Tag: tsui yee

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Immigration Law and Pro Bono and Community Service Committees Participate in Immigrant Resource Day in Flushing

On July 15th, 2023, AABANY’s Pro Bono and Community Service (PBCS) and Immigration Law Committees participated in Immigrant Resource Day, a community event aimed at promoting services for New York immigrants, including those who are newly-arrived in the country. Held in Herald Gospel Plaza in Flushing, nearly twenty New York City government departments and various community organizations came together under the banner of the Chinese Christian Herald Crusades. 

The event attracted hundreds of attendees of various backgrounds, coming in for immigration information, legal consultation, social welfare programs, and to apply for the New York Resident Card (IDNYC). At the event, PBCS Committee Co-Chairs, Kwok Ng and Lina Lee, and Vice Chair May Wong, managed the Pro Bono Legal Clinic at the event. At the clinic, AABANY volunteer attorneys generously volunteered their time and expertise to offer guidance, advice, and support to those seeking legal assistance. 

The event surpassed all expectations in terms of the number of individuals served in a single day. With 56 registered participants seeking advice, AABANY was able to successfully assist 28 families facing challenging situations. We are immensely grateful for the overwhelming support and dedication shown by the volunteers who participated in the event. The tireless efforts of our team, consisting of fourteen AABANY attorneys, four AABANY non-attorneys, and three staff members from Asian American for Equality (AAFE), our community partner, contributed to the overall success of the day.

Furthermore, the Co-Chairs of the Immigration Law Committee, Zhixian (Jessie) Liu and Susan Song, invited former Co-Chair Tsui H. Yee to present a workshop about asylum and immigrant rights. Ms. Yee, an immigration lawyer with over 20 years of experience, discussed the process of applying for asylum, requirements for qualification, the timeline of the application process, and answered questions posed by the audience. Overall, the workshop not only provided valuable insights into the asylum application process, but also gave attendees a platform to receive expert guidance from an experienced legal professional.

The fair also highlighted the urgent need for immigration attorneys that can provide crucial assistance to Chinese migrants and asylum seekers that have arrived at the US-Mexico border in recent months. AABANY lawyers were able to interact with many individuals seeking assistance with asylum and deportation-related matters, who were influenced by misleading information on social media platforms, exploited by unscrupulous agents, or left without legal representation. The Immigration Law Committee hopes to establish a comprehensive network of trusted referrals and legal support for this community, enlisting the help of attorneys on a pro bono basis, through paid representation, or for collaboration in future workshops. 

Thank you to the PBCS and Immigration Law Committees for organizing this event. Furthermore, we extend our gratitude to Jessie Liu and Susan Song, the Co-Chairs of the Immigration Law Committee, for their exceptional efforts in conducting the workshop alongside Tsui H. Yee. We appreciate their dedication in assisting clients with immigration issues, even taking on back-to-back cases to address clients’ pressing concerns. We thank Tsui for sharing her valuable legal expertise during the workshop and for generously addressing the concerns of clients even after its conclusion. Her contributions helped drive the success of the event. In addition, we thank our partner organizations, the Chinese Christian Herald Crusades (CCHC), and AAFE.

Last but not least, thank you to the dedicated volunteers that made the Pro Bono Clinic at Immigration Resource Day a success:

Volunteer Attorneys:

  • Chris Kwok
  • Gary Yeung
  • John Hwang
  • Kevin Hsi
  • Kwok Kei Ng  
  • Lina Lee
  • May Wong
  • Shengyang (John) Wu
  • Shirley Luong
  • Susan Song  
  • Tsui Yee  
  • Yvette Wang  
  • Zhixian (Jessie) Liu  
  • Zhujing Wu

Interpreters & Shadowers:

  • David Tse
  • I-Kai Lee
  • Jadyn Tiong
  • Ruo Yang
  • Nuala Naranja (AAFE)
  • Elton Ye (AAFE)
  • Xiaodong Zhang (AAFE)

If you have expertise in asylum and deportation matters, or you know someone who does, please reach out to the Immigration Law Committee co-chairs, Zhixian Liu or Susan Song, and help AABANY establish a network of trusted referrals for newly arrived immigrants. 

You can also help out by keeping an eye out for future Pro Bono Clinics here, and registering as a volunteer. Click here to view the calendar entry for the next Pro Bono Clinic on August 16th, and fill out the registration form here. Please register as a volunteer by 12pm, August 11th, 2023.

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AABANY Member Tsui Yee Launches YouTube Channel to Share Immigration Law Tips

AABANY member Tsui Yee, former co-founder and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Immigration Law Committee, has launched a YouTube Channel all about immigration law. Tsui is an immigration lawyer who represents clients in family and employment-based petitions and applications, removal (deportation) defense, asylum, and other immigration matters. 

In the first video, Tsui mentions three important things to keep in mind for green card applicants. As Tsui states in the video: 

Here are the basic questions to ask yourself to ensure your application does not end up in the “USCIS limbo” 

Do I qualify for a green card? Try to seek legal advice on whether you qualify and then find someone who you know will correctly file your application. 

Have you filled out your forms correctly? You can still get denied even if you qualify for a green card but incorrectly fill out the forms. 

Does your sponsor have the means of supporting your green card application? Whether the sponsor is family-based or employer-based, your sponsor needs to meet the financial standards to support the application. 

To subscribe to Tsui Yee’s channel, click here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgZMGHXWZH5Pj4MdwXbFCbg

Please join AABANY in congratulating Tsui on this new endeavor!

