Service Categories: Immigration-Citizenship-Legal

Immigration, Citizenship & Legal

An equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine must include noncitizens

1/26/21 On Dec. 14, 2020, with the initiation of COVID-19 vaccine distribution, the nation saw its first glimmer of hope during the pandemic. However, that sense of hope is not necessarily shared by a vital segment of the population: noncitizens. Noncitizens work in high-risk, essential industries but have been overlooked in the pandemic response. To protect both the lives and livelihoods of all people in the United States, it is critical that noncitizens are equitably included in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Key Words: Undocumented

How Biden Can Restore Humanitarian Protection at the Border

1/5/21 Asylum seekers represent a small fraction of the people who come to the United States each year, yet previous administrations have feared their arrival.
This crisis-based mindset has fueled ever-increasing brutality at the border, with family detention eventually metastasizing into family separation. But despite the Trump administration’s torturous and cruel policies, people have continued to seek protection at our border. Keu Words: Immigrants, Immigrants

Human Trafficking: Coordinating a California Response

6/20 In this report, we examine what is known about the extent of the problem in California and find that little
authoritative data exists to explain where and how frequently this crime occurs across our state. We also explain how labor trafficking is a form of human trafficking that often is hidden, sometimes in plain sight. But that the
consequences of this crime are severe for the men and women forced to endure exploitative work, whether in
a home, a restaurant, a building site, or a factory. The Commission recommends California create an entity to
coordinate anti-trafficking activities statewide, as other states have done, and suggests remedies to enhance our
understanding of this crime and our ability to fight it.

REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions

After the May 7, 2025 deadline, Federal agencies, including DHS and TSA, may only accept state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards as identification to access federal facilities – including TSA airport security checkpoints – if it was issued by a REAL ID compliant state (meaning the license or card must include the REAL ID compliant star marking). Additional questions may be sent to the Department of Homeland Security at REALID@hq.dhs.gov

Civics Questions and Answers (2008 version) English/Spanish

Beginning on April 19, 2021, USCIS is administering only the 2008 civics test to N-400 applicants at their initial interview appointment, regardless of their filing date. USCIS will no longer offer the 2020 civics test at the initial interview, but will continue to provide study materials for the 2020 test for those applicants who are eligible to choose between the 2008 or 2020 civics test at their re-exam or N-336 hearing.
Spanish

KIND Report- Concrete Steps to Protect Unaccompanied Children on the Move

2020 The KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) Blueprint for the protection of unaccompanied children provides guidance on how the U.S. government
should uphold its responsibility to treat these children humanely and in accordance with the law and this country’s ideals. Their unique vulnerabilities require a legal and policy framework that provides enhanced procedural safeguards and protection mechanisms essential to helping unaccompanied children overcome daunting obstacles to relief. Key Words: Advocacy

Mental Health Stigma in the Muslim Community

2012 Report – The possibility that cultural normative beliefs may be mislabeled or unidentified due to cultural insensitivity also need to be addressed, particularly insofar as such mislabeling may lead to both the unnecessary stigmatization of those who, in fact, do not have psychiatric problems, and the failure to help individuals who do need it. Further, anti-stigma interventionists must take care to not inadvertently undermine strengths of Muslim attitudes toward mental illness, potentially including less blame placed on patients (at least in some contexts) and greater hope regarding prognosis.

Protecting Immigrants When Decriminalizing or Legalizing Marijuana

9/9/20 Though federal legal reforms may be the only way to completely eradicate the immigration consequences of marijuana-related conduct and convictions, reforms at the state level can nevertheless help stop the arrest-to-deportation pipeline. Drawing from our experience with state and municipal efforts across the country, this resource, jointly produced by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), the Immigrant Defense Project, and the Drug Policy Alliance, lists best practices for municipalities and states looking to decriminalize in a way that lessens the immigration-related harms of marijuana criminalization.

Archive – The Effect of COVID-19 on Immigrants and Nonimmigrants Abroad

9/3020 Tens of thousands of people remain in immigration detention despite the high risk of COVID-19 transmission in crowded jails, prisons, and detention centers that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses to hold noncitizens. The pandemic led to the suspension of many immigration court hearings and limited the functioning of the few courts which remain open or were reopened. Meanwhile, Congress left millions of immigrants and their families out of legislative relief, leaving many people struggling to stay afloat in a time of economic uncertainty.
This report seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of COVID-19 across the immigration system in the United States.

Update: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

On July 16, 2021, a Texas judge issued a ruling partially ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. While USCIS can accept first-time applications, this decision prevents USCIS from approving or processing them. Therefore, if you choose to submit a first-time application, you will not get a response on this application or be refunded for the $495 application fee. You should consult with an accredited representative or lawyer if you have additional questions about submitting a first-time application.

Civil Rights Victory in Texas is a Model for Environmental Progress Nationwide

12/11/20 In a win for civil rights and environmental protection in Texas, the state has agreed to guarantee access to information and opportunities for Spanish-language and other non-English dominant communities to participate in decisions that affect their environment and health, including the siting of polluting facilities and infrastructure.

