Service Categories: Immigration-Citizenship-Legal

Immigration, Citizenship & Legal

At Home Humanitarian

At Home Humanitarian provides volunteer mentors to refugees and immigrants living within Northern California and Utah. Mentors can help answer any questions relating to American culture, customs, processes, laws, or community resources that would be helpful to the person they support.
Serving Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz. Multi-language: Key Words: Integration, RIF, Afghan

A Veteran ICE Agent, Disillusioned with the Trump Era, Speaks Out

7/24/17 The agent was especially concerned about a new policy that allows ICE to investigate cases of immigrants who may have paid smugglers to bring their children or relatives into the country. ICE considers these family members guilty of placing children “directly in harm’s way,” as one spokeswoman recently put it, and the agency will hold them “accountable for their role in these conspiracies.” According to ICE, these measures will help combat “a constant humanitarian threat,” but the agent said that rationale was just a pretext to increase arrests and eventually deport more people. “We seem to be targeting the most vulnerable people, not the worst.”

Toolkit for ESL Professionals Supporting Highly Skilled Immigrants

High-skilled immigrants need assistance in transferring their skills to the U.S. labor market. In particular, they call for integrated, contextualized language and job training programs that help immigrants navigate the local job markets. In subsequent chapters of this manual, we will introduce you to ESL curricula, model programs and best practices that do that. Key Words: Education, Professional

Forward.US

FWD.us was founded by leaders in the technology community to give our values a voice in American politics. Tech is a community of dreamers and doers, entrepreneurs and engineers. We support comprehensive immigration reform, improving the quality of American education, and encouraging more investment in scientific innovation. Silicon Valley Chapter Key Words: Legal

Welcome Back INITIATIVE – Int’l Health Worker Assistance Center

Mission – To build a bridge between the pool of internationally trained health workers living in the U.S. and the need for linguistically and culturally competent health services in underserved communities.
Welcome Back Center Locations: San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, Rhode Island, Puget Sound, WA, Suburban, Maryland, New York, San Antonio, Colorado,
Northwest WA, Philadelphia,

Bay Area Solidarity Network aims to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation

4/7/17 SAN JOSE – Building on a national movement to protect immigrant communities, faith leaders and local and state politicians on Friday pledged their support to undocumented immigrants who fear deportation under the Trump administration.
The network includes 70 congregations throughout Santa Clara County. Some have pledged to offer sanctuary to families at immediate risk of deportation while others will provide various forms of support to these individuals, such as connecting them to legal resources. Others will participate in PACT’s Rapid Response Team, a group of volunteers that plans to show up to the scene of local ICE raids to document the incident.

El Rescate

5/17 Provides multiple services, including legal counseling and representation, social services, education and economic development.  Serves the Central American community with immigration issues and orientation.  Also offers ESL and Spanish classes and emergency assistance for newly arrived refugees and others in crisis. Serving: LOS ANGELES Multi-lingual: Spanish

SCC Rapid Response Network Training

The RRN in SCC is a community defense project developed to protect immigrant families from deportation and to provide moral and accompaniment support during and after immigration operations in our community. The Rapid Response Network relies on volunteers to protect our neighbors at risk of ICE activity and the network needs YOU! If you want to stand in solidarity with families impacted by immigration activity in your community, and are interested in attending an in-person or virtual training, please fill out this google form and we will follow up with you via email to set up a date.

Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG)

In the wake of the 2016 election, an army of more than 120,000 lawyers, law students, and activists rose up in defense of the values, principles, individuals, and communities that make America a truly great nation.  2023 Update:  State legislatures across the country have brought escalating attacks against our civil rights, particularly on the right to bodily autonomy through state bans on gender-affirming care, birth control, contraception, and more. To combat this, we’re working with on-the-ground partners to defend against future state-level attacks and develop proactive, protective policy approaches driven by leaders from the affected communities and supported by L4GG’s unparalleled attorney network.  #L4GG

