Provider Type: Government

Government

2022 SF LANGUAGE ACCESSCOMPLIANCE SUMMARY REPORT

2/22 This year’s LAO report features direct feedback from community members via a comprehensive Language Access Community Survey conducted in 11 languages from June-September 2021 by OCEIA, in partnership with the IRC and the Language Access Network of San Francisco (LANSF). Survey results from over 2,000 City residents demonstrate that even with a clear commitment, a strong local language access law, and extraordinary efforts by emergency, public health and other City departments, not everyone was able to access the same information and services at the same time during a major public health crisis.

SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Biden’s Bid to Rescind ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy

2/18/22 The Supreme Court will hear a proposal by the Biden administration to rescind a controversial Trump-era immigration policy.
Despite the official end of the policy in June 2021, Remain in Mexico was ordered to reinstate the policy by a federal judge in Texas in August 2021. It came after Texas and Missouri filed suit against the Biden administration for its removal, saying that it was improperly terminated. A week after the order, the U.S. and Mexico agreed to restart the program. Since the policy’s restart, 572 people have been deported to Mexico from the United States.

Vacciine Hucksterism – VAERS and the War Against Medical Science

1/23/22 Anti¯vaxxer disinformation activists are intensifying their attacks on medical efforts to combat the pandemic utilizing pseudoscience to manipulate public opinion One example is the perversion of the VAERS database, which is used to drum up opposition to vaccination against Covid19. “VAERS ° the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System ° is a data tool run by
both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration
It was created in 1990 to provide citizens with one central location to report their experiences with potential side effects of vaccines This database has become a key piece of §evidence¨ used by anti-vaxxers to cultivate public distrust of vaccines.

Employment-Based Visa Categories in the United States

7/8/21 One of the key principles guiding the U.S. immigration system has been admitting foreign workers with skills that are valuable to the U.S. economy. Current U.S. immigration law provides several paths for foreign workers to enter the United States for employment purposes on a temporary or permanent basis. This fact sheet provides basic information about how the employment-based U.S. immigration system works.

Health Equity Considerations & Racial & Ethnic Minority Groups

Health equity is when all members of society enjoy a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Public health policies and programs centered around the specific needs of communities can promote health equity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought social and racial injustice and inequity to the forefront of public health. It has highlighted that health equity is still not a reality as COVID-19 has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19. Multi-language: Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Korean |
Social determinants of health (SDOH)

Census Bureau Releases 2021 Determinations for Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act

12/8/21 The U.S. Census Bureau has released a list of 331 jurisdictions (counties and minor civil divisions) across the nation and three states that are required under the Voting Rights Act to provide language assistance during elections for citizens who are unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process.
The list, published in the Federal Register, identifies the jurisdictions that are covered by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act and must provide language assistance for “persons who are American Indian, Asian American, Alaska Natives, or of Spanish heritage.”

Ensuring Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers Have the Ability to Work Safely

An extensive list of identified essential critical infrastructure workers in the fields of Healthcare, Law Enforcement, Public Safety / First Responders, Education and Food & Agriculture, It is intended to be overly inclusive reflecting the diversity of industries across the United States.
Providing instructions and guidelines for government and businesses to keep workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency)

Archive – Joint Statement – URGENT POLICY ACTION NEEDED BY WHITE HOUSE TO SUPPORT THE AFGHAN PEOPLE

1/11/22 As detailed in a joint statement issued by the nine humanitarian organizations, more than half the country’s population of 23 million people are facing acute food insecurity, including 9 million who are on the brink of famine. According to the United Nations, if no action is taken, more than 100,000 children could die of starvation. While prices skyrocket, Afghan families cannot access cash to pay for food, medicine, or other items.
The 9 global charities include:InterAction
Alliance for Peacebuilding, |
CARE USA |
Catholic Relief Services |
International Rescue Committee |
Norwegian Refugee Council USA |
Save the Children US |
War Child USA | and
World Vision U.S

Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s Virus Mandate for Large Employers

1/13/22 The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a vaccine-or-testing mandate for large employers, dealing a blow to a key element of the White House’s plan to address the pandemic as coronavirus cases resulting from the Omicron variant are on the rise.
But the court allowed a more modest mandate requiring health care workers at facilities receiving federal money to be vaccinated

SCC COVID Testing Guidance

1/14/22 With a high demand for COVID-19 testing locally and throughout the nation, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is offering guidance to those unsure of what kind of test to use and whether or not they need one.
The testing options are a PCR test, typically administered in a clinic or drive-through operation; and an antigen test, which are also available for home use.
The County recommends that the antigen tests be used for purposes of shortening isolation or quarantine periods for those who have tested positive or been exposed to a person with COVID.
Positive antigen results should be recognized as valid – there is no need for a follow up PCR test at a healthcare or County facility.
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Tagalog |