Surgeon general- Immigration status should not be barrier to receiving COVID-19 vaccine

12/20/20 Surgeon General Jerome Adams encouraged undocumented immigrants across the U.S. to get vaccinated for COVID-19 when shots become available, saying during an interview on Sunday that it is a public health priority to see as many people vaccinated as possible.
Speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” the nation’s top doctor said that a person’s immigration status should not serve as a barrier between them and a COVID-19 vaccine.

California students rush to apply for DACA for the first time in 3 years

12/22/20 With the door to apply for DACA open for the first time in more than three years, hundreds of high school and college students in California are rushing to apply, fearful it will be slammed shut again.
“We’re on a mad dash to put out as much educational content for folks as possible” said Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, the state and local policy manager for United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the country. “We know that this window is open, but we don’t know for how long.”

CBP Refuses to Tell Congress How it is Tracking Americans Without a Warrant

10/23/20 The CBP is buying location data harvested from ordinary apps installed on peoples’ phones.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is refusing to tell Congress what legal authority the agency is following to use commercially bought location data to track Americans without a warrant, according to the office of Senator Ron Wyden. The agency is buying location data from Americans all over the country, not just in border areas. Key Words: KYR, Privacy, ICE, Deportation, immigrant

A Muslim prayer app was doing more than reminding users to pray. It was selling their info

11/20/20 Users of the popular Muslim prayer app Muslim Pro are posting negative reviews and taking to Twitter to discuss their disappointment after a news report revealed the app was selling users’ information to companies and government agencies. An investigation and report by Vice’s Motherboard found that the app sold location data and other personal information to a third-party broker called X-Mode. X-Mode later sold that same data to defense contractors that provide information to agencies like the U.S. military.

ACTION: Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center

We encourage all who have witnessed or experienced micro-aggressions, bullying, harassment, hate speech, or violence to help us document. The more information we have, the better we can respond and prevent further incidents from occurring.
Submit an Incident Report Form in:
English,Chinese-Traditional, Chinese-Simplified,
Korean, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Khmer, Punjabi, Tagalog, Hmong, Hindi
Key Words: Hate Crime, Asian

Promising Alternatives to Detention in the Era of COVID-19

Oct/2020 The impacts of COVID-19 have been far-reaching for people in migration-related detention or at-risk of being detained. Amidst the many issues of concern that have been highlighted by the IDC (International Detention Coalition), there are also a number of promising responses and practices that demonstrate how alternatives to detention (ATD) can be utilized to reduce public health concerns, while supporting compliance with human rights standards and the provision of, and access to essential services.
This Briefing Note was informed by data made available between April-August 2020. Multi-language:
Spanish |
French |
Arabic |

USCIS Fee Rule Halted in Its Entirety in Response to Litigation Filed by AILA and Sidley Austin LLP

9/30/20 AILA applauds the Court’s expeditious order to set aside USCIS’s unprecedented attempt to dramatically raise fees prior to November’s Presidential Election. The DHS’s Fee Rule, which would have doubled or tripled application fees for many essential immigration benefits, was set to go into effect on October 2, 2020. Not only did Judge White carefully identify that DHS leadership did not have the authority to issue the rule, Judge White recognized that the government pushed to increase fees arbitrarily without considering important concerns identified by plaintiffs and thousands of commenters in opposition to the rule, including the negative impact the rule would have on low-income immigrant populations and those seeking asylum.
Current Fees 10/16/20

Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)

CAPI is a 100% state-funded program designed to provide monthly cash benefits to aged, blind, and disabled non-citizens who are ineligible for Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) solely due to their immigration status. The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) eliminated SSI/SSP eligibility for most non-citizens. As a result, most immigrants who were not receiving SSI/SSP in August 1996 are no longer eligible for SSI/SSP. The amount of CAPI benefits is equivalent to the amount of SSI/SSP benefits.
CAPI recipients may be eligible for Medi-Cal, CalFresh and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), but they must file for each benefit separately. There is no automatic eligibility link between CAPI and these other programs.

SCC Office of Immigrant Relations (OIR) Newsletter: September 2020

10/31/20 Santa Clara County joins more than hundreds of communities across the Us to celebrate Welcoming Week 2020. For this year’s theme, “Creating Home Together,” the OIR hosted virtual events during the week of 9/9/20 – 9/12/20
Activities included FREE virtual legal consultations, guided family wellness activity in English & Spanish, three panel discussions with guests focused on immigrant resiliency, immigrants as essential workers, and honoring immigrant contributions. We will also be sharing resources for #DREAMERs and immigrant youth. AND we will be hosting a virtual art gallery which will highlight the work of immigrant artists.

Guide for Undocumented Immigrants Travelling in CA

8/2020 Everyone in the U.S. has certain rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution, regardless of their immigration status. In order to exercise your rights, you must know what they are and have an action plan for how to respond to potential interactions with immigration or law enforcement officials. This document provides an overview of some recommendations available to the public regarding safe travel protocols. From Immigrants Rising. Key Words: KYR, Know Your Rights

Maintaining effective U.S. labor standards enforcement through the coronavirus recession

9/3/20 Evidence from the Great Recession of 2007″2009 indicates that high levels of unemployment weaken the labor market power of those low-wage workers who remain employed. Minimum wage violations increased dramatically during the Great Recession, disproportionately impacting Latinx, Black, and female workers. We anticipate the coronavirus recession will result in increased violations, yet as high unemployment adds to workers’ desperation to maintain any job, the likelihood that low-wage workers will file complaints with an enforcement agency will decrease.

