NYC Immigrant Affairs Leader Embraces New Citizenship Act

New York City NY

22 February, 2021

3:04 PM

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By Deanna Garcia, DocumentedNY Feb 22, 2021 8:03AM EST This summary was featured in Documented's Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here. Bitta Mostofi, commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, released a statement sharing her views on President Joe Biden's U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. The bill envisions a pathway to citizenship for about 11 million undocumented immigrants and emphasizes the integration of immigrants by increasing citizenship, establishing labor protections, and more. "We applaud the Biden administration for taking this crucial step and urge Congress to expeditiously pass the U.S. Citizenship Act to bring long overdue relief to our immigrant families and communities," Mostofi said. She also urged New Yorkers to be mindful of immigration related scams, especially when it comes to paperwork. Norwood News In other local immigration news… MTA's Sub-Contractors Allegedly Exploit Undocumented Essential Workers Documented Original Jessica Vasquez, an immigrant from Medellin, Colombia, landed a job with LN Pro Services that offered to pay $20 an hour to clean the subways. She quit less than three weeks later. But once she received her check at the end of the week, she noticed she was only paid $18 an hour. Vasquez says she confronted her manager about work conditions, and they said she was lucky to be employed since she is undocumented. Over the past month, Documented has investigated essential subcontracted workers' working conditions throughout the pandemic. The workers Documented spoke to have said they did not receive proper PPE and were not paid the wages they were promised. Read more at Documented. EB-5 Visa: A Permanent Residency By Investing in the U.S. Documented Original This explanation is part of Documented's Glossary that will help readers understand the U.S. immigration system. The EB-5 is an employment-based visa available to non-American investors who would like to open a business in the U.S. Congress designed the program in 1990 to stimulate the economy through job creation and capital investment via foreign investors. Entrepreneurs, as well as their spouses and children, can apply for residency if they made an investment in a business in the U.S. and "plan to create or preserve 10 permanent full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers," according to USCIS. As of Nov. 21, 2019, applicants must invest at least $1.8 million in a business based in the U.S. or about $900,000 into a targeted employment area. Read more at Documented. Documented NY is a non-profit news site devoted solely to covering New York City's immigrants and the policies that affect their lives.