Nixle Alerts

Nixle keeps you up-to-date with relevant information from your local public safety departments & schools
Text your zip code to 888777 to opt in to receive emergency alerts. Nixle asks new subscribers for both their mobile phone number (for emergency texts) and their email address if they want to also receive informational messages. Multi-Language: Spanish option.
Frequently Asked Questions

Bay Area Vanpool Program

Enterprise and MTC (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) connect employees who live near each other and provide them with a recent-model van or SUV. Riders commute together, saving money, freeing up time to relax or catch up on work. MTC will subsidize eligible* commutes up to $350/month. Vanpools must start or end in one of the 9 eligible Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma Counties). Check for other program requirements.

Who Are the Adults Not Vaccinated Against COVID?

12/28/21 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that as of December 14, roughly 85% of adults ages 18 and over in the United States had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but 15% remained unvaccinated.
Who are the unvaccinated and why are they choosing not to get a COVID vaccine? Household Pulse Survey Shows Many Don’t Trust COVID Vaccine, Worry About Side Effects

Archive – White House Establishes New AAPI Visibility Task Force

1/4/21 With Business Leaders and Actor Daniel Dae Kim
The group will be tasked with advising President Biden and other D.C. lawmakers on issues important to the AAPI community, including initiatives like adding more language options in federal programs, disaggregating AAPI data to improve policy changes and rehabilitating small businesses crippled by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Key Words: Asian

SCC Quick Guide to Services 2019

Santa Clara County provides essential services that people need on a daily basis to work and live in Silicon Valley – whether residents need a marriage license, access to children’s health services or want to know about local recreational facilities. Customer service is a top priority for the County, which oversees services and programs for a multilingual, culturally diverse community. This is a Quick reference for many services that are provided to the community.

SCC Division of Equity and Social Justice (DESJ)

DESJ departments provide numerous resources to the community. The County of Santa Clara provides fiscal resources to numerous community organizations or agencies within the county to help best serve the community. The DESJ is a partner with many organizations to provide information, resources and leadership in efforts to assist the most marginalized individuals within the county.
Office of Cultural Competency |
Office of Immigrant Relations |
Office of Labor Standards Enforcement |
Office of Women’s Policy |
Office of Gender Based Violence Prevention |
Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Affairs |

CDC is expanding eligibility of booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old

1/5/22 CDC is expanding eligibility of booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old. CDC now recommends that adolescents age 12 to 17 years old should receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series.
Data show that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for adolescents aged 12-17.

Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law

9/30/21 Foundational Principle: The Exercise of Prosecutorial Discretion – It is well established in the law that federal government officials have broad discretion to decide who should be subject to arrest, detainers, removal proceedings, and the execution of removal
orders. The exercise of prosecutorial discretion in the immigration arena is a deep-rooted tradition.
Icr New Enforcement Policies

Omicron in Santa Clara County and Boosters for Everyone 16+

12/11/21 County Public Health Department publichealth@phd.sccgov.org via mailchimpapp.net
As anticipated, the COVID-19 variant Omicron has been detected in Santa Clara County.
“Although there are still many unknowns about this variant, we strongly recommend getting vaccinated and getting your booster if you haven’t already to help guard against Omicron” said Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer and Director of Public Health, County of Santa Clara. “It is a new variant, but we know what to do, and that’s to continue with all our layers of protection: Vaccinate, boost, mask, ventilate, distance, and test often.” Multi-language:
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Tagalog |

Archive – Six men arrested in connection with 70 crimes targeting Bay Area Asian women, police say

12/15/21 Six men have been arrested in connection to a string of robberies allegedly targeting Asian women in the Bay Area, concluding a yearlong investigation, according to authorities.
Ethnic slurs were allegedly used against some of the women by the three men and officials said the suspects followed the women to their cars in parking lots and waited until they were inside before opening the door or breaking a window to snatch a purse from their passenger seat.
Key Words: Hate Crimes

Archive – $165 million California fund to battle anti-Asian hate could come this year

11/16/21 Community groups will get the bulk of money to battle tide of bigotry and violence.
Community groups fighting against the rise of hate crimes and related actions directed at Asians could start seeing some of a new $165.5 million state fund by the end of this year, state and local leaders said Monday, Nov. 15, during a news conference in Garden Grove.
Most of the California API Equity Fund, roughly $110 million, is expected to be awarded over the next three years to organizations with deep ties in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities that they serve. Such groups were the first to respond to the rise in hate crimes and hate incidents faulting Asian Americans for the coronavirus pandemic.