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In The News: AABANY Member Tsui Yee Quoted in NPR Story on Immigration

AABANY Member and immigration attorney Tsui Yee was recently quoted in an NPR story by Alina Selyukh entitled “Will Filing For Unemployment Hurt My Green Card? Legal Immigrants Are Afraid.”

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread and leave millions of people jobless, legal immigrants working and paying taxes in the US fear that applying for unemployment might jeopardize their immigration cases. Tsui noted that even though these individuals are eligible to collect unemployment, many chose not to out of fear that doing so will somehow trigger a red flag with immigration services.

To read the full story, click here.

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華人博物館播「對聯」 籲華裔入籍發聲 | 世界新聞網

華人博物館播「對聯」 籲華裔入籍發聲 | 世界新聞網

On Tuesday, February 21, AABANY co-sponsored a film screening and forum at the Museum of Chinese in America entitled, “Immigration, Exclusion and Acts of Civic Engagement.” The program included a screening of the documentary “Chinese Couplets” by Felicia Lowe, followed by an open forum discussing current immigration issues in the historical context of Chinese Exclusion and ways that the community can become engaged in response to the latest developments. Among the speakers was former Immigration and Nationality Law Committee Co-Chair Tsui Yee. 

For an article about the program published in The World Journal, follow the link in the title. Below is a translation provided by Yuqing Tian, AABANY Legal Intern (Fall 2016-Winter 2017), and Government Service and Public Interest Committee Co-Chair Thalia Huang:

A
seminar on the topic of immigration was held in the Museum of Chinese
American (MOCA) on February 21, 2017. Xiaoan [Elizabeth] Ouyang, former president of
New York Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA-NY),
said that President Trump would bring great threat and panic to the immigrant
community. Ms. Ouyang recommended Chinese communities to apply for citizenship
as early as possible and that Chinese communities, by voting and protesting, can show
the US government that they will not be bullied.

The
film Dui Lian (Chinese Couplets), created by a Chinese-born independent
television producer Yonge Liu (Felicia Lowe) was shown
in MOCA on the 21st. The movie showed Chinese immigrants’ hardships
during the Chinese Exclusion Act period, by telling the true story of her
mother and herself. Liu’s grandfather used to go to Cuba for a living,
but his business failed. During the World War II, Liu’s grandmother
spent all their savings to get a counterfeit ID for Liu’s mother Jintao Lei,
who then traveled to the US via Zhongshan, Guangdong province. Lei changed
her name six times. Living under the stress of being deported, Lei finally made
her American dream come true by working hard. She finally told her niece and
daughter about her story.

Ms. Ouyang, Muzna Ansari, Immigration
Policy Manager of the New
York Immigration Coalition, MOCA co-founder Guowei
Chen, and immigration lawyer Cuixing Yu [Tsui Yee] also participated in the
discussion following the film, exploring how to unite the Chinese community and
to show our demands, under the panic caused by President Trump’s
new order. 


Ms. Ouyang said that the attitude towards Chinese
community has changed since the 9/11 terrorist attack. The story of the 19-year-old
Chinese American soldier Yuhui Liu (Danny Chen), who was bullied
to death in the army, also promoted the Chinese immigrants’
civil right awareness.
“Now we are in a very critical moment, nearly half a million people who
are eligible apply for a green card should stand up to become citizens and
vote.” Ms. Ouyang indicated that people who voted for
Trump, thinking that he would not actually implement his campaign slogans but
instead mainly facilitate economic development, will be disappointed to see
that the number of international students will gradually decline, creating a
ripple effect that will undermine the US economy.

Cuixing Yu
said she had many undocumented immigrant clients, who were very much in a
state of panic. Some were even afraid to participate in church activities
because of fear. “My grandfather came to the United States with a fake
identity. He was afraid that ICE would knock at the door and
deport him his entire life. I really want to tell
him not to be afraid.” Yu also reminded the public to be
cautious with immigration fraud.

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NYC’s Municipal ID Card Program Officially in Place

NYC’s Municipal ID Card Program Officially in Place

On Monday, January 12, New York City officially introduced the country’s largest municipal identification program, issuing ID cards to residents regardless of immigration status. This is a welcome measure for undocumented immigrants, who without government-issued ID cards, have found it difficult to obtain access to city services and institutions, or to carry out many routine activities such as opening a bank account, filling prescriptions, and renting an apartment. The ID card can also be used as a library card. 

Enrollment is free in 2015, but fees may be charged in the future. In addition, information will not be shared with other government agencies or third parties (except for verifying applicant eligibility or in response to a subpoena or warrant), allaying many immigrants’ fears that obtaining an ID card may alert the immigration service of their undocumented status. 

Known as “IDNYC,” the identification card is available to all NYC residents at least 14 years of age and who can prove identity and residency. Individuals can apply at several enrollment center locations throughout the five boroughs. 

Aside from the many benefits described above, the card will provide free membership to zoos and museums.

We applaud Mayor de Blasio and the City Council for undertaking this initiative. For more information on how to apply for an IDNYC, please see the application page here and documentation requirement page here. 

  
Best regards,
Rio, Tsui and All of Us at Guerrero Yee LLP
***
The latest IDNYC update comes to us from our Immigration and Nationality Law Committee Chairs Rio Guerrero and Tsui Yee. To visit Rio and Tsui’s law firm site, dealing with immigration matters in all 50 states and in countries all over the world, click on the link above. Thank you, Rio and Tsui! 
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