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PresidentialProclamation — NationalCaribbean-AmericanHeritage Month, 2012Immigrants Without Legal Representation Not Benefiting

from Prosecutorial Discretion ...see page 13

For Immigration News & Updates

Text CIROBAMAto 41411

President Obama to HaltRemoval of DREAMers

continued on page 12

BY BEN WINOGRAD

The Obama administrationannounced on Friday, June 15,2012, that it will offer indefi-

nite reprieves from deportation foryoung immigrants who were broughtto the country as minors and meetother specific requirements. Themove, hailed by immigration advo-cates as a bold response to the brokenimmigration system, temporarilyeliminates the possibility of deporta-tion for youths who would qualify forrelief under the DREAM Act, givingCongress the space needed to craft abipartisan solution that gives perma-nent residence to qualifying young

Barron: “If Elected, I will BringHope and Opportunity”...see page 7

Brian Figeroux, Esq.

FREE Consultationsfor DREAMersThe Law Firm of Figeroux &

Associates, supports theDREAM Act and all those who

have taken a stand for the DREAM Actand undocumented youth. Speaking tothe Journal, Mr Figeroux said,“America has a moral responsibility topass the DREAM Act. There isabsolutely no real reason to havebright, talented individuals pay for thedecisions of their parents. Moreover, it

makes economic sense topass the DREAM Act. Toshow our support, we areoffering FREE LEGALconsultations to personswho came here beforetheir 16th birthday to helpthem prepare for DeferredAction. Please call 718-243-9431 to schedule anappointment.” l

FREE Membership for DREAMers...see page 9

in their minds, in every single way butone: on paper.”

According to a memorandum fromthe Department of Homeland Security,immigrants may apply for a two-yearrenewable grant of “deferred action”if they entered the United Statesbefore age 16; are 30 or younger; havelived continuously in the United Statesfor at least five years; have not beenconvicted of a felony or significantmisdemeanor; and are currently inschool, have graduated from highschool or earned a GED, or served inthe military. Although not grantedlawful immigration status, recipientswill be able to obtain work permits

people. In a statement from the WhiteHouse, President Obama said the policywas “the right thing to do,” callingDREAMers “Americans in their hearts,

T&T Coalition Goverment Begins to Crumble ...see page 4

Deferred Action for DREAMers: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ...see page 20

Labor Day 2012...see CV1

ISLAND FOCUS2Caribbean Consulates

Anguilla845 Third AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel: 212-745-0277

Antigua & Barbuda610 Fifth Avenue, Suite 311New York, N.Y. 10020Tel: 212-541-4117

The Bahamas231 East 46th StreetNew York, N.Y. 10020Tel: 212-421-6420

Barbados820 Second Avenue, 5th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-551-4325

Belize675 Third Avenue, Suite 1911New York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-949-1240

Dominica800 Second Avenue, Suite 400HNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-949-0853

Dominican Republic1500 Broadway, Suite 410New York, N.Y. 10036Tel: 212-768-2480

Grenada 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400KNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-599-0301

Guyana 370 Seventh Avenue, 4th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10001Tel: 212- 947-5110

Haiti 271 Madison Avenue, 17th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10016Tel: 212-697-9767

Jamaica 767 Third AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-935-9000

Martinique 444 Madison Avenue, 16th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel: 212-838-6887

Montserrat845 Third AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel: 212-745-0200

Panama1212 Avenue of the Americas, 6th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10036Tel: 212-840-2450

St. Kitts & Nevis414 East 75th Street, 5th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10021Tel: 212-535-5521

St. Lucia 800 Second Avenue, 9th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10007Tel: 212-697-9360

St. Maarten675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807New York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 800-786-2278

St. Vincent & The Grenadines801 Second Avenue, 21st FloorNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel: 212-687-4981

Trinidad & Tobago125 Maiden LaneNew York, N.Y. 10038Tel: 212-682-7272

For more Consulate information gowww.cawnyc.com/directory

Hundreds of Guyanese convergedat Borough Hall, downtownBrooklyn, on June 8, 2012 to

observe the 46th anniversary of Guyana’sindependence. The celebration wasorganized by the Guyana Tri-StateAlliance in collaboration with Guyana’sConsul General to New York, BrentnolEvans, New York City Council officials,Speaker Christine Quinn, Council mem-ber Mathieu Eugene and BrooklynBorough President Marty Markowitz.

Those attending the evening of cele-bration were treated to spectacular dis-plays of a fusion of Guyana’s culturalperformances including Indian andAfrican dances and drums. In addition,11 year old Victoria Labban delighted theaudience with a breathtaking perform-ance of Whitney Houston’s “I willalways love you.”

City officials Mathieu Eugene,Christine Quinn, Germane Williams andLetisha James were among those givingbrief congratulatory remarks to theGuyanese audience. But it was Councilwoman Letisha James who brought thegathering to an eruption of thunderouslaughter and cheers when she declared:“We are here to celebrate your richfusion of culture and your contribution tothese United States but more specificallyto the Borough of Brooklyn. Not only areyour food and your culture fabulous, butit’s your intelligence that we celebratehere today. We celebrate your tenacityand your entrepreneurial spirit and thefact that you have created so much withso little, and so today we pause to saythank you. Thank you for contributing toour economy, thank you for contributingto our culture, thank you for contributingto the professions here in the city andthroughout the borough of Brooklyn,thank you for adding to the beauty ofBrooklyn, and thank you for the fact thatGod has kissed your skin. And so todaywe celebrate you and all the honorees.My name is Letisha James and today I amGuyanese.”

Brooklyn’s Deputy BoroughPresident, Guyanese Sandra Chapman,speaking on behalf of Borough PresidentMarty Markowitz, told the gathering:“Today we have so much to celebrate

here in Brooklyn. I am proudto say that the Guyanesecommunity has flourishedand we are proof thatAmerica is a land of oppor-tunities where we canaccomplish anything as longas you work hard and nevergive up.”

The highlight of theevening was the keynoteaddress delivered byGuyana’s PermanentMission representative tothe United Nations, Ambassador GeorgeW. Talbot. His message to the hundredsof Guyanese and other Caribbean andNew York City Council dignitaries andguests, was one of cooperation andtogetherness, drawn from one ofGuyana’s national songs written byW.R.A. Pilgrim: “Let us cooperate forGuyana. Let us cooperate for our land,let us resolve to fight together. See, we doit right together. Can we do it? Yes wecan. I urge each and every one of us to dohis part... I urge all Guyanese at homeand abroad to raise your voice and to bethe voice that will encourage the best ofour nation. Be a voice of reason, be avoice that is constructive and will help tobuild bridges, because I believe that weare at the threshold of unprecedentedpromise as a country, the potential onceheralded in the past is beginning toreshape in our land today.”

Special recognition was given toGuyana’s Miss World Contestant; Ms

Guyana’s 46th IndependenceAnniversary Brooklyn Celebration

Arti Cameron for her outstanding repre-sentation of Guyana since winning theGuyana Miss World pageant. She wasfurther congratulated and encouraged todo well as she venture to representGuyana on the world stage later this year.

Organizers of the event, The GuyanaTri-State Alliance Inc, presented TheGolden Arrowhead Award of Distinctionto a number of Guyanese who distin-guished themselves in Music, Film,Media- Radio, Television and other formsof the communication sector.Councilman Eugene presented theGuyanese people through the Tri-StateAlliance Inc. a proclamation award whilethe office of the Brooklyn BoroughPresident presented a Citation plaque.Those who attended the function weretreated to a variety of Guyanese food fol-lowing the official ceremony. The observance of Guyana’s independ-

ence will be an annual event organized bythe Tri-State Alliance Inc. l

BY VANDELL PARK

ABOUT US 3CARIBBEAN AMERICAN WEEKLY TEAM

PublisherI.Q. INC.

Managing Editor & Editor-in-ChiefPearl Phillip

Senior EditorColin Moore

Legal AdvisorBrian Figeroux, Esq.

