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December 20, 2011

Small Business Owners Seek Community Support

By  Zack Stieber / The Epoch Times


Small-business owners and supporters gathered in Bushwick on Dec. 20 to encourage the surrounding community to support them during the holiday season.

“There are small-business members in the community who are fighting against income inequality and fighting for economic justice in the community,” said Cynthee Cortes of Make the Road New York (MRNY), an immigrant advocacy and support group. “Our goal today was to educate the community about how these particular small businesses are supporting the community, as opposed to big banks and corporations, which have been undermining our community.”

The small-business owners belong to Small Business United, a MRNY program consisting of 150 small businesses in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.

“Our message is basically that small businesses are not being represented equally,” said Edgar Andrade, owner of Wyckoff 99c and Hardware. “Neighbors approached us and we explained why we were outside. Some people support us, and some ask questions.”

Andrade said higher taxes and extra fines are hurting small businesses. He hopes to see the economy become more local and for people to remember how small businesses support the community, such as by providing jobs.

To read the original article, 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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