San Jose expands community use at Viet Heritage Garden, after years of dispute

12/30/21 After sitting empty for 6 years due to a lack of funding, a garden honoring San Jose’s vast Vietnamese community sprouts signs of life.
San Jose is expanding a community garden program at the Viet Heritage Garden located at 1499 Roberts Ave.
The Viet Heritage Garden, which spans 4 acres will include 45 plots where people can farm their own vegetables and herbs.
The community garden in District 7 will be the newest addition to a list of 20 community gardens across the city, some of which have provided a place for residents to grow vegetables since 1977. Key Words: Food

U.S. waives work permit and green card application fees for Afghan evacuees

11/8/21 Afghans brought to the U.S. after July 30 under a humanitarian immigration process known as parole will qualify for a fee exemption on their applications for work authorization. The U.S. will also waive permanent residency petition fees for Afghans who are requesting Special Immigrant Visas due to their work with U.S. military forces.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) typically requires work permit applicants to pay $495 in application and biometric collection fees. The agency can charge up to $1,225 in fees to adjudicate petitions for permanent residency, which is also known as green card status.

Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index

Every community must prepare for and respond to hazardous events, whether a natural disaster like a tornado or a disease outbreak, or a human-made event such as a harmful chemical spill. Several factors, including poverty, lack of access to transportation, and crowded housing may weaken a community’s ability to prevent human suffering and financial loss in a disaster. These factors are known as social vulnerability. Using U.S. Census data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the first version of the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) in 2011 to enable emergency response planners and public health officials to identify, map, and plan support for communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a public health emergency.

Archive – US considering returning some evacuees who don’t pass vetting process to Afghanistan

11/18/21 The Biden administration is considering sending some of the Afghan evacuees at a US military base in Kosovo back to Afghanistan if they cannot clear the intense vetting process to come to the United States, according to three US officials familiar with the matter.
A return to Afghanistan is only one option on the table — and comes with complicated legal questions — but it is being studied as US officials have yet to develop an overall plan for how to handle the challenge of where to resettle Afghans if they do not clear the US security clearance process.

Special Immigrant Juveniles

If you are in the United States and need the protection of a juvenile court because you have been abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent, you may be eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification. If SIJ classification is granted, you may qualify for lawful permanent residency (also known as getting a Green Card).
Multi-language: Spanish

Minority Health Resource Center

The OMHRC Knowledge Center Online Catalog provides access to the nation’s largest repository of information dedicated to the health of minority populations within the United States and its territories. The collection includes over 70,000 documents, books, journal articles, reports, and media related to the health status of racial and ethnic minority populations. In addition, users can access consumer health materials in more than 40 languages. The database identifies print and digital content leading to article, document, journal, and organizational records.

New immigration policy could help some undocumented veterans seek naturalization

11/17/21 The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office has issued a new written guidance expanding the eligibility for citizenship of former U.S. armed forces veterans facing deportation, as well as hundreds who were already removed from the country.
non-U.S. veterans can qualify for citizenship if they served during wartime, or what is known legally as a ‘ Designated Period of Hostility’, such as the Korean or Vietnam wars, the Persian Gulf conflict and the ongoing war on terrorism after September 11, 2001.
Multi-language: Spanish

Language Access: Translation and Interpretation Policies and Practices

created to assist local government administrators, policymakers, and others who are looking for ways to provide high-quality and cost-effective translation and interpretation services.
Practitioners’ Corner Archive
Centralizing Translation Across Agencies Through Computer Assisted Translation (CAT)
Testing and Training Volunteer Translators and Interpreters
Top 10 Best Practices for Multilingual Websites
Doing More with Less on Language Access
How to Assess the Effectiveness of Language Access Programs
Drafting RFP and Contracts for Language Access Services
Tips for Testing and Certifying Multilingual Employees
Tips for Ensuring Translation Quality

Why hundreds of thousands of kids in the US dread their 21st birthdays

“All my friends excitedly talk about turning 21 — hitting the bars, all of that…but it’s just something that I dread,” she says.
The day she turns 21, Parvathinathan will no longer be protected by the work visa that allowed her parents to immigrate to the United States from India. And she may face deportation.
It’s known as “aging out,” and experts estimate that about 200,000 people like Parvathinathan are living in a similar limbo. Brought legally to the United States as children, many are scrambling to find ways to stay in the country they love. Some are forced to leave the US when they run out of options.
They’ve dubbed themselves “documented Dreamers,” and they say their plight shows how broken the US immigration system is.

Child Tax Credits a Huge Boost for Many, But Not All, Latino Families

11/23/21 The expanded child tax credits are working to help families make ends meet and experience less stress, a new survey shows.
As part of the American Rescue Plan, Congress expanded the child tax credit in March 2021. Since July, the IRS has been providing cash benefits to most households with children, including some of the country’s poorest families.
Now, given sufficient time to study this effort, a survey by the Center for Law and Social Policy found that the enhanced child tax credit made a difference for many parents and children. Many Latinos and other families of color benefitted, but many immigrants also were left out.