Assistant EditorMarilyn Silverman

Graphic & Website DesignersPraim SamsoondarSamantha RoseroLana Delgadillo

ContributorsBen WinogradRandall Toure, Esq.Vandell ParkJanet HowardSami K. MartinImmigration Policy CenterJoan FriedlandYakuta, Allrecipes.comJennine EstesWesley Kirton

Emailcariaweekly@aol.com

My people are destroyed forlack of knowledge. —Hosea 4:6

President ObamaNeeds Your Help!

Volunteer to ensure his re-election

Call Park Slope Barack Obama at 347-683-9145

to sign up and getmore information

on how you can help.The time for action is NOW!

ARE YOU IN?

IN THE NEWS4MSJ Leader & Party Walk Outon TT GovermentLeader of the Movement for Social

Justice (MSJ) David Abdulah hasended weeks of speculation by

announcing his party’s withdrawal fromthe five-party coalition that forms thegovernment of Trinidad and Tobago.

In a statement released on June 17,2012 Abdulah launched a scathing criti-cism of the People's Partnershipgovernment, accusing it of moving awayfrom its original intention to change thesystem of government, in favor of chang-ing faces because it is "we time now."

Abdulah also tendered his resignationas a government senator given that theMSJ would no longer be a part of the gov-ernment.

This move did not come as a surpriseto observers as, since last month, Abdulahhad come out and publicly objected to thesystem of governance under the five-partycoalition, while the MSJ had begun tosystematically remove all of its membersfrom serving on state boards, except thoseserving on tri-partite boards. The partyreportedly also withheld its participationfrom the government's second anniver-sary rallies.

It also did not come as a surprise toleader of government, Prime MinisterKamla Persad-Bissessar, who, in a state-ment issued in response to thedevelopment, called Abdulah’s resigna-

tion a “predictable but timely departure.”Persad-Bissessar also levelled some

criticisms of her own against the depart-ing minority leader.“I am compelled to tell you that the

list of demands made by David over thepast few months were always impossible,unreasonable and reckless. It seemsDavid's entrance into government neverallowed him the advantage of a nationalperspective. He remained trapped in iso-lationist thinking,” she charged in her

statement to the nation.“You cannot negotiate governance

like a labor union leader representing theinterest of only one group. In governmentyour responsibility is larger than that; itseems not everyone can make the shift. Asfor David's accusations, they are vacuousand without a shred of evidence. We haveestablished a more transparent andaccountable Government than any otherbefore. David's comments and criticismas a parting shot fired from the gun of a

new political aspirant is an ambitiousquest for power,” she added.

Adding that the government wouldlikely be “strengthened” by Abdulah’sdeparture, she pledged that the People’sPartnership government would “continuewith our labour agenda regardless of theabsence of the MSJ. Minister Errol McLeod whose life-long dedication to thestruggle of the labour movement cannever be challenged, remains as a hugeresource within the People's PartnershipGovernment.”

The four remaining parties in thecoalition are: Persad-Bissessar’s UnitedNational Congress, the Congress of thePeople, the Tobago Organization of thePeople (TOP), and the National JointAction Committee.

Ashworth Jack, the leader of theTOP,is quoted by the Caribbean Media Corpo-ration as saying that he was saddened byAbdullah's departure from the govern-ment but "the show must go on." l

Source: Caribbean 360.com

Listen to theCaribbean American WeeklyRadio Show every Saturdays3pm to 4pm on 620AM &DiasporaRadio.com

SHE SAID, Persad-Bissessar: “The listof demands made by David over thepast few months were always impos-sible, unreasonable and reckless...”

HE SAID, Abdulah: “It is obvious nowthat she never intended to deal withthe key issues surrounding labor andgovernance... I am vindicated...”

IN THE NEWS 5Jamaican MyrieWants Barbados toPayShanique Myrie, the Jamaican

woman who made headlines lastyear with claims that she had been

physically and verbally abused by immi-gration officials at the Grantley AdamsInternational Airport is back in the newswith a vengeance.

Shanique Myrie was last seen in Bar-bados in April at a much publicizedappearance when she made her casebefore the Caribbean Court of Justice(CCJ) during its historic first sitting in thiscountry. At that time she was grantedleave to file a case against Barbados; andfile she has.

Myrie wants Barbados to pay — liter-ally — for the humiliation and prejudiceshe claims to have suffered at the hands ofairport officials on her arrival in Barbadoson March 14, 2011.

Her demands for JAM$118 000 in spe-cial damages, including the cost of herticket, medical expenses to date, medicalreport, slippers, and interest, are joined byunspecified amounts in moral damages,exemplary damages and aggravated dam-ages. All are contained in a Notice ofFiling of Originating Application, datedMay 23 and posted on the CCJ website atmonth-end.

Myrie also wants further investigations

to identify the individuals who sheclaimed assaulted and unlawfully detainedher and to have them prosecuted and pun-ished in criminal proceedings.

In addition to the damages and inves-tigation, the Jamaica national has askedthe court to issue an order that denying herentry to Barbados in March 2011 was“unlawful” and that the “Cancelled”entry stamp in her passport is null andvoid.

Myrie is also seeking an apology forthe officials “violating her fundamentalhuman rights and freedom, in particularby treating her in a discriminatory man-ner, conducting an unlawful body search,conducting an unlawful cavity search,arbitrarily and unlawfully detaining . . .and verbally abusing” her, according tothe document. l

Source: caribbean360.com

Haitian WorkersJeopardized Haitian workers

have long been amainstay of agri-

culture, construction andother low-wage industriesin the Dominican Repub-lic, with hundreds ofthousands of migrantscrossing the border insearch of jobs in a countrythat is poor, but better offthan their homeland.

But new requirementsfor work permits in the Dominican Repub-lic are worrying employers, workers andtheir advocates, who maintain that it willbecome harder and more expensive to hireHaitian labor.

An estimated one-million Haitians livein the Dominican Republic, which has apopulation of about ten million.

One migrant laborer, Romain Renelus,who works two jobs to earn $445 monthlyto support his family in Haiti, said hewould try to renew his expired visa andpassport because of an expected increasein the scrutiny of migrants. But he doubtsit will be easy: a new passport will cost$129 and a visa $200. Currently, no workpermits exist, but migrant workers have topresent an entry visa and proof of resi-dency to legally work in the country."This is going to be traumatic," said

the Rev. Mario Serrano, a Roman Catholicpriest who provides assistance to migrantsand refugees and studies labor issues asthe director of the nonprofit Bono Center."No one is going to be able to comply withthese rules."

The requirements took effect on June1, but government says the rules won't beenforced until month-end. Employers willthen need a work permit for each non-Dominican employee.

Human rights groups have long com-plained about Dominican immigrationpolicies toward Haitians, calling on thecountry to revise deportation rules toensure due process and avoid race-baseddiscrimination. l

Source: caribbean360.com

CALL US: 718-771-0988Email: orders@gbsnyc.com

NEWS DIASPORA CONCERNS6

Buyers Beware: FCC Warns about PrepaidCalling CardsThe Federal Communications Com-

mission (FCC) warns consumersabout prepaid calling cards.

What Is a Prepaid Calling Card?Prepaid calling cards provide a speci-

fied amount of calling time, paid for inadvance when the card is bought. Thecards can be very convenient, generallyallowing consumers to call family andfriends inside or outside of the UnitedStates from any phone. The cards are typ-ically sold in denominations of $2, $3, or$5 at newsstands and in grocery and con-venience stores, and are often advertisedto consumers using posters displayed inretail locations.

Prepaid calling card schemes remaina trap for unsuspecting consumers, as astudy issued by Consumer Reports con-firms. Many prepaid calling cardproviders target vulnerable low-income,minority, or immigrant communities,falsely claiming that calling cards costingjust a few dollars will give the consumerhundreds, if not thousands, of minutes ofcalls to family and friends across theglobe. This is of special concern to theCaribbean community as prepaid callingcards are a low-cost way to keep in touchwith family and friends at home.

In the last nine months, the FCC hastaken aggressive enforcement action

against some of these prepaid calling cardcompanies, proposing $25 million inmonetary forfeitures for deceptive adver-tising. The FCC’s investigations foundthat due to undisclosed fees and “fineprint” consumers would get only a frac-tion of the advertised minutes.Unfortunately, some carriers appear to becontinuing these misleading practices.This Advisory alerts prepaid calling cardconsumers and warns carriers that theFCC will diligently pursue violators.

