREAM Act, Deferred Action is not legal status, and it does not provide a pathway to obtaining a green card or citizenship. For more information about Deferred Action, including where to find free legal assistance and how to avoid and report immigration scams, please call 311 or visit NYC.gov.

All the best,

Sarah

Sarah Flatto | One NYC One Nation Coordinator | NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs 

212-341-9075 | 646-409-3116 |nyc.gov/immigrants | *[email protected]

Call for Senate Hearing on Hate Crimes

NAPABA Policy Director Emily Chatterjee passes along this request from Rajdeep Singh of the Sikh Coalition calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on the proliferation of hate crimes and hate groups in this country:

Dear Colleagues:

Please find attached our group letter here, urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings next month on hate crimes.  A grand total of 154 organizations endorsed the letter.  Thank you for your tireless efforts to spread the word about this letter through your networks!

During the next few days, as the Judiciary Committee reviews our letter, please consider taking the additional steps:

1. Contact the Senate Judiciary Committee directly and urge them to prioritize hearings.
2. Ask your members to contact the offices of Judiciary Committee members by phone and email.
3. Create awareness about this issue through community advisories, blog posts, Facebook, and Twitter.
4. Issue press releases to your media contacts to generate public awareness about this issue.
5. Write op/eds about the need for increased focus by policymakers on hate crimes in America

Let’s hope for the best.  Again, we are grateful for your support and look forward to working with you again soon.

Best regards,
Raj

– 
Rajdeep Singh
Director of Law and Policy
The Sikh Coalition
Phone: (202) 747-4944
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sikhcoalition.org
Donate: www.sikhdonate.org

Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service’s Application Period is Closing

                                                                         


Dear Friends and Colleagues,
 
A quick reminder: The application period for the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service closes at noon EST on Wednesday, August 29.
 

The Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service is a prestigious leadership program for a diverse group of early-career professionals working full-time in public service in New York City. Through sessions twice each month from November 2012 through May 2013, Fellows will enhance their leadership knowledge and skills, deepen their understanding of the public service landscape, hear from top leaders in the field, receive ongoing mentorship from Alumni and Career Guides, engage in strategic career planning, and build a cross-sector network of people committed to public service.
 
The fellowship is sponsored by the Research Center for Leadership in Action at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. To be eligible, applicants must work full-time in public service in the New York City area; may not currently be engaged in another significant fellowship; and must commit to attending all fellowship sessions, including a day-long Orientation on November 10, 2012. The program fee is $500.
 
More information and the application are available here: http://wagner.nyu.edu/felps 

 
For questions, please email [email protected].  Thank you.

MinKwon Center for Community Action hosts Exciting GOTV Activities

Hi all,
 
MinKwon Center needs your help! With less than 3 weeks left until the State Primary Elections on Thursday, September 13th, we are gearing up for our GOTV work to conduct phone banking and door knocking. For the first time ever, we are voting for our next State Senators and Assembly members in newly drawn districts. Now more than ever, it is critical that we have a large Asian American presence at the elections. Here is what you can do: 

Join the MinKwon Center for Community Action for some Exciting GOTV Activities!
 
Phone Banking

  • Wednesday, Aug. 29th, 6:00PM MinKwon Center
  • Tuesday, Sept. 4th, 6:00PM MinKwon Center 
  • Thursday, Sept. 6th  6:00PM MinKwon Center 
  • Monday, Sept. 10th, 6:00PM MinKwon Center 
  • Wednesday, Sept. 12th, 6:00PM MinKwon Center

Door Knocking

  • Thursday, Aug. 30th, 6:00PM Meet at MinKwon Center 
  • Wednesday, Sept. 5th, 6:00PMMeet at MinKwon Center 
  • Sunday, Sept. 9th, 4:00PMMeet at MinKwon Center 
  • Tuesday, Sept. 11th, 6:00PMMeet at MinKwon Center

If you are interested in volunteering, please let us know today! Dinner will be provided as well as community service credit if applicable. Please forward this email to anyone who would like to get involved and gain important electoral experience. Don’t miss your chance to make a difference in these historic elections!

If You are Interested, Please Contact:
[email protected] or 1 (718) 460-5600