Santa Clara County offers COVID vaccine booster to all adults

11/10/21 “No one will be turned away who wants a booster” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county’s COVID-19 vaccine officer, setting new rules for county vaccination clinics. With the late summer decline in COVID-19 cases leveling off at an uncomfortably high level and showing signs of rising again, county health officials urged vaccinated adults to get a booster shot ahead of the winter holidays ” fearing another eruption of outbreaks as families and friends gather.

FEMA closes gap that prevented many Black families in South from receiving disaster aid

9/2/21 The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced sweeping changes Thursday to the way the U.S. government will verify homeownership for disaster relief applicants who lack certain legal documents for inherited property.
The change responds to pushback against rules that have stymied Black Americans in the Deep South from getting help to rebuild after catastrophic storms if they can’t adequately prove they own their homes ” and it comes as Hurricane Ida threatened to repeat the cycle. Key Words: Equity

National Advisory Council Report to the FEMA Administrator November 2020 – Equity Gaps

11/20 Emergency management is part of the social safety net across all phases from response to recovery.
As such, first responders do not rescue people who can evacuate themselves, they only rescue people
who need help. Recovery programs, however, seem to do just that. They provide an additional boost to
wealthy homeowners and others with less need, while lower-income individuals and others sink further
into poverty after disasters. In 2045, emergency management is equitable across the full spectrum,
including preparedness, recovery, and mitigation, with resources going to those who need them.

US curtails refugee admissions to focus on resettling Afghan evacuees

11/16/21 The U.S. government is curtailing admissions of refugees to focus on the massive effort to process and resettle tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees, the State Department said Monday.
Through January 11, the U.S. will stop booking travel for refugees who don’t qualify for certain exceptions. Refugees who need to reunite with family in the U.S., who are travel-ready, who have “urgent cases” or whose medical and security screenings are set to expire soon will continue to be resettled, the State Department said.

Nearly all US COVID-19 deaths now preventable

6/25/21 According to an Associated Press analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data from May, only about 150 of the more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in May were in fully vaccinated people, or less than 1%. This translates to 5 deaths per day attributed to fully vaccinated Americans experiencing breakthrough infections, and roughly 300 deaths per day in the unvaccinated. Key Words: Pandemic

The Biden administration announced the DHS will halt workplace raids

10/17/21 NPRInterview: During Donald Trump’s presidency, immigration agents arrested thousands of individuals allegedly living in the country illegally through a series of high-profile raids on workplaces. Officials said these raids were intended to send a message to people skirting federal labor laws. But some criticized the raids for disrupting the lives of hardworking immigrants.
On Tuesday, the Biden administration signaled it would now end the practice. Here to discuss the significance of the move and what comes next is Marielena Hincapie. She is executive director of the National Immigration Law Center. Key Words: Undocumented

SCC Cultural Communities Wellness Program (CCWP)

A Family Outreach and Engagement Program (formerly known as ECCAC or Ethnic and Cultural Communities Advisory Committee) providing linguistic and culturally competent outreach, education, advocacy and peer support to ethnic communities. The goals are to reduce the stigma and increase understanding of behavioral health issues, increase willingness to seek help, and access to services. CCWP staff is multicultural and multilingual, representing at least 10 cultural communities, and speaking at least 12 languages. There are 7 CCWP teams:
African Heritage Community |
African Immigrant Community (Eritrean, Ethiopian, and Somali) |
Chinese Community |
Filipino Community |
Latino Community |
Native Family Community | and
Vietnamese Community |
Formerly ECCAC
Multi-language:
Language Assistance Services

FBI: Hate crime reports at highest level in 12 years

10/26/21 Increase comes even as fewer agencies reported hate crime incidents in their jurisdictions to FBI than in previous years.
More than 10,000 people reported to law enforcement last year that they were the victim of a hate crime because of their race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion or disability ” a number that has been on the rise in recent years, according to the
FBI’s annual hate crime statistics report

Biden Vastly Expands “Protected Areas” Where ICE Can’t Arrest Immigrants

10/28/21 Starting this week, the number of places where immigration enforcement officials are not allowed to arrest people is growing. The Biden administration issued a new policy Wednesday that directs agents to stay away from playgrounds, domestic violence shelters, healthcare facilities, public demonstrations, disaster response centers, and other locations.
The new “protected areas” policy
went into effect immediately and supersedes all previous guidance for what used to be called “sensitive locations.”