USAHello Resources for Newcomers to America

A one-stop, comprehensive website that houses the resources and information newcomers need to build successful lives for themselves and their families in the US. Resettled refugees and immigrants have collaborated on our content, which is written for English learners and those with interrupted educations. Our programs are further enhanced by automated and manual translations and the latest in multi-modal learning techniques. We use the proliferation of mobile technology and the power of the internet to provide safe, trustworthy support where and when it is needed. Español, Spanish, English, Arabic, Français, French, Af-Soomaali, Somali, Afrikaans, Basa Sunda, Key Words: RIF

Why All Americans Should Care About What Happens to Unauthorized Immigrants

3/16/17 A new analysis by USC’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration, or CSII, and the Center for American Progress shows that millions of people, citizens or otherwise, live in mixed-status families with at least one unauthorized family member in the same household. Undeniably, there is no way to separate immigrants out from the U.S.-born population; there can be no us versus them. Key Words: Undocumented

Immigrationlawhelp.org

ImmigrationLawHelp.org is a searchable online directory of over 1,000 free or low-cost non-profit immigration legal services providers in all 50 states. Only nonprofits that are BIA recognized or have attorneys on staff are included in the directory. Users can search by state, zip code, or detention facility. Users can also refine their search by types and areas of legal assistance provided, populations served, languages spoken, other areas of legal assistance, and non-legal services provided. Developed by the Immigration Advocates Network and Pro Bono Net. Multi-language: Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Farsi, Frenc, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Russian, Spansh, Vietnamese

Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education (CCCIE)

The Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education is a national network of community colleges dedicated to giving immigrants and refugees full access to higher education in order to accelerate their success as new Americans and enable them to achieve their educational, career, and personal goals.
The CCCIE is fulfilling that role through its strategic partnerships, awareness and outreach initiatives, and Promising Practices database.

Higher wages linked to immigrant diversity

4-10-17 Diverse immigrant populations do more than enrich a city’s cultural fabric. According to geographers from the University at Buffalo and Southampton University, they also boost wages.
In cities that are unwelcoming to immigrants, as diversity rises, people’s wages either don’t change, or they go up by only a small amount. In cities that are welcoming to immigrants, as diversity goes up, people’s wages go up, and by a lot,” said Abigail Cooke, an assistant professor of geography in UB’s College of Arts and Sciences, who wrote the paper with Thomas Kemeny, a UB research assistant professor and a lecturer at the University of Southampton in England.

CA CASA Association – Foster Children

CA Appointed Special Advocates for Children. Every day in California, more than 88 children enter foster care, having experienced the grave injustice of abuse or neglect. All too often they get lost in the system and their critical needs go unmet. We’re here to improve these children’s lives. CASA Volunteers receive special instructions on how to address a child’s immigration needs and focus on the best outcome for each child.

Know Your Rights and What Immigrant Families Should Do Now

4/28/17 ILRC Update – It’s important for everyone to know their rights if approached by an immigration (ICE) agent as well as how families can best prepare for something happening. This resource provides practical tips for things immigrant families can do now to prepare as well as information on rights everyone has in the United States, regardless of immigration status. Key Words: KYR, Spanish | Chinese | Arabic | Korean | Russian | Tagalog | Vietnamese |

Inspired by Trump, more immigrants rush to become U.S. citizens

Since Trump took office, his policies have inspired thousands of immigrants like Radwan to apply for citizenship. Between October and December 2016, the latest data available, 238,062 people applied for naturalization, according to Citizenship and Immigration Services records, compared with 185,466 applications during the same time period in 2015 – a nearly 30 percent jump.

DOJ – Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER)

Section of Dept of Justice charged with enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This federal law prohibits: 1) citizenship status discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, 2) national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, 3) unfair documentary practices during the employment eligibility verification, Form I-9 and E-Verify, and 4) retaliation or intimidation.
Spanish
Employment Rights and Resources for Refugees and Asylees |

Santa Clara County cops reaffirm they won’t be deportation force

3/14/17 Morgan Hill Police Chief David Swing, president of the county police chiefs’ association, was joined by San Jose Chief Eddie Garcia, 10 other South Bay chiefs and District Attorney Jeff Rosen at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose to convey a message of solidarity.
The agencies of this county will not enforce federal immigration laws, Swing said. “It is not our mission nor our role & we will treat all of our residents with dignity regardless of status.”

