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April 13, 2012

NY Push To Enroll Voters of Color

By  Mike Clifford / Public News Service


NEW YORK - As New York and the nation face key issues concerning jobs, evictions and access to education, a local voter drive is underway. Its goal is to ensure that communities of color, particularly the voices of younger voters, are heard.

In Suffolk County alone, organizers say there are 40,000 eligible voters of color who are not registered. Joeselo Lucero, outreach coordinator for the Hagedorn Foundation, is convinced that many New Yorkers of color feel left out of the early stages of the economic recovery. He believes greater representation in the voting booth in November is the best way to fix that.

"Economically, you know, how many people are losing their houses? And the banks? They're not accountable for anything. So, you have the power to change that; if you don't vote, you don't change nothing. It (takes) one person to vote and make a change, little by little."

Organizers (including Make The Road New York) say they hope to register 2,500 voters from communities of color in Suffolk County in time for the November elections.

Field director for Local 1102 of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Workers Union (RWDSU), Alvin Ramnarain says they will be working extra-hard to register younger voters from immigrant and African American communities.

"I think it's very important to target young people, because they are 'way under-represented, and things that are important to them are just not being heard or spoken about. Jobs, minimum wage, college tuition - Congress is just not paying a lot of attention to them."

Ramnarain adds they are hoping the increase in voter registration will be noticed in Albany, where lawmakers are considering measures to increase the minimum wage, as well as a local version of the DREAM Act, legislation that would extend tuition assistance to undocumented students.

For 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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