We Debunk 5 Anti-Vax Myths About Kids’ COVID-19 Vaccines

10/28/21 On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11. That approval could come any day now”listen closely, and you may hear a collective sigh of relief emanating from millions of parents.
But not everyone is celebrating: Anti-vaccine activists are already planting seeds of doubt. Among disinformation experts, there’s a strategy called “prebunking””basically, educating people about the kinds of rumors they can expect to encounter. It’s like, well, an immunization”but for disinformation. In that spirit, here are five claims that anti-vaxxers are already making, along with the reasons they’re wrong.

SAN JOSE COVID-19 RECOVERY TASK FORCE

11/4/21 will be the first meeting of the the San José City Council approved 55 organizations to the COVID-19 Recovery Task Force, an important part of the City’s Community and Economic Recovery strategy.
This Task Force, which will be convened for no more than a year, will be an opportunity for the City to engage with and learn from the people and communities who have been most impacted by the pandemic. Recovery is not for the City to do alone, rather this work must be done with the whole community, for the benefit of those most burdened by the crisis, guided by their wisdom, tapping into their potential, and building on their deep enduring strength.

Archive – COVID-19 Vaccination Shots Now Available for Children Ages 5-11 in Santa Clara County

11/3/21 SCC is now providing COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5-11. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is the only option for this newly approved age group, which numbers just over 167,000 members of our community. All children ages 5-11 who sign up for an appointment are eligible.
Parents and guardians should visit www.sccfreevax.org to sign up for an appointment or to find a convenient drop-in location. Vaccines for children ages 5-11 are smaller doses and specially formulated. Families are also encouraged to check with their primary care physician or their local pharmacy about vaccine appointments for children. Multi-language:
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Tagalog |

COVID-19: The Unvaccinated Pose a Risk to the Vaccinated

9/25/21 An unvaccinated person who is infected with COVID-19 poses a much greater risk to others who are also unvaccinated. But vaccines are not 100% effective, so there is a chance that an unvaccinated person could infect a vaccinated person ” particularly the vulnerable, such as elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Fact Check from SciCheck’s COVID-19/Vaccination Project.

CDC Guidance for Refugees Upon Arrival in the United States

2021 Refugees come from diverse regions of the world, and professionals working with them need to understand the health risks, including the risk of COVID-19, in the countries from which they are departing. One resource is CDC’s Travel Health Notices, which are resources for travelers, including refugees, to help understand the risk of COVID-19 in destinations around the world. Learn how CDC determines the level of a destination’s COVID-19 Travel Health Notice. Multi-language: :Welcome Booklet for Refugees Amharic, Arabic Burmese, Dari, Farsi, French, Haitian, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya Ukrainian

STAND TOGETHER: Welcoming Muslim Refugees in Challenging Times

2016 This guide was created for advocates, service providers, and supporters like yourself as a tool to address
this backlash toward refugees and Muslim Americans, and to help you proactively engage with community leaders and neighbors. Through the messages, sample conversations, story ideas, and worksheets in this toolkit, we will help you develop straightforward yet persuasive language to use in the spoken or written communications you use in your work to support the needs of your whole community,

More than 10 million US citizens live with an undocumented immigrant

9/10/21 Analysis: – More than 10 million U.S. citizens share a household with an undocumented immigrant, according to a new analysis of Census Bureau data by immigration advocacy group FWD.us. Nearly half of those U.S. citizens, 4.9 million, are children who have at least one undocumented parent.
The report shows the extent to which undocumented immigrants are integrated in their communities, with 22 million people living in mixed status households.

San Jose small businesses get break on paying taxes

9/29/21 After being hammered by the pandemic, small businesses will have one less expense to incur ” at least for now.
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a nine-month extension of a program that waives the city’s business license tax for businesses hurt by COVID-19. The extension will run from Oct. 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. The program started on Oct. 1, 2020, and was set to expire on Thursday.

Santa Clara County renters, landlords prepare for life after eviction ban

9/29/21 The eviction moratorium, which protects tenants from being kicked out for not paying rent, ends on Thursday. Starting Friday, tenants have to pay at least 25% of their owed rent from the past year and can apply for rental assistance from the state to avoid eviction. Recent data suggests thousands of tenants across the county still haven’t applied for assistance, which indicates many could be at risk of losing their homes.