San Jose legislator Zoe Lofgren pushes for immigration reforms amid COVID-19

9/25/20 Rep. Zoe Lofgren called for immigration reform this week during a congressional hearing examining the role of undocumented immigrants in the essential workforce.
The San Jose Democrat said essential workers, such as those working in agriculture or food processing, have risked their lives by continuing to work in-person throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
“Many immigrant essential workers are undocumented and live under the constant threat of removal” she said. “Many others are protected by temporary programs, such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or the Temporary Protected Status, but they too live in fear as a result of the (Trump) administration’s efforts to terminate these programs. They deserve better.”

How California’s farmworkers are banding together to survive the pandemic

9/24/20 A COVID-19 relief package for California’s farmworkers landed on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk last week. Legislators describe the bill as the first of its kind, and it addresses a wide array of issues, from workplace enforcement of COVID-19 guidance to the expansion of rural telehealth services across the state. But, as the novel coronavirus continues to tear through farmworker communities, such measures may not be enough.
Interviews with farmworkers throughout the state reveal a safety net stretched to the limit: Desperate parents are calling relief and advocacy groups for basic needs like diapers for their babies, quarantined farmworkers sick with COVID-19 are relying on colleagues for deliveries of food and other supplies, and some workers have lost their jobs after calling for better safety measures in the fields and packing plants where they work.

San Jose leaders approve recommendations to address COVID-19 health disparities

9/2/20 San Jose leaders unanimously accepted 30 recommendations Sept. 1 from Santa Clara County’s Health and Equity Task Force to tackle growing health disparities in the time of COVID-19.
The recommendations include translating emergency information, contact-tracing, extending rent relief, distributing food and adding additional COVID-19 testing sites.
Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco said as of Aug. 31, more than 170 cases were reported in Santa Clara County, but many residents still don’t know where to get the services they need. Key Words: Equity

USAHello Resources for Newcomers to America

USAHello is a free online center for information and education for refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants and welcoming communities. In the USAHello classroom, we offer our GED classes in English and in manually translated Spanish. Our Citizenship class is in manually translated Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese and Swahili. The classroom is also automatically translated into several other languages to help newcomers study and learn English at the same time.Multi-language:
Arabic
French
Spanish

Farmworker Resilience in the Thomas Fire”Disaster Relief Inequities

2018 The Thomas Fire that struck Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties in December of 2017 was at the time the largest wildfire in California history, and was followed by a deadly mudslide when rains washed down the burnt hillsides. Drought and climate change have made wildfires in California larger, more frequent, and more destructive. While most media attention focuses on expensive hillside properties burning, the effects on immigrant families and low-wage workers are devastating but often unseen. CAUSE worked alongside our partners, the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) and Future Leaders of America (FLA) to respond where our communities were being left behind by the official disaster response. Key Words: Indigenous, immigrant, undocumented

USCIS Wants To Increase the Amount of Biometric Data It Collects by Over 60%

9/9/20 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans to dramatically expand the personal information that it collects in support of immigration petitions and applications. This new rule will increase the total number of people who are required to submit biometric data from 3.9 million currently to 6.07 million”an increase of more than 60%.
The proposed rule increases the pool of people who must provide biometrics to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by requiring biometrics from individuals of any age. This will further scrutinize children, and discourage victims of crime from being able to navigate the complex U.S. immigration system.

ICE Detention Management

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) manages and oversees the nation’s civil immigration detention system. ICE detainees placed in ERO custody represent virtually every country in the world, various security classifications, both genders and medical conditions ranging from healthy to terminally ill.
Key Words: Statistics, demographics

Data and Analysis Related to Trump Administration Actions on Immigrant and Refugee Policy

8/1/20 Since entering office, the Trump administration has proposed or implemented policies on a wide range of immigration issues, touching on everything from asylum to deportation policy, refugee resettlement, and admissions from certain majority-Muslim countries. These MPI research and data resources offer context to policy changes achieved and proposed, as well as the populations they affect.
For a record of immigration developments since the Trump administration began, check out this resource:
Dismantling and Reconstructing the U.S. Immigration System: A Catalog of Changes under the Trump Presidency.

