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March 11, 2011

300 Staten Islanders protest proposed federal budget cuts

By  Staten Island Advance Staff / Staten Island Advance


STATEN ISLAND, N. Y. -- They came to St. Philip's Baptist Church in Port Richmond last night bearing signs that read "No cuts!" and "Don't cut services for immigrant communities!"

It was all about protesting that Staten Island may have $600,000 slashed in federal funds to community education programs and legal services to the poor on the North Shore.

That includes cuts from everything from summer youth employment programs to senior centers.

Staten Island-based not-for-profits hosted the public meeting, which drew 300 people.

The city's Dept. of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Jeanne Mulgrav will review the President's Fiscal Year 2012 budget proposal.

The Rev. Terry Troia, executive director of Project Hospitality noted that the President's budget is proposing a 50 percent reduction in the Community Services Block Grant program, a cut of $350 million nationally. The cut will end virtually all city supported ESL, GED, and basic literacy programs and legal service programs such as the one Catholic Charities hosts at its CYO Center at 120 Anderson Ave.

Rev. Troia underscored that these programs provide key educational opportunities to hundreds of working poor persons on the North Shore who depend on increasing their language skills or graduating with a GED to better themselves economically.

She said the Island agencies who will be most deeply affected by the cut include: Catholic Charities and the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, Make the Road New York, and Project Hospitality.

Last night's event was sponsored by the United Jewish Appeal, United Neighborhood Houses, the Human Services Council and the New York Immigration Coalition.

The Island not-for-profits co-hosting the meeting include: Project Hospitality, Make the Road NY, JCC of SI and Catholic Charities – CYO.



For original article link, click here.


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Victory for Immigrant Families: Preventing Unjust Deportations in NYC

On March 18, 2013, Mayor Bloomberg signed new legislation to stop federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from using NYC’s criminal justice system to deport thousands of New Yorkers.

Building on legislation we helped to win just over a year ago, Local Laws 21 and 22 prohibit not only the Department of Correction but now also the NYPD from spending millions of city taxpayer dollars to hold individuals on behalf of ICE agents for detention and deportation. Each year, thousands of New York families will stay together who would otherwise have been torn apart by overly aggressive, indiscriminate immigration enforcement.

At a moment when the country is debating immigration reform, with these laws, New York City sends a clear message to Washington that tearing apart thousands of immigrant families is bad policy.

With your support, we look forward to winning national reform that keeps families together. We thank our partners at the Center for Popular Democracy, the Cardozo Immigration Justice Clinic and the bills’ sponsors, NYC Council Speaker Quinn and Council Member Mark-Viverito, for their courageous leadership.


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