What to Do Before Purchasing a Pre-paid Calling Card:

Carefully read the instructions on•how to use the card;Understand the rates for your partic-•ular phone card;Read the “fine print” to understand•any fees, conditions, or limitations onthe card;Check to see if the advertised min-•utes apply only to a single call or tomultiple calls;Confirm the expiration date to avoid•losing unused minutes;Make sure there is a toll-free cus-•tomer service number provided withor on the card; andGet referrals: ask your friends and•family to recommend cards theyhave used and liked.

Common Complaints that Suggest Pos-sible Prepaid Calling Card Fraud:

Access numbers and/or PINs that•don’t work; Service or access numbers that are•always busy; Card issuers that go out of business,•leaving people with useless cards; Rates that are higher than advertised; •Undisclosed “post-call,” “per-call,”•or “maintenance” fees;Cards that charge you even when•your call does not go through; Poor quality connections; and•

Cards that expire without the pur-•chaser’s knowledge.

What Can Consumers Do If TtheyEncounter a Problem with Their Pre-paid Calling Cards?

Consumers should first contact theirprepaid calling card service provider. Ifconsumers are unsatisfied with their serv-ice provider’s response, we encouragethem to contact the FCC at 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) or to file acomplaint online at www.fcc.gov/com-plaints. l

POLITICS 7

Councilmember Charles Barron whois running to become the representa-tive of the 8th Congressional District

(NY) which now encompasses Fort Greene,Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, Bushwick, EastNew York, Howard Beach Carnarsie,Bergen Beach, Mill Basin and Marine Park,sat down with the Caribbean AmericanWeekly (CAW) publication to answer a fewquestions and to let us know some of hisviews and what would be his priorities ifelected.

CAW: Councilmember Barron, PresidentObama recently passed an executive orderregarding children of undocumented personsallowing them to no longer be subject todeportation and other enforcement activitiesif they attended school or the military in thiscountry. Many have hailed it as a victory forLatinos but I am interested in your perspec-tive as it relates to the larger black commu-nity and will you support President Obama’seffort on this issue?

Barron: I believe that President Obama’sexecutive order is a move in the right direc-tion and with the gridlock in Congress rightnow it is his most strategic way of handlingan important issue. However, we mustunderstand that this is only temporary and ifelected I will work to make sure the DreamAct is passed through opening up the dia-logue by beginning to put the proper face onimmigration and remind the black communi-

ty that a large percentage of the immigrantpopulation are African from throughout theDiaspora from the Caribbean, the Africancontinent and South America. Advocatingfor the Dream Act can be a way that theblack community can build coalition withothers on this issue.The issue should be at the forefront of what

our community is fighting for and show theimportance of the 12 million immigrants thatshould be given an expedited path to citizen-ship. This country can absorb the 12 mil-lion; and those individuals have already con-tributed to this country in many ways so weshould do all we can to ensure their continu-

ing contributions without fear of deporta-tion. I have also been pushing for the DREAM

Fund here in NYS that recently passed in theNYS Assembly that will provide tuitionassistance for undocumented college stu-dents who may not be eligible for federalstudent aid. This once again, like PresidentObama’s executive order is a necessary step,until we can full ComprehensiveImmigration Reform (CIR) including pas-sage of the DREAM Act in Congress.

CAW: I am glad you mentioned CIR. Ifyou are elected to the House what would you

do to ensure that immigration reform takesplace and what would you want to see addedto the current proposals?

Barron: Well I know that like all realchange this requires a movement that recog-nizes the importance of the people that itwill affect: the 12 million undocumentedand the millions of documented that have tojump through so many hoops in order to finda pathway to citizenship. The millions ofhard working people that live throughout theUnited States need more certainty than theycurrently have with the immigration systemwe have now. We need to continue to recognize this is as

a country of immigrants, everyone herecame from somewhere else (except for theindigenous people, the Native Indians) andso we have to fight for their right to succeedhere just like the people that came beforethem. Coming in and closing the door is notright and not just and we need to push backagainst that sort of thing. By changing theconversation and making it about people ofall ethnicities including people of theAfrican Diaspora we can begin to gainmomentum on real immigration reform.However, if the conversation stays fixatedon Mexicans crossing the border to take jobsfrom Americans then the right wing willcontinue to dominate the dialogue and thenews cycle and you know I am not one to letthat happen.

Photo: Clarence Elie-Rivera, DC 37 photographer

Barron: If Elected, I Will Bring Hope &Opportunity to Our People

continued on page 22

SUPPORT FOR THE DREAM ACT8Undocumented Youth in New York and Education

Did you know that of the morethan 4,500 undocumented stu-dents who graduate from New

York high schools every year, only 5-10% pursue a college degree due totremendous financial obstacles? That’snot counting the undocumented youththat do not graduate from high school,still want to go to college but cannotafford it.

The New York Dream Act (NYDA)would provide financial assistance toundocumented youth that already meetthe in-state tuition and TuitionAssistance Program (TAP) requirements;therefore, NYDA cannot be an amnestythe way others have tried to portray it.

Many undocumented youth in NewYork have to go to school part-time ortake semesters off to work; this is myreality as well. I’ve had to take semestersoff from school and be part-time as well;to the point that I will not be graduatingfrom college at the same time my highschool friends will.

I had to watch my mother give me allher savings so I could pay for class and Itold myself that I would never ask her formoney again. I know for many, $2,500 a

semester (for a CUNY school) is not alot, but for us who barely make mini-mum wage or many times are unem-ployed, this is a lot of money. Not tomention that tuition keeps rising andscholarships are limited or no longerexist.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has the

Angela Davis Calls DREAM Act One of Today’s MostImportant Fights

Activist, scholar, and authorAngela Davis says she is“absolutely” “supporter of the

DREAM Act.”In an interview uploaded recently to

SoundCould by Derek Washington,Chairman of Stonewall Democrats of S.Nevada, Davis explains why she believesthe African-American community has ahistorical “responsibility” to support theDREAM Act. “It’s because it represents one of the

most important arenas in the ongoingstruggle for civil rights in this countryand particularly for those of us who havea history of struggling for civil rights —I’m speaking very specifically about theAfrican-American community,” —Davis said in the interview. “The DREAM Act is not something

we should be struggling about; it shouldhave been taken for granted but it wasn’tso therefore we have to all come togeth-

er in support of the right of young peopleto get an education in this country.” l

Eva Longoria Slams Romney Over DREAM Act

The actress tweeted, "85% ofLatino Voters support the DREAMAct, 100% of Mitt Romney does-

n't!"The DREAM Act is a bill that would

allow children of illegal aliens to remainin the United States and become full cit-izens after finishing college or militaryservice.

Mitt Romney has come out as againstthe DREAM Act, repeatedly saying thathe would veto the Act should he becomepresident. During South Carolina'sdebate, he stated, "I've indicated I wouldveto the DREAM Act if provisionsincluded in that act say that people whowere here illegally—if they go to schoolhere long enough, if they get a degree

here—then they canbecome permanent resi-dents."

"I think we have to fol-low the law and insist thatthose that have come hereillegally return home andapply," he added.