Archive – Immigrant Eligibility for Public Programs During COVID-19

3/26/21 This table provides a general overview of some of the federal public programs available to support individuals and families during the COVID-19 crisis under existing law, as well as the recently passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
We have also included clarification about whether these public programs are taken into account for public charge purposes. Additional information about the public charge regulations is available in this FAQ document from the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) Campaign. Multi-language: Spanish

Lack of Access to Information Implies Double Risk for Latinos During The COVID-19 Pandemic

8/18/20 As reported by NBC News, the combination of mass misinformation on social media and inconsistent signals from the U.S. government is now a “particular threat” to communities of color in the country, which continue to represent the highest rates of infection and hospitalization.
The media explains that the fact that these communities have higher levels of mistrust of government, less access to health care, and lack of information in Spanish is now “a dangerous mix.” Key Words: Language Access

Medical Assistance Programs for Immigrants in Various States

7/21 Federally funded Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) is available to otherwise-eligible “qualified” immigrants who entered the U.S. before August 22, 1996, and those who have held a “qualified” status for five years or longer. Refugees and other “humanitarian” immigrants, veterans, active duty military and their spouses and children, and certain other immigrants can get Medicaid or CHIP without a five-year waiting period.
The table describes state policies for providing health coverage to additional groups of immigrants.

Archive – Disaster Relief and COVID-19 Related Assistance not Considered in Public Charge

8/20 Excerpts from the USCIS Public Charge link
….The Public Charge rule does not restrict access to testing, screening, or treatment of communicable diseases, including COVID-19. In addition, the rule does not restrict access to vaccines for children or adults to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases. Importantly, for purposes of a public charge inadmissibility determination,.
…..The rule does not include consideration of emergency medical assistance, disaster relief, national school lunch programs, foster care and adoption, student and mortgage loans, energy assistance, food pantries and homeless shelters and Head Start.Key Words: Immigrants

Immigrant Defense Project

IDP’s team of attorneys and advocates have expertise in a variety of areas at the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems. Criminal-Immigration Helpline
IDP offers criminal-immigration advice and support to immigrants and their loved ones. 212.725.6422 Key Words: ICE, Deportation

Archive – Follow up – USCIS Upends the Lives of Immigrants by Refusing to Print Their Work Permits and Green Cards

8/3/20 On August 3, 2020, a federal court in Ohio granted a temporary restraining order requiring USCIS to print a work permit within 7 days for all individuals who had been approved for one.
The USCIS recently cut production of these documents after its contract ended with a third-party printing company. Reports indicate that 50,000 green cards and 75,000 work permits have not been printed. The agency said it planned to manage the production of these documents in-house, but that its ability to do so is limited due to budgetary constraints. Key Words: Employment

SCC Mental Health Guide for Immigrants.

The Santa Clara County Office of Immigrant Relations (OIR), in partnership with the SCC Behavioral Health Services, have developed a mental health guide for immigrants. This brochure includes guidance on:
Where to get mental health services in Santa Clara County
Tips on what to do if you are worried about a loved one suffering from a mental health illness
Additional immigrant resources
Multi-language:
English |
Spanish |
Vietnamese |

Inclusive emergency Response – Immigrants Essential and Vulnerable in San José

8/7/20 New research from New American Economy (NAE) released today in partnership with the City of San José highlights how immigrants are both essential to San José’s rapid response efforts and especially vulnerable due to gaps in federal relief packages, language access barriers, and increased risks of infection associated with frontline and essential work.
San José is one of twelve recipients of NAE research to inform culturally sensitive emergency response measures that ensure all residents are included, regardless of immigration status. Key Words: COVID-19, Coronavirus, Disaster, undocumented

One Nation 2019 Report -Built on the Strength of Immigrants

10/2019 This report was published in conjunction with the Tri- Caucus (Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus) in Washington, D.C.
A resource and tool with facts, data, research, imagery, and curated stories that show that immigrants make America stronger. Key Words: Demographics, research
Multi-language: Chinese |
Korean |
Tagalog |
Mongolian |
Vietnamese

InformaGente COVID-19 Youtube conversation for Latinx Community

Listos California, in partnership with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA), launched “InformaGente,” a new online conversation series to foster a culture of emergency readiness among Latinx communities.
5/28/20 The first InformaGente conversation features actor Nicholas Gonzalez, star of ABC’s The Good Doctor, and Dr. Gil Chavez, Senior Advisor to the Director of the California Department of Public Health. Dr. Chavez and Mr. Gonzalez discuss issues related to COVID-19 from hand washing and physical distancing, to concerns about visiting a doctor due to immigration status.
Multi-language: Spanish

Promoting a Safe and Secure Campus for All

Guidance and Model Policies to Assist California’s Colleges and Universities in Responding to Immigration Issues – This guide implements the Legislature’s decision to limit state and local participation in immigration enforcement activities. Such participation diverts state resources, blurs lines of accountability, and threatens trust between immigrant communities and state and local
agencies that provide critical public services.

San Mateo County Immigrant Relief Fund

Immigrants are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, risking their health and well-being every day to keep our society going. And yet, many immigrants were left out of the CARES Act relief. The San Mateo County Immigrant Relief Fund – initially funded by a generous contribution from John A. and Susan Sobrato – is providing financial support to immigrant families left out of the federal government’s relief efforts. Immigrant families may be eligible to receive a $1,000 grant to help in this time of crisis.