Archive – A Question of Honor: The Ongoing Importance of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program

3/17 Urban Justice Center’s Report – The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program was established in the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 in response to the extreme danger that Afghan employees of the U.S. government in Afghanistan face as a result of their work. As of this report’s writing in March 2017, visa interviews were suspended for lack of visas. All Afghan applicants must undergo extensive processing, which lasts for months or even years. Key Words: Refugee, Asylee

Archive – AIRBNB Donation for Afghan Refugees

8/24/21 Many Afghan refugees are being temporarily relocated to military bases in Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin for asylum. Other countries have also vowed to take in Afghan refugees. To help alleviate the global refugee crisis, rental company Airbnb announced Tuesday that it would house up to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide for free or at a discounted rate.
There’s an urgent, unprecedented need for emergency stays for refugees arriving from Afghanistan. Join Airbnb.org in supporting Afghan refugees. Key Words Housing, Afghanistan

What to Know About Immigration Raids

March 2017 99 page booklet created by the Santa Clara County Office of Immigrant Relations, that compiles information and resources that should help you respond if ICE conducts raids in your community, including a documents check list, multi-language Know Your Rights (English, Spanish and Arabic) preparing a family plan, Plan for Children’s care, legal forms, contact information and more. Key Words: SCC

What is a sanctuary city?

2/17 A sanctuary city is a place that has decided to keep local resources to solve local problems. Some people think ‘sanctuary’ means the city is harboring fugitives. That’s a misunderstanding of the term. A better term than sanctuary might be local control or safe city. From Teach Tolerance

Effects of Sanctuary Policies on Crime and the Economy

4/17 Statistical analysis illustrates that across a range of social and economic indicators, sanctuary counties perform better than comparable non-sanctuary counties. To understand the effects of having a sanctuary policy, we statistically match counties based on a broad range of demographic characteristics and then compare sanctuary counties to non-sanctuary counties to better understand the effects that sanctuary policies have on a local jurisdiction.
The data are clear: Crime is statistically significantly lower in sanctuary counties compared to non-sanctuary counties. Moreover, economies are stronger in sanctuary counties: from higher median household income, less poverty, and less reliance on public assistance to higher labor force participation, higher employment-to-population ratios, and lower unemployment.

Helping immigrant children heal

2015 Report from the American Psychological Assoc. – Psychologists are working to help undocumented immigrant children recover from trauma and deal with the uncertainties of their lives. Key Words: Mental Health, Stress, unaccompanied minors,

ILRC Family Preparedness Plan for Immigrants (English-Spanish-Chinese)

Every family should have a Preparedness Plan in case of disruption of their routines for any reason. The dramatic expansion of ICE activities makes it even more important that immigrants consider the potential impact that detainment or deportation would have on their families. ILRC (Immigrant Legal Resource Center) has prepared this packet with information, forms, and additional information for families that include immigrants. Spanish | Chinese |

San Jose International Airport First in US to Offer Citizenship Services for Employees

2/16/17 Mineta San Jose International is the first airport in the United States to provide citizenship services for its employees and their families in the country.
That announcement was made by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and leaders from the National Immigration Forum’s New American Workforce, the only worksite citizenship program in the country, according to Jennie Murray, director of the forum’s integration programs.

Mt View Community leaders pledge to resist immigration crackdown

2/17/17 Pledging a united front to protect migrants, local policymakers, school officials and law enforcement on Saturday issued a rallying cry to protest the recent executive orders by President Donald Trump. At the city-sponsored Civility Roundtable event, panel members gave repeated assurances to a crowd of about 200 that they would look to safeguard the full patchwork of the South Bay community, and they invited everyone to join them in the effort.