Celebrities EvaLongoria, Ashley Judd, andAmerica Ferrera have allvoiced their support for theDREAM Act and signed aletter written by the civilrights organization NationalCouncil of La Raza, whichread in part: "America can-not afford to lose anothergeneration of young peoplewho stand to contribute toits economic and social

BY SAMI K. MARTINCHRISTIAN POST CONTRIBUTOR

power to fix this, but he has stayed silentabout where he stands in regards toNYDA. Before trying to run for the pres-idency he still has a state to take care ofand immigrants are observing his everymove. If Governor Cuomo does notstand with immigrants now, how does heexpect to win the elections later on? l

The Immigrant’s Journal Legal &Educational Fund, Inc., (IJLEF)applauds the President’s announce-

ment offering Deferred Action to eligibleyounger immigrants. This action willchange the lives of young people who callAmerica home, but who have been unableto live free from the fear of deportation to acountry they may not even remember. "Both sides of the aisle in Congress are

discussing solutions for this highly deserv-ing group. By using its legal authority toprovide temporary protection from thethreat of deportation and enable theseyoung people to actively and openly con-tribute to our society and economy, theAdministration is addressing an issue thathas broad bipartisan support," IJLEFExecutive Director, Diandra Archibaldsaid, on Welcome to America, DiasporaRadio 620AM. "This represents a triumph of reason overrhetoric and good moral judgment overimmoral indifference," Ms. Archibald con-tinued. "However, it does not offer a per-manent fix for these young people. Thisannouncement creates space for Congressto truly take on this issue and find the des-perately needed solutions to our brokenimmigration system. It also givesPresidential candidate Romney an oppor-tunity to change his approach to CIR, i.e.,self deportation."l

Statement from FranciscoCur i e l ,Undocumen tedStudent Member of Makethe Road New York

President Obama has taken an his-toric stand to protect the rights,families and futures of immigrant

youth across the country. This is the typeof action that undocumented young peo-ple like me and immigrant's familieshave been fighting for over the past 10years."As an undocumented youth who standsto benefit from this announcement, I amprofoundly relieved and hopeful for thefuture. I am especially excited about thefact that today I can look at my 13 yearold sister, who is also undocumented, andsay with confidence that we we are final-ly welcome home, we can dream, we canlive without fear."The new measure protects almost 1

million youth from deportation and grantwork permits renewable every 2 years.The President's action makes our dreamsmore real. We will be able to study, workand live safely in our country. This is themost courageous act over the past twodecades in support of immigrant commu-nities."Ultimately, a permanent solution will

involve passing the DREAM Act itself,and a comprehensive immigration reformpackage that helps all undocumentedfamilies. We will continue to work untilwe achieve those goals. This announce-ment stands as a stark rebuttal to theanti-immigrants across the country whohave blocked the DREAM Act, promoteddestructive legislation, and criminalizedour communities." l

Message from IJLEF,Executive Director onDREAM Act - DeferredAction

Undocumented? Prepare forLegalization with IJLEF Membership

For an immigrant who is not yet acitizen, everyday life in the UnitedStates could be very precarious. A

little oversight about one's past conductcould provide grounds for inadmissibili-ty leading to deportation or leading toremovability upon returning to theUnited States after a trip abroad. Or,even less obvious, being handed over tothe U.S. Citizen and ImmigrationServices (USCIS) by law enforcementofficials after venturing near theCanadian border an area where USCISofficers are more vigilant than they are inNew York City.

What this means is that a non-citizenimmigrant must have up-to-date infor-mation on his status so that he can avoidbeing in a part of the country that mayexpose him to grounds for inadmissibili-ty. Yes, it is true that life in the UnitedStates for an immigrant could be a 'minefield'. One of the ways that a non-citizenimmigrant can obtain up-to-date infor-mation on his status and the kinds of vio-lations that could lead to a finding ofinadmissibility is for him to become amember of the Immigrant Journal Legal& Educational Fund, Inc. (IJLEF).

I know of an individual who onceattempted to enter the U.S. from Canadawith false identification, but was discov-ered by the USCIS and sent back toCanada. Later, this person received avisa to come to the U.S. lawfully. Afterspending a number of years, in the U.S.the individual filed papers to adjust theirstatus to that of a permanent resident.The resulting investigation by USCIS ledto the discovery of this earlier violation(INA Sec. 212(a)(6)(A)), which providedground of inadmissibility, subjecting thisindividual to deportation. The attorney inthis case was able to obtain a waiver forthis violation, but it would have beenmuch wiser for this individual to knowthe consequence of this violation beforeattempting to adjust his status.In this rather uncertain climate what

might an immigrant do? Well, one of theoptions available is membership in theIJLEF. As a member of the IJLEF, onejoins a community that not only providesvaluable service to immigrants, but onealso becomes part of a community dedi-cated to advocating the issues and inter-ests of the immigrant community.One of the key benefits of membership

is free in-person consultations on alllegal matters including immigration. Of

all the benefits of being a member of theIJLEF, this benefit is of supreme impor-tance. You may be contemplating sometype of legal action and are unsure aboutthe exact nature of the violation or yourrights. Well, all you need to do is make acall and you will receive the necessaryinformation that you will need in order tomake an informed decision.Free in-person consultations are not the

only benefits available. Members alsoget a free picture ID, assistance to open abank account, get a tax ID, healthcarediscounts, free monthly informationalseminars, and a discount on the prepara-

tion of their tax returns. All these benefitsfar exceed the annual membership fee of$150. Despite some of the problems,many of us still believe that the UnitedStates is the best place to live and raiseone's family at this point in time. Thus,you have a special duty to your familyand other loved ones to take the stepsnecessary to preserve the level of com-fort that you have attained. One of theways to do this is through membership inthe IJLEF. lTo schedule an appointment for mem-

bership, call 718-243-9431.

BY JANET HOWARD

HELP FOR DREAMERS 9

FINANCIAL MATTERS10

The DREAM Act: Creating EconomicOpportunities

There are an estimated 2.1 millionundocumented children andyoung adults in the United States

who might be eligible for legal statusunder the Development, Relief, andEducation for Alien Minors Act(DREAM) Act. For many of theseyoung people, the United States is theonly home they know and English istheir first language. Each year, tens ofthousands of them graduate from pri-mary or secondary school, often at thetop of their classes. They have thepotential to be future doctors, nurses,teachers, and entrepreneurs, but theyexperience unique hurdles to achievingsuccess in this country. Through no faultof their own, their lack of status may pre-vent them from attending college orworking legally. The DREAM Actwould provide an opportunity for themto live up to their full potential and makegreater contributions to the U.S. econo-my and society.

The DREAM Act would give benefi-ciaries the opportunity to increase theirstandard of living—and their tax contri-butions: If legalized, DREAM Act bene-ficiaries would have access to greatereducational opportunities and betterjobs, which in turn means more taxableincome. A study by the College Boardfound that, over the course of his or herworking life, the average college gradu-ate earns in excess of 60 percent morethan a high-school graduate, and workerswith advanced degrees earn two to threetimes as much as high-school graduates.As of 2006, workers without a high-school diploma earned only $419 perweek and had an unemployment rate of6.8 percent. In comparison, workerswith a bachelor’s degree earned $962 perweek and had an unemployment rate of2.3 percent, while workers with a doctor-al degree earned $1,441 per week andhad an unemployment rate of 1.4 per-cent. The U.S. Department of Laborfound that the wages of immigrants whobenefited from the 1986 legalizationincreased 15 percent over five years, andthat legalized immigrants moved on to“significantly better jobs.”

The DREAM Act would save tax-payers money: A RAND study from1999 shows that raising the college grad-uation rate of Hispanics to that of non-Hispanic whites would increase spend-ing on public education by 10 percentnationwide, but the costs would be morethan offset by savings in public healthand benefits, as well as by increased taxrevenues resulting from higher incomes.For example, a 30-year-old Mexicanimmigrant woman with a college degreewill pay $5,300 more in taxes and use$3,900 less in government expenses eachyear compared to a high-school dropoutwith similar characteristics.

The DREAM Act would encouragebeneficiaries to invest in the U.S. econo-my: Dr. Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda of the

University of California, Los Angeles,and other researchers have studied theimpact of legalization and found impor-tant long-term improvements among pre-viously undocumented immigrants.Specifically, removing the uncertainty ofundocumented status not only allowslegalized immigrants to earn higherwages and move into higher-payingoccupations, but also encourages them toinvest more in their own education, openbank accounts, buy homes, and startbusinesses.

The DREAM Act would likelyreduce the drop-out rate for immigrantstudents: Currently, only 5-10 percent ofundocumented high-school graduates goto college, and most undocumentedyouths are forced to work illegally in thecash economy as domestic servants, daylaborers, and sweatshop factory workers.The DREAM Act would create a strongincentive for undocumented students toremain in school until graduation, wouldmake them lawfully eligible to work, andwould ultimately help fill positions liketeachers and nurses — positions thathave long been in demand in the UnitedStates.