Judge rules ICE must allow detainees free, private calls with attorneys during pandemic

4/11/20 A federal judge ruled Saturday that immigration enforcement officials must allow confidential telephone calls between detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center and their attorneys in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
The 15-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal found that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must reverse a policy that critics said made it virtually impossible for detainees and their attorneys to confer in private at the facility, about 80 miles east of Los Angeles in San Bernardino County.
Bernal wrote that the agency must provide “free, reasonably private legal calls on unrecorded and unmonitored telephone lines, and must devise a reliable procedure for attorneys as well as detainees to schedule those calls within 24 hours of a request.” Key Words: Detention, KYR, Know Your Rights

UndocuHealth Project Emergency Toolkit

The United We Dream (UWD) UndocuHealth Project was started to facilitate the incorporation and daily practice of self-love, community healing, and wellness when organizing in times of trouble, turbulence, and chaos. The Toolkit was designed to alleviate not only the stress and anxiety of folks across the nation and keep ours families secure, but also to give the reader tools that will allow them to conduct safe zone events and incorporate stress reducing activities within their community work and daily lives.
Things like music-ivism, artivism, and breathing practices is what will transform these anxieties and insecurities into something positive! Key Words: Undocumented,

IRC Individual Development Account (IDA)

START SAVING – Get up to $4,000 for individuals and $8,000 for families to buy a car or pay for school. This is not a loan”you never need to pay this money back! Start learning about American finances, building your credit, managing your money, and investing in your future through the Saving Together Program. Eligibility requirements:
– Refugee, Asylee, SIV or T-Visa
– Arrival date <3 years for car or <5 years for education - Low to medium income range For more info contact International Rescue Committee– Lonny Dara (408) 529-7395 Lonny.Dara@Rescue.org
Key Words: Education, Scholarship,

Many Latinos Couldn’t Stay Home. Now Virus Cases Are Soaring in Their Communities.

6/29/20 In California, where Latinos make up 39 percent of the population and nearly 57 percent of new cases, the spikes have been particularly confounding. The state was the nation’s first to shelter in place, and cellphone data indicated that its residents were among the most committed to limiting their movement, and with it the spread of the disease.
Infection rates have remained relatively low in affluent neighborhoods, including those occupied by the state’s wealthy Latinos. But sheltering in place never happened for many Latino families with members who work in industries that never shut down, making them especially vulnerable to the virus.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Noncitizens and Across the U.S. Immigration System

5/20 This report from the American Immigration Council, seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of COVID-19-related disruptions throughout the immigration system and identifies recommendations for adjustments and improvements to the federal response. Given that the landscape of immigration policy is changing rapidly in the face of the pandemic, this report will be updated as needed. Key Words: Coronavirus, detention, deportation,

Government issues first-ever official estimate of H-1B visa population in U.S.

6/26/20 The federal government on Friday issued a first-ever official estimate of the number of people in the U.S. who hold the controversial H-1B work visa, intended for jobs requiring specialized skills but attacked by critics over reported abuses.
At the end of September, there were “approximately” 583,420 people on the H-1B living in the U.S, according to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration report. The agency provided estimates going back the previous three years, but gave total numbers of people whose H-1B applications were approved, rather than the total it believes have been living in the country. The larger “approved” numbers don’t factor in withdrawals of approval or changes in visa status.

CA Dream Act Application

Students who live in California and meet the eligibility requirements for a non-resident exemption, as
well as students who have a U Visa or TPS status, can use the California Dream Act to apply for state financial aid. This application is unrelated to the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Similarly, students without Social Security Numbers or students who have lost DACA status (or never applied for DACA), may still be eligible The CA Dream Act Application allows students to attend eligible California Colleges, Universities and Career Education Programs
Multi-language: Spanish

Archive – San Jose COVID-19 Virtual Local Assistance Center

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this page consists of resources for San José residents on:
**Food ** Immigrant Resources ** Housing ** Employment & Job Training ** Health & Wellness ** Utilities & Internet ** Small Businesses and Nonprofits. For more information call 311 or 408-535-3500, or fill out a contact form. Live chat (8-5, M-F), TTY for the hearing impaired at 1-800-735-2922. Key Words: Spanish | Vietnamese | Chinese |

Administration puts ‘hold’ on green card requests from US

6/12/20 After suspending approval of green card requests to immigrants abroad seeking U.S. residency, the Trump administration has also halted processing requests from green card applicants already living in the country.
Exemptions to the hold include applications of medical providers. The USCIS also allows immigration officers to submit applications that concern an “emergent or sensitive matter” outside these exemptions to their supervisors for consideration.

National Detention & Abuse Reporting Hotline

The National Immigration Detention Hotline is the nation’s largest immigration detention hotline, connecting immigrants in detention to their family, resources, and abuse documentation support at no cost to them.
Call: 9233 (from inside detention) and 209-757-3733 (from outside). Staffed by the Freedom for Immigrantsteam of highly trained multilingual advocates across the country. We receive between 600 to 14,500 calls per month from people in immigrant prisons and jails around the country. We have received calls from immigrants from 148 countries that speak 80 different languages. Multi-lingual

Request for Proposals: Immigration-Ensuring the Safety and Security of Immigrants thru 9/30/20

The intent of this grant opportunity from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, is to support responsive projects that help ensure the safety and security of immigrants in our communities.
Grant applications must be submitted through our online application system, Apply SVCF. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis through September 30, 2020, or until all funds are distributed, whichever comes first. If all funds have been distributed before September 30, the application will be closed for submissions and our website will reflect this.