Justia Legal Aid & Pro Bono Services

The Justia Lawyer Directory is a listing of lawyers, legal aid organizations, and pro bono legal service organizations. Our services include a 24-hour toll-free crisis line, an emergency shelter, counseling, information and referrals, support groups, safety planning, legal services and community education presentations. Staff and volunteers also contact police reported victims of domestic violence to inform them of their rights and resources. All Support Network services are completely confidential, are either free or low-cost. Multi-language: Spanish and English.: Mt. View, SCC

Mexican Heritage Plaza School of Arts and Culture

Although La Plaza will no longer be a testing site, our partner Gardner Health Services will continue offering free vaccinations and COVID-19 tests to the East San Jose community. For more information or to schedule an appointment call them at (408) 457-7100 or find your nearest clinic. No health insurance or doctor’s note is required and it does not impact your immigration status. Multi-language: Spanish Key Words: Latino, folklorico, San Jose, SCC

Archive – Alzheimers ‘tsunami’ among Latinos raises concerns over costs, caregiving

3/18/17 The number of Latinos with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. is expected to rise by more than eight times by 2060, to 3.5 million, according to a report by the University of Southern California’s Institute on Aging and the Latinos Against Alzheimer’s network.
That tidal wave of Alzheimer’s cases is prompting some tough conversations in Latino families, which often pride themselves on caring for elders at home, rather than placing them in nursing homes.

Oakland police pact with ICE questioned

3/17/17 …Oakland data such as that gathered by its license-plate readers is sent to the East Bay data-sharing network ARIES, or Automated Regional Information Exchange System. That database is in turn shared with the larger Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, whose data is accessible by, as Hofer put it, “all sorts of federal agencies.”
“Maybe they’re sharing data a bit more widely than we understand. I don’t know if Oakland knows” Hofer said. “You can impose restrictions on sharing.”

How the Irish compare to other waves of immigrants in the U.S.

3/17/17 St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, when about 39 percent of Americans say they celebrate their Irish heritage. More than 4.5 million Irish immigrants arrived in the U.S. between 1820 and 1930. Between 1820 and 1860, the Irish constituted more than one-third of all immigrants to the U.S. Here is a look at many waves of immigrants coming to America over the decades. Report

SCC, CA Leads Coalition Opposing Mandatory Detention of Immigrants without Due Proces

2/10/17 Santa Clara County and 19 other cities and counties across the nation joined together in filing an amicus curiae or friend of the court brief with the United States Supreme Court, asking the Court to uphold important constitutional protections for immigrants held in prolonged mandatory immigration detention by the federal government.

HAIS

HIAS stands for a world in which refugees find welcome, safety, and freedom. Following resettlement, HIAS supports both refugees and host communities around the U.S. to ensure successful integration. Although this can be a long process requiring the participation of many actors, refugees bring the resilience and resourcefulness that saved their lives at home.

US: A nation of immigrants, but ambivalent about immigration

America’s self-image is forever intertwined with the melting pot. It’s a nation that welcomes the world’s wretched refuse, a nation built by immigrants, a nation whose very motto is “E Pluribus Unum” – Out of Many, One.
America’s history also is replete with efforts to shut the golden door to arrivals from China, from Eastern and Southern Europe – and most recently, from predominantly Muslim nations.
America’s relationship with immigration is … complicated.

Archive – Quickguide to Child Welfare & Immigration Laws – CA

This 2016 Quickquide from the American Bar Association, offers a brief overview of law and resources for child welfare attorneys and others. In addition to highlighting how common stages to a dependency case may affect immigrant children or parents, This tool describes forms of federal immigration relief that may be unfamiliar to child welfare practitioners but are potentially critical resources for their clients. There is also a listing of California State specific laws and resources.

Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC)

The Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) is a partnership of faith-based organizations committed to enacting fair and humane immigration reform that reflects our mandate to welcome the stranger and treat all human beings with dignity and respect. Coalition members work together to advocate for just and equitable immigration policies, educate faith communities, and serve immigrant populations around the country. Key Words: Sanctuary Toolkit

SF CAIRS (San Francisco Coalition of Asylee, Immigrant, and Refugee Services)

SF-CAIRS is a multidisciplinary coalition of 20 organizations serving the San Francisco Bay Area asylee, immigrant and refugee community and its service providers. Providing employment, immigration, health care, benefits application, domestic violence, legal asst, educational and vocational training, employment, housing, ESL, Interpretation and other support services.
Expanding resource knowledge among service providers about health, employment, social, education and legal services for recent refugees, political asylees and immigrants in the SF Bay Area. The national HQ is located in Washington DC. Key Words: Muslim, SCC, KYR, Know Your Rights, LGBT, Offices in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Clara, Multi-language: Arabic , Farsi , Somali , Urdu

San Francisco Immigrant Legal & Education Network (SFILEN)

SFILEN is made up of the following 13 organizations: African Advocacy Network, Arab Resource & Organizing Center, Asian Law Caucus, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Central American Resource Center, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Filipino Community Center, La Raza Centro Legal, La Raza Community Resource Center, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, People Organizing to Demand Environmental & Economic Rights, Causa Justa: Just Cause, and Dolores Street Community Services as the lead agency. Representing immigrants from African and Afro-Caribbean, Arab, Asian, and Latino communities, providing free immigrant legal assistance and community education to low-income immigrants in SF. Multi-language: services in over 20 languages and dialects. Funded by the Mayor’s Office of Housing, Community Development Division.

Mountain View Spanish Language Leadership Academy

Since 2017,  the City has hosted the Spanish Language Leadership Academy. Each session is led by staff from City departments and includes information on each department’s core service function, major activities, programs and project overview. The program also features interactive exercises and group discussion.  It is designed to embrace local diversity and increase awareness of city functions, services, activities and local issues to prepare citizens for local leadership, volunteerism and involvement in the community.  For more information, Nancy Ducos can be reached at 650-903-6145 or nancy.ducos@mountainview.gov.

 

Fake news- Social media reports of deportation checkpoints false, designed to cause panic

2/4/17 Immigration groups said the claims of deportation checkpoints, which have surfaced on Instagram and other social media platforms, have unnerved some in the U.S. without proper papers.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice said the checkpoint rumors have been circulating across the nation this week. She said that while the agency does run operations involving immigration enforcement, it does not create random checkpoints aimed at mass deportations.

JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES EAST BAY

JFCS East Bay assists immigrants and refugees applying for a range of immigration services including:
Citizenship, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), Employment authorization, Family-based petitions, Fee waiver applications, Green cards,Travel documents, U visas, VAWA self-petitions, Waivers and more. BIA recognized agency with multilingual accredited representatives and a Spanish-speaking immigration attorney. Multi-lingual: English, Dari, Spanish, Farsi, Arabic, Russian, Bosnian, Conversational Hindi Serving Alameda County – Walnut Creek & Berkeley offices

Prerna

Prerna2Inspire ia a non-profit organization focused on the humanitarian efforts of enabling refugee families from conflict countries across the globe the opportunity to lead a sustainable life on arrival in the US. Prerna supports enrollment in education at all levels, as well as homework aid, ESL Classes and career Planning. Employment search assistance. (Officially established as a Non-Profit Corp in July 2015.) Key Words: Professional, RIF

A Primer on Expedited Removal – FACT SHEET from American Immigration Council (AIC)

7/22/19 President Trump’s January 25, 2017, executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to dramatically expand the use of expedited removal. Expedited removal is a process by which low-level immigration officers can quickly deport certain non-citizens.
One of the major problems with expedited removal is that the immigration officer making the decision virtually has unchecked authority.

Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS)

PLEASE CALL US IF YOU NEED SUPPORT OR ASSISTANCE. 415-449-1200
Programs for adults, seniors, youth, children, refugees, emegres. Immigration, ESL and Citizenship assistance, financial assistance. Educational Scholarships and Loans
Areas Served: Offices in Palo Alto, San Mateo, San Francisco, San Rafael, and Santa Rosa – Counties of Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo, SF, and Santa Clara. CADRE Partner Key Words: SCC, Koret, LGBT, Domestic Violence, Hospice, Counseling, Emergency Assistance

Understanding Refugee Upward Mobility in the Context of Resettlement

4/2016 A 2.5 year study on refugee integration and the obstacles to self-sufficiency. The data suggests that without additional support including intensive and intentional ESL, affordable housing, skill training, or opportunities to capitalize on preexisting skills, it can take 13-15 years to reach living-wages. Moreover, these refugees often have to supplement their income with long periods of government financial support or engage in negative and potentially dangerous strategies in order to get by.

