AOC Revives Citizenship Bill For 9/11 Cleanup Crew

New York City NY

25 October, 2021

10:38 AM

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By Deanna Garcia, DocumentedNY October 25, 2021 U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and two other legislators reintroduced a federal bill to put immigrants who helped clean up after the 9/11 attacks on a fast track to U.S. citizenship. The 9/11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Act is an adjusted version of a bill that former Rep. Joseph Crowley introduced in 2017, which didn't advance to the House. New York immigrants have asked for years to obtain legal immigrant status as compensation for the work they did and health problems they've suffered since the attacks. Several dozens are still protesting, while others gave up on fighting. The Associated Press In other local immigration news… Your help lets us keep reporting on immigrant communities. Support our work today. New Jersey Haitian Leaders Protest Deportations Haitian community leaders and immigrant advocates gathered outside of a federal immigration office to protest the Biden administration deporting thousands of Haitian migrants under Title 42. The group of 50 people demanded that President Joe Biden allow more Haitians to seek asylum in the U.S. "These people just want to work and find a better way of life. We're speaking in Newark because this city is a bedrock for New Jersey's Haitian population," said the Rev. Jean Maurice of the New Jersey Haitian Pastors Organization. According to U.S. Census data, New Jersey has roughly 60,000 Haitian residents. North Jersey Advocates Rally Again for Schumer to Ensure a Pathway to Citizenship For the last few weeks, immigrant advocates have been demanding Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to work to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. On Friday, that demand continued at Schumer's Peekskill office. Immigrants and advocates said they help Democrats gain power in Washington, so now they want Schumer to work for them. "We've delivered that control to the Democrats, so we feel that the Democrats have to deliver the promise that they've made us and make sure that citizenship is being included in this year's reconciliation package," said Peekskill City Councilor Vanessa Agudelo. Advocates said they're in talks with Schumer's office and will continue the pressure. News12 the Bronx NJ Immigrant Detainees Worried About Transfers as ICE Contracts End: Documented Original As New Jersey jails began to terminate their contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency has started sending immigrant detainees to other jails in the U.S., further away from their families and friends. ICE told lawyers that the agency can't release their clients because it considers them a public safety threat, even though majority of them are imprisoned over unresolved charges for nonviolence crimes. This action indicates the power ICE has on where and how immigrant detainees are being held. "We all hoped that ICE would use its discretion to release," said Ellen Pachnanda, the attorney in charge of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project. "As long as ICE retains this discretion to transfer, they will transfer." Read more at Documented. Support our work Documented is the only NYC newsroom that creates journalism with and for immigrant communities. Help fuel this mission for $10/month. Documented NY is a non-profit news site devoted solely to covering New York City's immigrants and the policies that affect their lives.