Santa Clara County Free & Low Cost Immigration Legal Assistance

SCC invests in immigration legal services with local accredited agencies to provide free and low cost assistance with immigration legal issues.
Key Words family visa petition, employment authorizations, removal of conditional status; assisting immigrants to obtain permanent residency under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); helping victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and human trafficking to obtain work authorization, permanent residency leading to path to citizenship, DACA, deportation defense, unaccompanied minors, etc. OIR
Asian Law Alliance |
Catholic Charities |
CET |
PARS Equality Center
PAGE GONE 4/7/22

Raising Children in a New Country: An Illustrated Handbook

Refugee and immigrant families come to the United States with a wealth of parenting strengths, drawing on culture, tradition and family experience. Like most parents in the U.S., they tend to be responsible and nurturing, and have often sacrificed tremendously to provide their children with an opportunity for safety and success in this new country. At the same time, it is clear that newcomer parents often need assistance adapting to: a new physical environment with unaccustomed dangers; the loss of extended family and community support; the ineffectiveness (and sometimes illegality) of traditional methods of discipline; and their children’s new and often unfamiliar “Americanized” behaviors. Multi-language: Arabic & Somali  Key Words: English Audio | Somali Audio NOW AVAILABLE IN Dari and Pashto |

SCC OIR Newsletter8 – COVID-19 – Immigrants & Mental Health

OIR has compiled a list of mental health resources for local immigrants to provide guidance and support on this issue.
The Office of Immigrant Relations would like to remind Santa Clara County residents that mental health services are available for immigrants. Everyone is encouraged to seek the needed healthcare regardless of status. Multi-language:MENTAL HEALTH GUIDE FOR IMMIGRANTS – English |
MENTAL HEALTH GUIDE FOR IMMIGRANTS – Vietnamese |
MENTAL HEALTH GUIDE FOR IMMIGRANTS – Spanish |
Key Words;

Solo Solidarity Fund

You may receive $500 if you:
**live in Santa Clara County ** are affected financially by COVID-19 ** are an undocumented immigrant in deportation proceedings or have an immediate family member detained by DHS or ICE.
Call 408-770-6202
Endorsed by the SCC Rapid Response Network

Caste in the United States A Survey Of Caste Among South Asian Americans

Report on 2018 survey from Equality Labs, which definitively found that all of the inequalities associated with Caste status, ritual purity, and social exclusion have become embedded within all of the major South Asian American institutions. Further, they extend into American mainstream institutions that have significant South Asian immigrant populations. This includes schools, workplaces, places of business, and religious institutions.
U.S. Institutional leaders, civic leaders, educators, policy makers, and community organizers must resist attempts to paint South Asians with a broad brush. Recognition of the prevalence of Caste – often hidden in plain sight in the diaspora – is the first and most critical step that must be taken before the challenge of addressing discrimination and erasure can be addressed. Key Words: Indian, hate crimes, discrimination, racism

Conservative group sues to stop California aid to undocumented immigrants

4/24/20 A conservative organization is asking the California Supreme Court to block the state’s first-in-the-nation plan to give money to immigrants living in the country illegally who are hurt by the coronavirus.
The Center for American Liberty argued on behalf of two long-shot Republican legislative candidates that the $75 million plan Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week is barred by both state and federal law.

Archive – ALA DACA Renewal Video – Scholarships Available

5/5/20 Contact Asian Law Alliance ‘ right away for a free consultation to see if you should renew your DACA.
(408) 287-9710. Scholarships for the $495 fee are still available for eligible applicants.
The Supreme Court is currently considering termination of the DACA program. A decision could come any day and if they decide to terminate the program, it will be too late. The good news is, that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is still accepting DACA renewals. If your DACA will expire within the next year or even if your DACA has expired, you may be able to renew. Key Words: Undocumented., immigration,

CA Immigrant Resilience Fund

The California Immigrant Resilience Fund was launched to help our immigrant friends, neighbors, and coworkers whose immigration status puts them in danger of hunger, homelessness, and extreme economic hardship. Funds are distributed through 60 partner agencies throughout the state. Many have long waiting lists. Multi-language: Spanish Key Words: Undocumented, farmworkers, finance, donations, disaster

Strengthening Your Campus Website for Undocumented Students: A Guide for CA Colleges and Universities

4/2020 This guide provides concrete recommendations to build or strengthen your online presence whether your institution is just getting started or trying to take your platform to the next level. It includes an overview of important elements, recommended language and key resources for your existing Admissions (A&R) and Financial Aid (FA) websites. It also includes guidelines on creating or expanding your Undocumented Students Resources (USR) page. Key Words:

Death reports show coronavirus hit San Jose’s poor, Latino neighborhoods hardest

5/11/20 According to records obtained by the Bay Area News Group, more than a third of the county’s first 100 deaths occurred in just four ZIP codes on the city’s East Side. In the county’s poorest ZIP codes, the death rate from COVID-19 is four times as high as in the wealthiest ZIP codes.
…They offer insight into a phenomenon seen around the country and across the world: The toll of coronavirus is falling disproportionately on vulnerable communities, where residents ” predominantly Latinos and African-Americans ” have long been poorly served by existing health care systems, and where many ” because of economic stress or the nature of their jobs ” have been unable to stay safely at home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