The DREAM Act would help univer-sities financially: The 10 states which,since 2001, have passed laws allowingundocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition have not experienced a largeinflux of new immigrant students thatdisplaces native-born students. Thesestates (Texas, California, Utah,Washington, New York, Oklahoma,Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, andNebraska) are home to about half of thenation’s undocumented immigrants. Infact, these laws actually tend to increaseschool revenues as students who wouldnot normally attend college start to paytuition.

The DREAM Act keeps talented stu-dents in the United States: Letting thetalent of DREAM Act students go towaste “imposes economic and emotionalcosts on undocumented students and onU.S. society as a whole.” The DREAMAct would stop brain drain by allowingour most talented students to remain inthe country.

The DREAM Act would not harmAmerican workers: A recent report fromthe Federal Reserve Bank of SanFrancisco points out that “immigrantsexpand the U.S. economy’s productivecapacity, stimulate investment, and pro-mote specialization that in the long runboosts productivity,” and “there is noevidence that these effects take place atthe expense of jobs for workers born inthe United States.”

The plight of those undocumentedyouth who might benefit from theDREAM Act encapsulates many facetsof today’s immigration crisis. Caught ina system where there is little, if any,means for legalizing their status, thesesmart, hard-working kids face an uncer-tain future because of their inability to

continue their education or work legally.Since 1996, when draconian immigrationreforms eliminated many of the tradition-al forms of relief from deportation, ageneration of young people caughtbetween worlds have grown up withoutlegal status. The loss of potential, pro-ductivity, and hope for these individualsis also a loss for this country. The UnitedStates is missing out on talented workers

BY IMMIGRATION POLICY CENTER

and entrepreneurs, and is losing vital taxrevenues and other economic contribu-tions. While fixing this particular prob-lem will hardly resolve the need for com-prehensive immigration reform, it willunlock the door to the American dreamfor thousands of young people eachyear.l

It’s is your civic duty to pay taxes, regardlessof your immigration status. We can help.

Call 718-243-9431 today.

If you want to qualify for the Dream Act or ComprehensiveImmigration Reform filing taxes is fundamental. If you’re undocumented, work for more than $400 dollars ayear, then you are required to file a tax return.

Filing taxes proves the following•That you are a person of good moral character•That you were physically present in the United States•And it can also secure social security benefits when youobtain an SSN

To apply for a Tax ID application to need the followingdocuments• Valid Passport• I-94- arrival/departure record• Visa

FAMILY MATTERS 11

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nDIVORCE nSEPARATION nSUPPORT nCUSTODY

NEW YORK IS NOW A NO-FAULT DIVORCE STATE

Young children of unmarried parentswho live with their mother andreceive court-mandated financial

support from their father exhibit moreaggressive behavior than those who don’tget any formal support at all, according to aRutgers University study.

In analyzing data from a study of nearly5,000 children born between 1998 and 2000,Lenna Nepomnyaschy, an assistant profes-sor in the School of Social Work, also foundthat 5-year-old children have increased cog-nitive skills when their father provides cashsupport without being forced to do so by alegal agreement. The data comes from theFragile Families and Child Wellbeing Studyin 20 large U.S. cities. “We want to be careful and not say that

formal support is bad,” says Nepomnyaschywho worked on the study published in SocialService Review with researchers from theUniversity of Wisconsin. “For most moth-ers it is hugely important. But it might not beworking for all types of families.”

Nepomnyaschy says prior researchfocused only on how financial supportaffected the children of divorced parents.Today, however, nearly 40 percent of chil-dren are born to unmarried parents, accord-ing to the National Center for HealthStatistics. And never married mothers repre-sent the largest proportion of single-parentfamilies in the United States.

What this new research indicates is thatat least for young children of unmarried par-ents, an informal agreement between the

mother and father — with paternal involve-ment in the child’s life — might lead to abetter overall emotional environment.“One possible reason why children

whose fathers provide informal supportmight be exhibiting better vocabulary, ver-bal skills and scholastic aptitude is thatthese fathers not only give money to themother when they can, but they also comearound and are more involved in the child’slife,” Nepomnyaschy says. “So from a poli-cy perspective we have to ask ourselves, is itthe money or the father’s involvement thatmakes the difference in the child’s life? Or isit a combination of both?”

According to the Fragile Families andChild Wellbeing Study, only 20 percent ofunmarried fathers not living with their chil-

dren paid formal child support by the timethe child was 3 years old, while 40 percentprovided informal support. Many of theselow-income fathers are out of work andstruggling to make ends meet,Nepomnyaschy says. Although they maynot provide financial assistance on a regularbasis, they often are involved in their chil-dren’s lives, support them in other ways, andgive money to the mother when they can.

Researchers found that providing higherlevels of informal support — more than$700 in two years — as opposed to givingnothing, was associated with an increase inthe cognitive skill levels of these young chil-dren.

When these fathers were mandated toprovide support through the courts, howev-

er, children who received low levels of for-mal support, below $1,800 over two years,exhibited more aggressive behaviors thanchildren the same age who were not gettingany formal support from their fathers. “This is definitely a puzzling result that

needs to be examined further,” saysNepomnyaschy. “Maybe these fathers areviolent, have problems with drugs, spank thechildren or have bad relationships with themother. We don’t have a definitive answer.”

Researchers believe that low-incomefathers and mothers may prefer informalsupport because, in many states, if the moth-er is receiving federal assistance like foodstamps or welfare, the support check paid bythe father — which is usually minimal — iskept by the state. Informal support,Nepomnyaschy says, often gives the fatherbetter leverage over visitation, child rearingand the ability to monitor how the money isspent.“It is likely that unmarried mothers only

go after formal support when their romanticrelationship ends or when the father’s infor-mal support stops.”

She believes that more research is need-ed to determine whether these findings holdup as children get older. “We may find thatthe importance of formal child support to achild’s well-being increases in the longterm.” “But it is important to look at how weincentivize these fathers to get involved inways other than just providing formal sup-port when these children are still young.” l

Children of Unmarried Parents Fare WorseWhen a Father’s Support Is Court-Ordered

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION12

under existing regulations.Today’s memo, issued by DHS

Secretary Janet Napolitano, comesalmost exactly one year after the releaseof a memo from ICE Director JohnMorton setting forth an extensive list offactors for agents to consider when exer-cising prosecutorial discretion. The so-called “Morton memo” was initiallyhailed by immigrant advocates, whobelieved it would prevent the removal offoreign nationals who would have quali-fied for relief under the DREAM Act.Calls for bolder executive action grewstronger, however, after an ongoingreview of pending removal cases yieldeddisappointing results and examples con-

President Obama to Halt Removal of DREAMers continued from page 1

tinued to surface of immigrants beingdenied prosecutorial discretion despitecompelling circumstances.

Although not defined under federalregulations, deferred action has longbeen used by U.S. presidents to preventthe removal of immigrants for humani-tarian reasons. Contrary to some head-lines, immigrants who are granteddeferred action — which can be revokedwithout notice at any time — will notreceive “immunity” from removal. Inaddition, although they will be permittedto apply for work permits, immigrantswho receive deferred action will notreceive green cards or any other lawfulimmigration status, will not be permitted

to sponsor family members, and may beunable to travel abroad.

According to the memo and a Q&Areleased by the administration, immi-grants who are not currently in removalproceedings will have to submit applica-tions demonstrating their eligibility fordeferred action. Meanwhile, immigrantswho are currently in removal proceed-ings will be eligible for deferred action,even if they previously declined an offerof “administrative closure” under theongoing case review process. Althougheligibility determinations will be madeon a case-by-case basis, administrationofficials said that immigrants who satisfythe criteria in the memo should presump-tively be granted deferred action.Secretary

Napolitano’s memo comes twoweeks after nearly 100 law professorssent a letter to President Obama outlininghis authority to provide temporary relieffrom deportation. The announcementalso comes on the thirtieth anniversary ofthe Supreme Court’s decision in Plyler v.Doe, which held that states cannotexclude undocumented schoolchildrenfrom elementary and secondaryschools.l

Individuals and families from Caribbeancountries have journeyed to America'sshores for centuries. Some were brought

here against their will in the bonds of slavery.Some immigrated to America as children,clutching a parent's hand. Others came asadults, leaving behind everything they knew inpursuit of a better life in a new world. Genera-tions of Caribbean Americans have sought toensure that their children and grandchildrenwould have the freedom to make of their liveswhat they will, and during National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we celebrate theirrich narratives and recognize their immeasura-ble contributions to our country.