Know Your Rights (KYN) – ILRC Multi-language Red Cards

All people in the US, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. The Red Cards were created to help people assert their rights and defend themselves against constitutional violations. Red cards provide critical information on how to assert these rights, along with an explanation to ICE agents that the individual is indeed asserting their rights. These cards can be ordered free by non-profit service providers in English/Spanish. Also available on line in: | Spanish | Chinese | Tagalog | Arabic |

Rainbow Welcome Iniative

The Rainbow Welcome Initiative through Heartland Alliance supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) asylees and refugees as they resettle in the United States. This project helps LGBT asylees and refugees find assistance and connect with trained service providers and support. Multi-language LGBT Know Your Rights: English | Spanish | French | Arabic
| Key Words: Unacompanied Children, KYN

Informed Immigrant

Directory of over 1,200 trusted non-profits, clinics, and immigrant-serving organizations that are able to connect with you directly in your community.
Enter your zip code.and find free or low cost help in the following areas:
Legal Help, Healthcare Access, Mental Health Support, Financial Assistance or employment support, Community Action & Organizing: local, regional, and national organizations coordinating many efforts of the immigrant community to advocate for their rights | Spanish |

Searching for Sanctuary – ILRC Analysis of US Cities & Counties

12/2016 Immigrant Legal Resource Council Immigrant Legal Resource Council (ILRC) identified seven different types of policies to consider in assessing the extent of local assistance with
immigration enforcement in different jurisdictions. We
used these factors to evaluate the extent to which local
law enforcement agencies offer voluntary assistance to
ICE. Without enacting policies to preserve local
resources and safety for the entire community, regardless
of immigration status, local law enforcement will continue
to be extensively involved in deportations.

Freedom for Immigrants

4/18 The U.S. has the largest immigration detention system in the world. On any given day, over 40,000 children and adults are languishing in immigrant jails and prisons. They don’t have access to a court-appointed attorney, a free phone call, or a speedy trial. Many of them are subjected to medical neglect, sexual and physical assault, and other forms of human rights abuses. Two-thirds of people in U.S. immigration detention are in private prisons and the rest are locked up in county and city jails, all of which profit off their misery. FFI (Previously CIVIC – End Isolation) is the national immigration detention visitation network, which is working to end U.S. immigration detention by monitoring human rights abuses, elevating stories, building community-based alternatives to detention, and advocating for system change. Key Words: Humanitarian

The Criminalization of Immigration in the United States

7/13/15 Report from American Immigration Council – For more than a century, innumerable studies have confirmed that immigrants are less likely to commit serious crimes than the native-born, and high rates of immigration are associated with lower rates of violent crime and property crime. This holds true for both legal immigrants and the unauthorized, regardless of their country of origin or level of education. In other words, the overwhelming majority of immigrants are not criminals by any commonly accepted definition of the term. For this reason, harsh immigration policies are not effective in fighting crime.

Archive – Choosing My Way video game

Choosing My Way is a video game where players decide how to respond to opportunities and challenges after refugee resettlement in the US. Players choose goals, collect resources, and respond to situations. The goals and situations change every time, so the game is never the same. Key Words: Refugee

Coastside Hope

Client base comprises about 15% of the population of the mid-coast and includes: the working poor, the homeless, seniors living below the poverty level, the disabled, and families and/or individuals in crisis. We serve people of all ages, from infants to senior citizens. Employed clients typically work in farming, nurseries, hotels and restaurants, construction, domestic services and commercial fishing. Services include Immigration Assistance, ESL, Citizenship Asst, Food supplements, Counseling, and more. Nulti-language: Spanish