SCC OIR Newsletter6: COVID-19 Impact on Immigrants

4/13/20 Immigrant Labor is Critical for Our Survival, but Immigrant Workers are at the Forefront of the COVID-19 Impacts
As the COVID-19 virus spreads rapidly, it is more evident than ever that immigrant workers employed by several front line industries (those that keep U.S. residents healthy, safe, and fed) also suffer disproportionate impacts of the health, political, and social crisis. Key Words: Know Your Rights, KYR, Unemployment, Santa Clara County Office of Immigrant Relations

SCC OIR Newsletter5: COVID-19 and Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

4/3/20 As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds, so does the spike in anti-immigrant rhetoric that often leads to racist attacks, hate incidents, and hate crimes. Many media outlets have reported on this development, such as The New Yorker, Huffington Post, and NBCNews. Asian Americans Advancing Justice created a page that compiles stories of Asian Americans who are targeted on a daily basis. Key Words: Santa Clara County Office of Immigrant Relations

Comprehensive UAP COVID-19 Information and Resources Guide

The Office of Cultural Competency Universal Access Program (UAP) is a collaborative model with FIRST 5, County of Santa Clara agencies, SCC Office of Education, Alum Rock Unified School District, Franklin McKinley School District, and other nonprofit partners.
The UAP team pulled together a set of resources to help navigate families, particularly COVID19-related resources. This information is fluid and it is updated regularly.
The portal includes our guide, with links to the Public Health Department, as well as a multitude of resources and information from food distribution, VTA, homelessness, immigration, unemployment, legal rights, childcare for essential workers, hotlines, and more. Key Words: Directory

Medical Assistance Programs for Immigrants in Various States

6/21 Federally funded Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) is available to otherwise eligible “qualified” immigrants who entered the U.S. before August 22, 1996, and those who have held a “qualified” status for five years or longer. Refugees and other “humanitarian”? immigrants, veterans, active duty
military and their spouses and children, and certain other immigrants can get Medicaid or CHIP without a
five-year waiting period.
This table describes state policies for providing health coverage to additional groups of immigrants,
under federal options to cover lawfully residing children and pregnant women, regardless of their date of
entry into the U.S., or to provide prenatal care to women regardless of status, using CHIP funds. It also
describes immigrant coverage under programs using exclusively state funds.*

UndocuFundSF

We have created UndocuFund San Francisco to help those in our undocumented community experiencing hardship. We are working to raise money to help and will do our best to help as many people possible. We depend on the generosity of the community to donate to our fund in order to provide assistance.
You are eligible if you are undocumented and live or work in San Francisco, or lost employment in San Francisco due to the pandemic. To be added to our waitlist for assistance related to the coronavirus pandemic, complete the application. Multi-language:
Spanish

Multi-language Coronavirus Stay Safe Videos

Stay safe with true information
There is a lot of information about COVID-19. Do you know what is true and what is not true? USAHello has information from sources we can trust. Watch our videos about coronavirus myths. Learn about coronavirus scams so you can stay safe. Multi-language:
Arabic |
Burmese |
Farsi |
French |
Hindi |
Kanyarwanda |
Korean |
Nepali |
Somali |
Spanish |
Tagalog |
Tirigrinya |

First 5 Community Family Resource Centers and Resource Directory

The goal of FIRST 5’s Family Resource Center Initiative is to give Santa Clara County families the skills and capacity to promote their children’s development, ensure their children’s school readiness, build strong family relationships, and create a connected community.

FIRST 5 established a network of Family Resource Centers (FRCs) throughout Santa Clara County to increase family access to services and provide parents/caregivers opportunities to become more involved in their children’s healthy development and school readiness. FRCs are often at the center of other collaborative efforts that seek to improve the lives of families and the communities in which they live.

5/21 The FIRST 5 COVID 19 Resource Guide still contains relevant information about how to access financial aid, food, housing assistance, childcare, and other essential SCC services for families. Multi-language:  Spanish |    Vietnamese |    Chinese |    Tagalog |

InformedImmigrant.com

InformedImmigrant.com is dedicated to increasing access to resources and knowledge for the undocumented immigrant community across the U.S. We understand that these times are especially hard on immigrant communities dealing with the unique challenges of coronavirus and immigration status.
Regularly updated national and state by state resource guides plus where to get legal help and DACA renewal.
Multi-lingual: Spanish
Key Words: COVID-19, health, financial, mental health, education

Lawsuits Filed to Protect Undocumented Immigrants from Exposure to COVID-19

4/1/20 Immigrant advocates and civil rights organizations are suing federal and local governments to try to protect detainees from the rapidly spreading coronavirus. Due to harsh federal immigration policies, the Trump administration is now holding over 50,000 in crowded detention facilities”and forcing asylum seekers to attend in-person hearings in immigration courts.
On March 27, six immigrant legal advocacy groups filed a motion in federal district court in Portland, OR, for a temporary restraining order to stop hearings in federal immigration courts. Key Words: Detention, immigration