DHS Updates Immigration Enforcement Priorities

9/30/21 Safety and security remain top priorities. “We will prioritize for apprehension and removal noncitizens who are a threat to our national security, public safety, and border security” the memo states.
The guidelines shift how the department will employ prosecutorial discretion, moving away from rigid enforcement categories in favor of individualized assessments. Unauthorized status, on its own, will not be the basis for enforcement actions, according to the memo. Key Words: Undocumented, deportation

Archive – Funding Bill Will Help Afghans Resettle, Integrate

9/30/21 WASHINGTON, D.C. ” Congress today passed legislation that includes funding and additional benefits for Afghans resettling in the U.S.
The continuing resolution passed today includes $6.3 billion in supplemental funding for Afghan resettlement, as well as benefits for Afghan parolees who were admitted to the U.S. under humanitarian parole and are not technically deemed “refugees.” Key Words: Refugees, Evacuees

Where Afghan refugees are expected to be resettled, by state

9/16/21 The Biden administration this week notified state authorities of the number of Afghan evacuees each state could receive in the coming weeks as part of the first phase of a massive resettlement operation that is slated to place nearly 37,000 refugees from Afghanistan in U.S. communities.
California is expected to receive 5,225 Afghan evacuees, the most of any state. Texas is set to receive 4,481 Afghans, followed by Oklahoma, which is expected to host 1,800 evacuees. Washington state and Arizona are each slated to receive more than 1,600 evacuees.

THE TIME FOR A PARADIGMATIC SHIFT IN HOW AMERICANS VIEW IMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRATION IS NOW

4/21 Trump’s illegal and insanely inhumane Migrant “Protection” Protocols (MPP), which didn’t protect anyone at all. From January 2019, MPP trapped roughly 70,000 of the world’s most vulnerable people, including 16,000 children, in some of the most dangerous places on Earth.
It is right that we should celebrate their liberty from a policy that criminalized asylum and slammed U.S. doors shut on people seeking refuge. We must elevate their resolve to enter the U.S. legally and with dignity as we recognize their international right to migrate.
But we must not let the celebrations blind us to the obvious: Our immigration system is broken and cruel.

Asian American lawmakers urge DOJ to give updates about hate crimes law

9/22/21 President Joe Biden signed the legislation, co-sponsored by Hirono and Meng, on May 20 after it win bipartisan support in Congress. It directed the Justice Department to expedite the review of Covid-19-related hate crimes that were reported to law enforcement agencies to help them create ways to report such incidents online and to conduct public outreach.

California 1st to Set Quota Limits for Retailers Like Amazon

9/22/21 California on Wednesday became the first state to bar mega-retailers from firing warehouse workers for missing quotas that interfere with bathroom and rest breaks under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that grew from Amazon’s drive to speed goods to consumers more quickly.
The measure also bars Amazon, the online retail giant, and similar companies from disciplining workers for following health and safety laws and allows employees to sue to suspend unsafe quotas or reverse retaliation. The bill applies to all warehouse distribution centers, though proponents were driven by Amazon’s dominance.

Peninsula Rides San Mateo County Senior Mobility Guide

Peninsula Rides provides information about transportation options to people with mobility challenges so they can get around in and beyond San Mateo County.
Learn more about the 30+ transit options available to you, both public and private, in one easy-to-search website.
interactive “Find Your Ride” tool
Multi-language:
Spanish |
Chinese | Key Words: AFN, transportation

Archive – Free Legal Services for Afghan Refugees in CA

CA DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES IMMIGRATION SERVICES FUNDING FOR AFGHAN POPULATIONS – The CDSS funds qualified nonprofits to provide immigration legal services free of charge. The nonprofits on this list provide services to the Afghan population. For more information on service availability and additional service locations, please contact the organization directly. Multi-language: Pashto, Dari, Farsi

Afghan Immigrants in the United States

9/7/21 The dramatic aftermath of the U.S. military departure from Afghanistan after 20 years of war and rapid rise of the Taliban prompted a chaotic evacuation of Afghan allies and others to the United States and other countries. The U.S. government has said it expects that at least 50,000 Afghans will eventually be brought to the United States, as part of one of the largest airlifts of its kind in U.S. history. As of September 3, nearly 34,000 U.S.-bound Afghans were being housed at U.S. and NATO bases in the Middle East and Europe; another nearly 26,000 evacuees were at eight military facilities in the United States.

Archive – Will the Taliban’s Takeover Lead to a New Refugee Crisis from Afghanistan?

9/2/21 The decision to withdraw U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan and the subsequent abrupt takeover by the Taliban have triggered profound concerns among Afghans, who fear for the future under the Taliban’s rule. Internationally, one key concern is that a major refugee crisis may be imminent, which could swell the numbers of Afghans previously displaced within and beyond the country’s borders during prior decades of war. Already this year, more than 558,000 Afghans have been displaced internally. Under a worst-case scenario, an estimated 515,000 refugees could be forced out of the country by the end of this year. Future flight would add to the existing 2.8 million Afghan refugees and asylum seekers around the world, who have long been among the planet’s largest humanitarian populations.