Huffington Post is Tracking Islamophobia

2016 The Huffington Post will document this deplorable wave of hate for all of 2016 using news reports and firsthand accounts. The breadth and severity of Islamophobia in America can no longer go unnoticed. Enough is enough. Email to report an anti-Muslim act for the tracker. Or tell us about those who have overcome, battled or survived Islamophobia for a possible story: islamophobia@huffingtonpost.com Key Words: Hate Crimes

My Fellow American

A project of Unity Productions Foundation (UPF), My Fellow American is an online film and social media project that calls upon concerned Americans to pledge and spread a message that Muslims are our fellow Americans. It asks people of other backgrounds to pledge, and share a real life story about a Muslim friend, neighbor, or colleague that they admire. Using the power of social media, My Fellow American seeks to change the narrative – from Muslims as the other, to Muslims as our fellow Americans. Key Words: Islam, Positive Resource

San Jose Unity rally supports immigrants, decries hate speech

11/20/16 SJ Mercury News – 500 people braved the rain Sunday for a bigger cause: fighting against hate speech, protecting health care and the defending the civil rights of immigrants. Catalyzed by the volatile presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, organizers said the Unity Gathering was meant to bring the community together after the Republicans victory to spread messages of peace and hope.

San Jose residents to Muslims: “You belong here”

12/2/16 SAN JOSE As hundreds of Muslims prayed inside the Evergreen Islamic Center Friday afternoon, community members stood outside, holding signs that read, Muslims make San Jose better, Embrace diversity and Love trumps hate, in a grassroots show of solidarity.
participating in the silent demonstration to offer support following a string of anti-Muslim attacks that have been reported nationwide since the Nov. 8 election. Key Words: Post-Election, Positive, Advocacy, SCC
Archived 7/1/18

Everyone has certain basic rights, no matter who is president

11/10/16 NILC Factsheet – No matter who is president, everyone living in the U.S. has certain rights, including undocumented immigrants. If you have to deal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other law enforcement officers at home, on the street, or anywhere else, remember that you have the rights described in this factsheet. The factsheet also provides suggestions for what you should do to assert your rights. Multi-language: Hyperlink | Spanish |Traditional Chinese |Simplified Chinese | Key Words: Post-Election

Untapped Talent: The Costs of Brain Waste among Highly Skilled Immigrants in the US

12/16 Migration Policy Report – Nearly 2 million immigrants with college degrees in the US. 1 out of every 4 are relegated to low-skilled jobs or unable to find work. This skill underutilization (often referred to as brain waste) comes at a significant cost to families and the U.S. economy: College-educated immigrants employed in low-skilled work miss out on more than $39 billion in wages. And as a result, federal, state, and local governments lose out on more than $10 billion in unrealized tax receipts, according to this study, which offers the first-ever estimates of the economic costs of brain waste.

UC won’t assist federal agents in immigration actions against students

11/30/16 The University of California announced sweeping actions Wednesday to protect its students who came into the country illegally, saying it would refuse to assist federal immigration agents, turn over confidential records without court orders or supply information for any national registry based on race, national origin or religion. Key Words: Post-Election, Positive

Immi.org

Immi helps immigrants in the U.S. understand their legal options. Our online screening tool, legal information, and referrals to nonprofit legal services organizations are always free to use. Immi was created by the Immigration Advocates Network and Pro Bono Net, two nonprofit organizations dedicated to increasing access to justice for low-income immigrants. Key Words: Directory Multi-language: Spanish

Migration Policy Institute’s Language Portal

MPI’s Language Portal is a digital library of translation and interpretation information, offering one-stop access to thousands of state and local agency documents including contracts, planning reports, and translated material used to provide services to LEP individuals. Use the database to find resources by state, language, document type, area of service, and more. Multi-language Key Words: Interpret, Language Access

San Jose Language Access Policy (LAP)

11/7/16 San Jose Office of Immigrant Relations (OIR) staff has completed the development of language access policy that is now included in the City Policy Manual, effective this month. The purpose of this new policy is to ensure that the City and its departments make reasonable
and practical efforts to reduce language as a barrier to accessing City programs or services.