South Bay Asian Americans report attacks, harassment amid coronavirus pandemic

4/6/20 The viral posts documenting attacks or harassment targeting Asian Americans amid the novel coronavirus pandemic are not isolated incidents, nor is the South Bay excluded from it, academic researchers and law enforcement say.
While these incidents have been shown in everyday interactions ranging from grocery stores and tenant disputes, researchers say the racism has been prompted by the nation’s highest office, as President Donald Trump and his administration have used language like the “Chinese Virus” and “Wuhan Virus” to describe COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. These terms have also been deemed inappropriate by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Immigrants Rising’s Mental Health Connector

Immigrants Rising’s Mental Health Connector provides undocumented young people with free psychological support, allowing you to access your strengths and resiliency in order to achieve your personal goals and healing.
Our experienced and culturally responsive mental health therapists volunteer to provide free and completely confidential services, tailored to meet the needs of each individual. Therapists receive ongoing peer consultation and training to better understand the unique experiences of undocumented young people.
All undocumented young people who reside in California and are comfortable conversing in English are eligible for our service.

CA Department of Public Health (CDPH) Immigrant Communities Guidance on Public Charge

The CDPH is focused on ensuring all individuals, regardless of their immigration status, are protected from the outbreak and receive appropriate testing and treatment. For families that are concerned about the “public charge” rule, immigration officials have confirmed that they will neither consider testing, treatment, nor preventative care related to COVID-19 as part of a public charge inadmissibility determination, even if provided or paid for by one or more public benefits considered under the rule including Medi-Cal. Key Words:
Multi-language:
English |
Amharic |
Arabic‘ |
Burmese |
Chinese |
French | NAME|
Hiaitian|
Hindi
| Hmong
| Korean
| Spanish
| Tagalog
| Vietnamese

Gaps in social safety net leave undocumented immigrants most vulnerable in time of crisis

4/9/20 The COVID-19 or “coronavirus” crisis has exposed massive fault lines in U.S. health, economic and labor sectors. With no end in sight, undocumented immigrants are left most vulnerable because of systemic exclusion from health care and social safety nets.
… those without a valid Social Security number (SSN) and work authorization, have been cut out from receiving a single dollar from the COVID-19 Relief programs.
Immigrant workers who file their taxes using an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) and families with mixed immigration status will bear the weight of these impacts. If one person in the household lacks an SSN, the entire family (including U.S. citizen children, spouses, and legal permanent residents) is denied access to the cash assistance.

Coronavirus Information in Indigenous Languages, Dialects, and Spanish

These resources were gathered by the Rural Women’s Health Project, with thanks to Evelyn Moraga in Guatemala, Dr. Laura Gonzalez at the University of Florida, her colleagues at CEPIADET in Oaxaca Mexico and CIELO in Los Angeles.
Posters, Fact Sheets, audio and video materials in numerous indigenous languages. We are committed to getting these materials out to all of those residing in the U.S., no matter their country of origin or mother language. If you have materials to be added to this list, please contact us at: rwhp@cafl.com. Multi-language

Farmworkers, Mostly Undocumented, Become ‘Essential’ During Pandemic

4/2/20 Immigrant field workers have been told to keep working despite stay-at-home directives, and given letters attesting to their “critical” role in feeding the country.
It is an open secret that the vast majority of people who harvest America’s food are undocumented immigrants, mainly from Mexico, many of them decades-long residents of the United States. Often the parents of American-born children, they have lived for years with the cloud of deportation hanging over their households. Key Words: ICE, COVID-19, Coronavirus

UNDOCUMENTED workers among those hit first – and worst – by the coronavirus shutdown

4/4/20 Many of the undocumented, working in construction, restaurants and other service sectors, have already lost their jobs. Others, in industries like agriculture and health care that have been declared essential, work in jobs that typically require close quarters or interacting with the public, putting them at higher risk of getting sick.

Respond Crisis Translators Network

Amidst the pandemic, our volunteers are mobilizing around the clock to translate in hospitals, detention centers, and anywhere else where language support is needed. If you need help, please let us know and we will be touch ASAP.
We are a network of volunteer translators providing compassionate, effective, and trauma-informed interpretation and translation services for migrants, refugees, anyone experiencing language barriers, Key Word: COVID-19
Multi-language: Spanish |
French |
Kreyòl Ayisyen |
Dari |
Russian |
Ukrainian |
Pashto |
Key Words: SCC Language Access, interprete

San Jose legislator pushes to protect farmworkers during COVID-19 crisis

4/2/20 The question of who qualifies as an “essential worker” during the coronavirus crisis is no longer limited to health care workers and first responders ” it now includes grocery store clerks, restaurant employees and truck drivers. Local legislators are now pushing to add farmworkers to that list, as they’re filling produce trucks and grocery store shelves.
San Jose Assemblymember Ash Kalra this week called for Gov. Gavin Newsom to expand protections for the roughly 500,000 to 800,000 farmworkers across California, including the ability to stay home and take care of their families amid the COVID-19 outbreak without worrying about the resulting financial strain.