Caribbean Americans have shaped everyaspect of our society — enhancing our arts andhumanities as titans of music and literature,spurring our economy as intrepid entrepreneurs,making new discoveries as scientists and engi-neers, serving as staunch advocates for socialand political change, and defending our idealsat home and abroad as leaders in our military.Their achievements exemplify the tenacity andperseverance embedded in our national charac-ter, and their stories embody the fundamentalAmerican idea that when access to opportunityis equal, anyone can make it if they try.

As we reflect on the myriad waysCaribbean Americans have shaped our country,we join in commemorating the 50th anniver-saries of independence in Jamaica and Trinidadand Tobago, and we reaffirm the bonds offriendship we share with our Caribbean neigh-bors. This month, let us celebrate the essence ofthe Nation we all love — an America where somany of our ancestors have come from some-where else; a society that has been enriched bycultures from around the world.I encourage all Americans to celebrate the his-tory and culture of Caribbean Americans withappropriate ceremonies and activities.l

Presidential Proclamation continued from page

FREE Consultationfor DREAMers

Call 718-243-9431

IMMIGRATION 13

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BROOKLYN: 26 Court Street, Suite 701. Tel: 718-834-0190 n 1105 Nostrand Avenue. Tel: 718-363-7788

Immigrants Without Legal Representation NotBenefiting from Prosecutorial Discretion

After ICE Director John Mortonissued a memo last June outlininghow and when ICE officials

should exercise prosecutorial discretionin immigration cases, many were opti-mistic that the memo’s implementationwould relieve backlogs and help theagency focus on higher priority immigra-tion cases. Months later, however, folksare finding that one large group of peoplehas limited access to this review process—immigrants without legal representa-tion. In fact, nearly half of all immigrantsin removal proceedings appeared with-out legal representation in 2011, alsoknown as “pro se.” While immigrationattorneys often explain the effect of theseprosecutorial discretion policies to theirclients, pro se immigrants may beunaware that new policies are even ineffect.

Unlike immigrants who have legalrepresentation, pro se immigrants do nothave access to information specificallydirected at them explaining the exerciseof prosecutorial discretion, how to obtainit, or what it means. This compounds thealready serious problem that most pro seimmigrants do not have access to infor-mation about what relief might be avail-able to them. Moreover, whether or not

they are aware of possibleoptions for relief, they maybe unaware of the implica-tions of either accepting orforegoing an offer of pros-ecutorial discretion fromICE.

Underlying all of thesedeficiencies is a funda-mental inequity — immi-grants who cannot hire orfind scarce pro bono attor-neys are not entitled togovernment-provided rep-resentation in a deportationprocess that has devastat-ing consequences, includ-ing separation from familyfor decades or forever.

To prevent pro seimmigrants from fallingthrough the cracks, immi-gration authorities can takea number of steps to ensurethey understand what prosecutorial dis-cretion is, how they can seek it, and whatthey should do after receiving (or notreceiving) an offer. First, ICE shouldadvise pro se respondents prior toreviewing their files and explain how tosubmit documentation for agency offi-cials to consider. Second, if ICE declinesto offer a favorable exercise of discretion,

agency officials should inform pro serespondents how they can “appeal” thedecision to higher agency officials. Third,when ICE offers a favorable exercise ofdiscretion, the agency should provideinformation explaining the consequencesof accepting such an offer. And finally,prior to approving a favorable exercise ofdiscretion, immigration judges should

affirmatively confirm that pro se immi-grants understand these consequences.

By adopting these recommendations,immigration officials can help alleviateone of the most fundamental inequities ofthe removal process: that the governmentdoes not provide attorneys to immigrantswho cannot afford one. l

BY JOAN FRIEDLAND

IMMIGRANT VOICES14

On April 17th, 2012, afterwalking 150 miles, fifteenundocumented youth and

supporters from the New YorkState Youth Leadership Council(NYSYLC) arrived in Albany.This long journey was started onApril 9th in an effort to gathermore support from GovernorCuomo and the New York StateLegislature for the New YorkDream Act (S4179/A6829). Thisstate bill, which was introduced inMarch 2011 by Senator BillPerkins and AssemblymanGuillermo Linares, would provide accessto state-funded financial aid (TAP) andscholarships to qualifying undocumentedyouth.

This group of 15 courageous andtenacious undocumented youth and sup-porters walked miles and miles sharingtheir stories and struggles with commu-nity members and legislators along theway. This walk is our urgent call to ourelected officials to pass the New YorkDREAM Act this year. The New YorkDREAM Act makes both financial andeconomic sense. As the walker Luis

Saavedra states, “I walked because anystudent aspiring to higher educationshould have equal access to it and theNY DREAM Act is the path to take.” TheNew York DREAM Act will build a big-ger sense of community within undocu-mented youth that will encourage themto stay and contribute to the state econo-my. Most importantly, it will help NewYork reestablish a sense of leadership asa beacon for immigrant rights in a timewhen the undocumented are facing dra-conian, anti-immigrant measures inmany other states. l

UndocumentedYouth ReachDestination

Suicidal andUndocumented

Family bonds cut with sharp window glassHousehold drenched in his red liquid despairI could not understand why he would do that to himselfI made him cards shaped in heartsRead to him my poemsMaybe I could remind him of his value“Daddy you are beautiful”

I could see his pain in his eyesHe water marked my pages with his tearsExploitationBeing called “illegal”SufferingDepressionDaddy was not the same anymore

Hieroglyphics appeared on my wristHousehold drenched in my red liquid despairI overflowed my journal pages with tearsThere was no bedtime stories

Instead of counting sheep, I counted scarsMy white sheets covered in redI wondered if this was as close I could get to an American flagFamily bonds cut with sharp window glassHousehold drenched in his and mine red liquid despairI now understand why he would do that to himself

Crossing into what was supposed to be freedomRazors kept crossing my wrist into what was supposed to be deathBroken windows into undocumented painChildhood was lost, my humanity challengedI tried to color but everything was coming out in black and white

ExploitationBeing called “illegal”SufferingDepressionDeportationI was not the same anymore

Family bonds cut with sharp window glassHousehold drenched in red liquid despairOur surroundings tells us that we were not meant to surviveLack of resourcesDenied accessNo healthcareNo status

Our community tells us that we are PeopleRecuperation.Calling myself “undocumented!”EmpowermentUnafraidI was not the same anymore

But…It continues

On undocumented wrists

No numbers but scars

Hoping razors stop crossing back on forth!Family bonds cut with sharp window glassHousehold drenched in red liquid despairCommunity drenched in red liquid despair

—Sonia Guinansaca*Poem discussed my growing up in a household where depression and beingsuicidal was common. It alludes to my personal experience and shows urgencyin matters of depression, suicide, and mental health for undocumented commu-nity specially as the numbers of undocumented youth and suicide rises.

NEWS 15

nHEALTH nENTERTAINMENT nRELATIONSHIPS nRECIPES nSPORTS nHOROSCOPE

Caribbean Kitchen Corner

This is a really easy and tastyIndian dish that is sure to stirup your taste buds. Delicious

baingan bharta is ready to eat withpita bread, Indian naan, or rice.

Prep Time:15 minutesCook Time:45 minutesReady In:1 hour

Ingredients:1 large eggplant•2 tablespoons vegetable oil•1 teaspoon cumin seeds•1 medium onion, thinly sliced•1 tablespoon ginger garlic•paste1 tablespoon curry powder•1 tomato, diced•1/2 cup plain yogurt•1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper,•finely chopped1 teaspoon salt•1/4 bunch cilantro, finely•chopped

Directions:1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F(230 degrees C).

Visit www.cawnyc.com for the latest Caribbeannews, sports, information and more!