Welcome to the United States: A Guidebook for Refugees

2012 The Welcome set is comprised of two COR Center resources: Welcome to the US: A Guidebook for Refugees and its complementary DVD, Welcome to the United States: Refugee Guide to Resettlement. These resources, developed at the request of the Department of State, Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), are designed to support overseas Cultural Orientation, as well as for use in initial domestic orientation or by refugees directly. Multi-language: English, Arabic, Burmese, Farsi, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Nepali, Somali, Swahili

Archive – Pathways to Protection for Afghans at Risk

9/1/21 from NILC (Nat Immigration Law Center)
On August 31, President Biden announced the full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the conclusion of “the largest airlift in U.S. history” a 17-day evacuation of approximately 120,000 people from Hamid Karzai airport in Kabul. In addition to U.S. citizens and citizens of other allied nations, among those evacuated were at-risk Afghans who assisted the U.S. military effort or who were otherwise under threat. The U.S. has announced three different immigration pathways that are being used to evacuate and resettle vulnerable Afghans: Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) status, the Priority 2 (P2) Refugee Program, and Humanitarian Parole.

Operation Blue Roof

Operation Blue Roof is a priority mission managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for FEMA. Operation Blue Roof aims to provide homeowners in disaster areas with fiber-reinforced sheeting to cover their damaged roofs until permanent repairs are made. This program is a free service to homeowners. This program is for primary residences or a permanently occupied rental property with less than 50 percent structural damage.

Cities for Action / DACA Toolkit

Toolkit to help keep DACA recipients and impacted communities informed about the current status of the DACA program, light the pathway to resources amid a constantly shifting landscape, and offer tools to both elevate the voices of DACA recipients and impacted community and drive the message that DACA recipients strengthen the social and institutional fabric of the United States.

Afghan resettlement raises the question- Who is coming to the U.S.?

9/5/21 With tens of thousands of Afghans arriving at the end of America’s longest war, such comments from witnesses and government officials have left a question looming over the coming weeks, one that is already dividing host communities from Missoula, Mont., to Jacksonville, Fla.: Who is coming to the United States?
The emerging picture is more complicated than President Biden’s depiction of the airlift that whisked planeloads of Afghans to safety as a moral imperative to save people who helped Americans during a difficult conflict despite the risk. “We got thousands of Afghan translators and interpreters, and others who supported the United States, out” he said recently. Key Words: Refugees, Asylum

Archive – Northern California secures federal disaster declaration

8/25/21 The White House has approved California’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, as wildfires continue to ravage landscapes and threaten entire communities in the northern part of the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) office announced.
The declaration will help bolster emergency response to the fires by making additional resources available and helping residents qualify for housing assistance, counseling, medical services and legal services. The approval applies specifically to the regions affected by the Dixie and River fires, although other blazes, like the Caldor Fire, may be included later on, according to the governor’s office.

Home Alone: Prepare Kids for Emergencies

Many children don’t have adult supervision 100% of the time. Parents and caregivers have jobs, errands, and other responsibilities that require them to leave their kids home alone some of the time.
Emergencies and no-notice disasters can happen during these gaps in supervision. Here are some practical skills you can teach, and conversations you can have, to prepare them to be home alone.

Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans – FEMA

9/21 Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 provides guidance from FEMA on the fundamentals
of planning and developing emergency operations plans. The guide describes the steps to produce
an emergency operation plan, possible plan structures and components of a base plan and its
annexes. Other FEMA guides provide detailed information about planning considerations for specific
functions, hazards and threats

Archive – California Democrats tell Biden to send Afghan refugees to Golden State

8/27/21 A cadre of California members of Congress, including several from the Bay Area, have told President Biden the Golden State is ready and willing to serve as a “safe harbor” for Afghan refugees and special immigrant visa applicants fleeing their home country that’s now under Taliban rule.
In a letter to Biden delivered Friday, East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell, along with Southern California Reps. Ted Lieu and Adam Schiff, wrote the U.S. is “indebted to our Afghan partners, many of whom aided the U.S. military and diplomatic efforts” and risked their lives during a 20-year conflict.

Assurance Wireless Free Phone & Service

Assurance Wireless Unlimited combines our Lifeline service with the temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) to give eligible customers Unlimited Data & Texts & Minutes, plus 10GB Hotspot Data.
Lifeline is a government benefit program. Assurance Wireless provides Lifeline service supported by the federal Universal Service Fund and the California LifeLine Program.
Qualifications: Enrollment in this government benefit program is available to consumers who qualify based on federal or state-specific eligibility criteria. See if you qualify today! Key Words: Communication, internet

Explainer: Humanitarian Parole and the Afghan Evacuation

8/30/21 The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has prompted a refugee crisis. UNHCR reports that more than 550,000 Afghans have been displaced since January due to Taliban advances. Those most at risk include women leaders and activists, human rights workers, journalists, and tens of thousands of individuals who have assisted U.S. efforts in the country and are marked by their connection to the U.S. military.
Due to the inadequacy of the SIV and P-2 programs in the context of an emergency evacuation, on August 23 the administration announced it would be using its humanitarian parole authority to process in evacuated Afghans who do not already have visas. This explainer will define humanitarian parole and describe how it is being used in the ongoing evacuation.