Mayor Liccardo’s Message to Immigrants – We’ve Got Your Back

11/15/16 Recent events have left many thousands of our San Jose residents, about forty percent of whom were born in a foreign country in fear. Some of our neighbors, friends, and family fear changes in immigration rules or enforcement that could separate their families. Others voice concerns about proposed federal “registries” of community members of the Muslim faith. Still others point to the nationwide spike in “hate crimes” in recent days.
I have sought through Spanish-language television, social media, and in public demonstrations to convey a simple message to our wonderfully diverse community: “We’ve got your back.”

Nearly half a million U.S. citizens are enrolled in Mexican schools. Many of them are struggling.

Sept 2016 – Researchers find that many students struggle to integrate into Mexican schools because they can’t read or write in Spanish. Others lacked the necessary accreditations to enter school. Nearly a third had either been held back a grade or missed a year or more of school.
“These kids have enormous potential, but we’re losing them. We want to reframe these kids as bilingual, bicultural assets as opposed to problems.” Key words: Education, Deport, Immigration Reform

After lawsuit, CA pledges new support for English Learners in School

Sept 2016 – For at least a decade, according to the federal government, tens of thousands of English learners in elementary, middle and high school received no services to help them learn the language and keep up academically while they did, even though the law required that they get it. Under pressure from a lawsuit and federal authorities, California pledged Friday to make sure that all 1.4 million students who are English learners receive special academic help. Archive 12/1/17

Updated: Resources for consumers impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (Stimulus #2) The second coronavirus pandemic stimulus package was passed by the U.S. Congress in late December 2020. The bill contains relief policies that provide financial help to families, additional unemployment funds, rental relief funds and extended small business loans.
We will continue to update this list as we learn more.Spanish version

Refugee Phrasebooks – 16 Languages

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Cultural Orientation Resource Center was funded to develop phrasebooks for selected refugee populations. These phrasebooks include appropriate English phrases for use in daily American life, selected to be direct, brief, and relevant. Included are sections on Giving Information About Yourself, Recognizing Signs, Dealing With Money, Health, Food, Clothing, Housing, and Jobs. Each phrasebook is approximately 140 pages and can be downloaded for free.
Languages: Russian, Spanish, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Chinese (Cantonese), Somali, Czech, Farsi, Haitian Creole, Hungarian, Hmong, Khmer, Lao, Polish, and Vietnamese Key Words: Multi-language, Translate, Interpret,

National Voter Registration Forms in 21 Languages

Official U.S. Government Online Voter Registration site. with registration forms in 21 languages. Multi-language: National Mail Voter Registration Form – English | Amharic | National Mail Voter Registration Form Audio File – Apache | Arabic | Bengali | Chinese | French | Haitian Creole | Hindi | Japanese | Khmer | Korean | Navajo | Polish | Portuguese | Russian | Somali | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese | Yup’ik | Key Words: Citizen, civic

Health 4 All Kids

Beginning January 1, 2020, young adults up to age 26, no matter their immigration status, will be eligible for Medi-Cal Unlike restricted-scope Medi-Cal, children with full-scope Medi-Cal are able to get all covered services, including: annual checkups, regular doctor visits, vaccinations, mental health, and dental care. Many of these services are at no cost to the family.
For FREE and confidential legal and health information, like Medi-Cal eligibility rules, visit Health Consumer Alliance or call 888-804-3536 Multi-language:
Spanish
Key Words: Healthcare

Forms of Identification for Undocumented Immigrants

Alternative identification cards can enable immigrants to enjoy great benefits other residents also enjoy and they can help facilitate their abilities to cooperate with local law enforcement in resolving crimes and other safety concerns. Description of various types of ID available and accepted in different cities and states. Provided by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network.

Hmong Americans in the 2013 American Community Survey

The 2014 released American Community Survey (ACS) data do present insights into population growth, demographics, education and socioeconomic progress of Hmong Americans. The data provided in this article are from the Selected Population Profiles for the Hmong Alone Or in Any Combination category in the ACS. The U.S. California and Minnesota Hmong profiles are also included in this brief analysis. Key Words Asian, API, research