BY YAKUTA, ALLRECIPES.COM

Baingan Bharta(Eggplant Curry)

2. Place eggplant on a mediumbaking sheet. Bake 20 to 30minutes in the preheated oven,until tender. Remove from heat,cool, peel, and chop. 3. Heat oil in a mediumsaucepan over medium heat.Mix in cumin seeds and onion.Cook and stir until onion is ten-der. 4. Mix ginger garlic paste,curry powder, and tomato intothe saucepan, and cook about 1minute. Stir in yogurt. Mix ineggplant and jalapeno pepper,and season with salt. Cover, andcook 10 minutes over high heat.5. Remove cover, reduce heatto low, and continue cookingabout 5 minutes. Garnish withcilantro to serve. Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving Calories:146 | Total Fat: 8g | Cholesterol:2mg l

Another First for Rihanna

Barbados’ megastar Rihanna hasmoney, fame, talent and killerlooks. Now she can add power to

her attributes, according to Forbes maga-zine, which recently ranked her fourth intheir annual list of the 100 most powerfulcelebrities in the world.

The Forbes list is not governed strictlyby the bottom line (not THAT “bottom

line” — had that been the case, Ri-Ri would have left all thecompetition far behind), but includes a “Social Rank” amongthe criteria. This includes TV/radio presence and levels ofpress and social media attention, all used in formulating thelisting, which aims to reflect the level of influence a celebrityhas in the entertainment industry.

With her millions of followers on Twitter and Facebook,Rihanna came in second in the Social Rank category. Addearnings of US$52million in the last year, and it’s no surprisethat Rihanna made such a stunning debut on the Forbes 100list.

Further explaining the “You Da One” songstress’ positionon the list, Forbes said: “The Barbados-born diva lands on ourlist for the first time thanks to hits including ‘We Found Love’and ‘Talk That Talk,’ as well as endorsements with the likes ofVito Coco and Nivea.”

Her fragrance Reb’l Fleur adds millions more to her cof-fers, as does her heavy touring schedule that included over 85shows in the past 12 months.“With over 53 million Facebook fans, she is second only to

Eminem,” the magazine added. l

BROOKLYN: “We’re going in a newdirection and Labor Day Carnival isalive and well. We’re united. We’re

preserving our culture and history. WIADCAis stronger than ever.”

So says Thomas “Tom” Bailey the newPresident of the West Indian American DayCarnival Association (WIADCA) as hegears up for the 45th anniversary of thefamed international event. He said that hisNew WIADCA Team is hard at work “puttingthe pieces together” to make sure that the2012 Labor Day Carnival Festival comes offas smoothly and incident-free as possible.“When I took over the reins of this organi-

zation in April of this year — just a little overtwo months ago — the tasks ahead weredaunting. I inherited a very difficult and chal-lenging organizational and financial situa-tion. But I reached out to a number of keypeople and saw this as an opportunity tochart a new direction and transform theorganization. I am pleased to report that thishas started and I am excited about thefuture,” Bailey said.The annual Labor Day Carnival Festival that

culminates with the famed Labor DayCarnival Parade along Eastern Parkway inBrooklyn is now managed and run by a newteam that includes a number of “new blood” –brought in to help in upgrading the organiza-tion’s management and organizational struc-ture and operations. In April, amid swirling negative and unsub-

stantiated speculations, WIADCA membersthrew their unconditional support behind vet-eran Brooklyn soccer organizer and WIAD-

CA stalwart, Thomas “Tom” Bailey, as its new president replacingMs. Yolanda Lezama-Clarke who abruptly resigned. Baily was theSecretary of the organization.“The organization’s membership has spoken. I am honored and

humbled to become the third individual to lead this important groupthat is the lawful custodian of the annual Labor Day CarnivalFestival. The new WIADCA TEAM is committed to the preservationof our culture and to move the organization forward in a new andpositive direction,” Tom Bailey said.Baily said that the New WIADCA Team is holding ongoing meet-

ings with both Mas and Steel band organizations and presentedthem with checks that were won at the 2011 competitions. He hastold both organizations that keeping WIADCA’s financial commit-ment to them was at the top of this priority list of improving rela-tions with all of the carnival festival’s stakeholders.“Let us usher in a new era of cooperation and friendship. I wantto hear from you about your concerns. This festival is bigger thanone individual or organization. We must come together to take it tonew and bigger heights. I need your help and support,” Baileysaid.l

New Leadership: 2012 Labor DayCarnival Festival Is On

HEALTH16The Insomnia Wakeup Call: SleepDeprivation Is a Serious Health RiskIt's 3:30 a.m. and you've just rolled

over in bed for what seems like the500th time. As you watch the minutes

on the clock tick by, all you can thinkabout is how tired you are going to betomorrow. While the cause of yourinsomnia may vary night to night, theoutcome is still the same: you're notasleep. You're also not alone.

The U.S. Centers for DiseaseControl(CDC) and Prevention report thatsomewhere between 50 and 70 millionadults in the United States have chronicsleep and wakefulness disorders.

According to the National Institutesof Health, sleep disorders account forapproximately $16 billion in annualhealth care costs, and Cornell Universitypsychologist and sleep expert JamesMaas estimates that sleep deprivationand sleep disorders cost the Americaneconomy at least $150 billion a year.

Sleep deprivation is not only costly,but dangerous too. After a review ofnational behavioral health data, the CDCfound that one in 20 adults reported nod-ding off or falling asleep while driving atleast once in 30 days.

Short term sleep loss can lead toslower reaction times, headaches, achesand pains, irritability, shorter attentionspan and hindered decision making.

The health effects of chronic insom-nia are more difficult to study, largelybecause individuals with insomnia areoftentimes simultaneously suffering fromother health ailments, and it becomes dif-ficult to determine the differencebetween a direct correlation and a merestatistical association. However, there isa documented association between sleepdeprivation and diabetes, weight gain,hypertension, and lower immunity. All ofthese maladies can lead to even greaterhealth problems, including heart failure,stroke, kidney disease and death.

Considering the risks of not sleeping,it is not surprising that so many peopleturn to pharmaceuticals for help.According to IMS Health, Americansspent about $2 billion on prescriptionsleep drugs in 2010. In 2010 alone, 60million prescriptions for sleep aids werewritten.

Unfortunately, sleep aids carry theirown medical risks. As is the case withmany prescription drugs, there is achance of increased tolerance and physi-cal and psychological dependency. Manysleep aids on the market come with sideeffects that range from bizarre to danger-ous. Sleep aids have been connected withvarious incidents of sleep walking;everything from night eating to actuallygetting into vehicles and driving, while

still asleep. Most recently, a study by researchers

at Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family SleepCentre in San Diego has linked hypnoticsleeping pills to a 4.6 percent greater riskof death and a 35 percent increased riskof cancer among regular pill users.

Consider the following sleep tips:

1. Think of a Relaxing Place Go on a virtual trip in your mind by

picturing a place from childhood. Tracethe roads and paths of this region untilyou arrive at a certain place. Usually,you'll be sleeping before you arrive atyour destination.

2. Expose Yourself to Bright LightsWhen You Wake Up

Exposure to bright lights early in themorning, typically for 30 to 40 minutes,has been shown to promote healthyhabits and a good night's sleep.

3. Change Your PillowThe ideal pillow is one that helps you

maintain natural alignment between yourneck, head and spine as you shift posi-tions during the night. Because peopletend to change sleeping positions at mul-tiple times during the night, finding theright pillow is not always easy. A water-

based-pillow is a good solution, becausethe water gently disperses and fills theregion between your shoulder and jaw, tomaintain proper cervical support — nomatter what position you sleep in.

4. Establish a Routine By keeping a regular bedtime, your

body becomes trained to ritually winddown and speed up, thus bringing onsleep more consistently. Consider avoid-ing daytime naps, as they may alter yourbody's natural sleep cycle. Abstainingfrom naps helps to keep the body onschedule. l(ARA)

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS 17Self-Esteem: Building a More Confident You

Self-esteem and confidence is basi-cally an overall opinion of you andcan impact daily experiences. Our

level of self-esteem virtually affects allareas of life; the type of people youattract, your career building, your rela-tionships, and other important areas.