Switchboard (for Refugee Service Providers)

Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the US. Funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Switchboard offers a library of learning resources, an online evidence database, a range of self-paced e-learning courses, regular live learning opportunities, and on-demand technical assistance for ORR-funded organizations. Switchboard is implemented by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). IRC has partnered with Lutheran Immigrant Refugee Service (LIRS) to provide employment-related training and technical assistance.

Congress fails to extend national COVID eviction ban

7/31/21 More than 3.6 million Americans are at risk of eviction, some in a matter of days.
A nationwide eviction moratorium is set to expire Saturday after President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress worked furiously but ultimately failed to align on a long-shot strategy to prevent millions of Americans from being forced from their homes during a COVID-19 surge.
More than 3.6 million Americans are at risk of eviction, some in a matter of days, as nearly $47 billion in federal housing aid to the states during the pandemic has been slow to make it into the hands of renters and landlords owed payments.

FEMA Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG)

May 2021 The IAPPG version 1.1 consolidates information on all of FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) programs and activities and provides a comprehensive policy resource for state,1 local,2 tribal,3 and territorial (SLTT) governments, non-governmental organization
partners, and entities that participate in or support the recovery of disaster survivors. Key Words: Emergency, Disaster

CDC Recommends COVID-19 Vaccines for Pregnant Women

8/11/21 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday urged pregnant women and women who were recently pregnant to get vaccinated for COVID-19, saying there was mounting evidence that the benefits of the vaccine far outweighed any known or potential risks.
The CDC said on its website that the current COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for all people 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant.
The agency also said that although the overall risk of severe illness was low, pregnant and recently pregnant women were more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with nonpregnant women. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can protect them from severe illness

CITY OF SAN JOSÉ APPOINTS DIRECTOR TO NEW OFFICE OF RACIAL EQUITY

10/20/20 Zulma Maciel to helm new Office responsible for advancing citywide equity framework to address systemic racism. This Office is responsible for advancing systems change through a citywide racial equity framework that will examine and improve San José’s internal policies, programs, and practices to eradicate any structural and/or institutional racism in the City of San José. This includes a focus on enabling the organization, at all levels and in all departments, to identify ways to improve outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Key Words: Ethnic

Bay Area’s rising Asian and Hispanic populations are driving region’s growth, census reveals

8/12/21 The percentage of White residents fell in every county while the share of Latino residents grew in all but Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
That’s a trend now being mirrored across the country, where the population of White residents shrank over the past decade for the first time while the number of Asian and Latino Americans rose.

Archive -OVERVIEW OF THE NEW U NONIMMIGRANT (“U VISA”) BONA FIDE DETERMINATION

7/2021 On June 14, 2021, USCIS announced a new “bona fide determination” process whereby certain U petitioners and their family members with pending U petitions can receive four-year work authorization and deferred action while they wait for full adjudication. This process could be very good for many of the 270,000 folks who have filed for a U visa and are waiting – but there are many folks left out, and of course, much of this depends on how the process will be implemented. This practice advisory explains the process as we understand it based on current information and draws heavily on the new guidance published in the USCIS Policy Manual on the U
Nonimmigrant Bona Fide Determination at Volume 3, Part C, Chapter 5, 1 which should be consulted for more details and further legal citations.

Special Needs – Glossary of Spanish Translations

This 2nd edition of the OSEP Glossary of Spanish Translations of Common IDEA Terms includes over 400 terms related to IDEA Parts B and C (the parts of IDEA that cover special education and early intervention services, respectively). The terms were selected by experienced translators from Parent Centers who have worked with families with children with disabilities representing the majority of Spanish-speaking cultures in Latin America and Spain. Multi-language: Spanish

Stopping ICE From Unlawfully Detaining Immigrant Youth

7/2/21 Following a four-week trial in December 2019 and January 2020, the Court held on July 2, 2020 that ICE is violating the law in the manner in which it detains 18 year-olds.
This lawsuit challenged Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) practice of transferring unaccompanied minors who turn 18 years old to adult custody in the agency’s contracted jails and prisons, without considering less restrictive placements. In many cases, youth were sent to ICE detention even if they had sponsors waiting to take them in.

Dignity Not Detention

The Dignity Not Detention Act, passed in 2017 in California, is the first law in the country to halt immigration
detention growth and create more transparency and accountability in the U.S. immigration detention system. This is huge because California detains a quarter of all people in U.S. immigration detention each year. What
California does has a dramatic effect on the immigration detention
The bills that were signed into law in California are not perfect, but they are a huge step forward. Essentially, the
bills place a moratorium on immigration detention growth in the state of CA.