People with an unhealthy self-esteemcan often send a vibe that other peoplecan pick up on. Imagine a woman sittingin a coffee shop; she constantly thinks ofherself as unattractive, not good enough,and worthless. She feels down and over-whelmed. She compares herself with oth-ers. How does she appear? Does she sittall or does she slightly slouch down andavoid eye contact? What type of vibewould she be sending? How would shepresent herself at work? Would she speakup in a conference or would she doubther abilities? Now, take that samewoman, but with a healthier self-esteem.She is aware of her potentials and herweaknesses, when she makes a mistakeshe doesn't get down on herself, and shevalues and respects herself. She has lessdoubts about herself and she knows whatshe is able to do. How would she presentherself? What would be different? Withboth examples, the woman hasn't physi-cally changed, but her self-image, thepeople she attracts, and how she behavesis probably quite different.

Having a healthyself-esteem impactsall areas of your lifeand the people youattract. Creating ahigher self-confi-dence is a complicat-ed area and canrequire a shift in yourperceptions andthought processes. Ifyour self-esteem islower than you wouldlike it to be, there ishope!

Here are a fewthings you can do onyour own to buildyour self-confidenceand create a healthierself-esteem:1. Retrain Your Brain: Our brain canget used to thinking negatively, question-ing our capabilities, and doubt the possi-bilities, and worry. Your brain is proba-bly trained and used to thinking withdoubts and worry. Retrain your brain bythinking positively and accepting whoyou are with positive affirmations. Whenyou first start retraining your brain, itwill feel awkward and strange but that isthe point. You will be doing somethingnew! Some examples of positivethoughts: I know what I am doing, noth-ing is wrong with me, I will be fine, Ihave a lot to offer. Tweak these to focus

on the areas where you have difficulties.This is probably the most importantaspect of building a stronger sense ofself. Work on this daily. Accepting whoyou are, will help develop a healthy self-esteem. 2. Take a History Inventory: Reviewyour history and take a deep look at themessages you got growing up. Did youget the message that you can accomplishanything you put your heart to? Or wereyou given the message that you have tobe extremely careful about what you doand that you might mess up? Were you

compared to your siblings or friends?Oftentimes the messages we receivedgrowing up can severely impact our coreself. Be more aware of the past messagesand take a step to correct them. 3. Build a New Inventory: Prove yournegative thoughts wrong by accomplish-ing the tasks that you doubt. Take a risk.If you think that you won't ever be able toget organized, make it a goal. Proveyourself wrong. The more you proveyour fears and thoughts wrong, the moreit will make a corrective experience. 4. Notice what you have: Avoid com-paring yourself with other people.Comparing will only point out what youdon't have, rather than noticing what youdo have. Begin training your brain tonotice what you have, what you do well,and avoid comparing yourself to others.You will never be the other person, sostart accepting who you are as a person.l

Jennine Estes is a licensed marriageand family therapist living in San Diego,CA. She has appeared in both local andnational media, such as RedbookMagazine, Social Worker, TodayMagazine, Whole Living Magazine andFox 5 News. She specializes in all areasof relationships; singlehood, datingissues, conflicting couples, affairs, com-munication struggles, etc.

For more information please visitwww.estestherapy.com.

BY JENNINE ESTES

SPORTS18Opportunity for CARICOM to DemonstrateCommitment to Diaspora through Cricket

It is well-known that the West Indieswill play two of its 20/20 matchesagainst New Zealand during the lat-

ter's upcoming tour of the Caribbean inFort Lauderdale, Florida. There has beenmixed reaction to the decision to playthese two matches in America. We in theDiaspora, especially Florida, welcomethe matches for several reasons, foremostbecause it demonstrates that CaribbeanAmerican communities have beenexpanding their influence in Americansociety and that our diverse culture aswell as our contributions to education,business, medicine and to the economiesof the communities in which we live, arefinally being tangibly recognized.

The struggle to have a cricket stadi-um built in Florida was a long and hardone but testimony to the hard work ofmany the likes of County CommissionerDale Holeness and cricket administra-tor/community activist Jeff Miller. OurCaribbean governments which depend somuch on remittances from the Diasporato help ensure that their economies arestable and many of which at the politicalparty level raise the bulk of their elec-tions campaign financing from support-ers in the Diaspora, should fully supportthe decision to play these two matches in

Florida.I am no supporter of the West Indies

Cricket Board. I think they are abungling group of incompetents for themost part. However, I commend theBoard for its decision to allocate the twomatches to Florida especially against thebackdrop of dwindling crowds at somany of the venues in the Caribbean.

I understand the argument put for-ward by Guyana's President DonaldRamotar about the investment made byCaribbean governments in building newstadia and the need to have matchesplayed in the Caribbean. Our Caribbeangovernments need to engage the WICBon a range of issues which affects WestIndies cricket—the region's most unify-ing influence and foremost source ofCaribbean pride. These discussionsshould include a formula for the equi-table allocation of matches for upcomingtours. But such a formula must include amatch or two in Florida and our regionalgovernments must give this their support.

Now for the real issue at hand.Caribbean governments, through theirconsular and other diplomatic represen-tatives in the U.S. were asked to sponsora welcome reception for the West Indiesteam which would be attended by theNew Zealand team, cricket officials,busi-ness and community leaders, media,

elected official and others. The estimatedcost of the reception is U.$.$20,000. Iunderstand that consideration was givento the request and that just this past weekthe governments indicated that they didnot have the funds to sponsor this recep-tion. I can't believe it. Most of our coun-tries have budgets for the promotion oftourism and what a great opportunity thisis to promote the countries of the region.

Is U.S.$2,000 per country asking toomuch of our regional governments tohost this reception? Or is it that our gov-ernments feel that they should not bespending a penny on helping to haveinternational cricket played in America?These are the same governments thatwax poetic about the importance of theDiaspora and their commitment to ourefforts to integrate into American societyand help shape favorable US policy onthe Caribbean. Our regional governmentshave a great opportunity to demonstratethat their expressed commitment to us inthe Diaspora is not just lip service andthat they mean what they say and saywhat they mean by sponsoring the wel-come reception for the WI team. We inthe Diaspora continue to give much toour countries without asking for anythingin return. For once we are asking for yoursupport and we expect it unconditionally.

Perhaps our governments should take

BY WESLEY KIRTON

their cue from the people of the regionsome 5,000 of whom will travel toFlorida for the two matches... 2000 fromTrinidad and Tobago alone. These peoplemost likely would have preferred to havematches in their countries but nonthelesswill support the West Indies where everthey play.

Come on CARICOM governments!Will you not share our burden of promot-ing our culture/pride in the US to the tuneof U.S.$20,000? l

SMOOTHIES&

JUICE BAR

701 Nostrand Avenue(Between Sterling PL. & Park PL.)Brooklyn, NY 11216

Tel: (718) 856-7500puchlineinc@hotmail.com

To have your business card placed here, call 718-771-0988

CARIBBEAN MARKETPLACE 19

NEWS KNOW YOUR RIGHTS20

Deferred Action for DREAMers:FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSWhat is deferred action? Deferred

action is a discretionary deter-mination to defer removal

action of an individual as an act of prose-cutorial discretion. Deferred action doesnot confer lawful status upon an individ-ual. In addition, although an alien granteddeferred action will not be considered to beaccruing unlawful presence in the UnitedStates during the period deferred action isin effect, deferred action does not absolveindividuals of any previous or subsequentperiods of unlawful presence. Under exist-ing regulations, an individual who hasbeen granted deferred action is eligible toreceive employment authorization for theperiod of deferred action, provided he orshe can demonstrate “an economic neces-sity for employment.” Deferred action canbe terminated at any time at the agency’sdiscretion or renewed by the agency.

Who is eligible to receive DeferredAction under the Department’s NewDirective? Pursuant to the Secretary’sJune 15, 2012 memorandum, in order to beeligible for deferred action, individualsmust:1. Have come to the United States underthe age of sixteen;2. Have continuously resided in theUnited States for at least five years preced-ing the date of this memorandum and arepresent in the United States on the date ofthis memorandum;3. Currently be in school, have graduatedfrom high school, have obtained a generaleducation development certificate, or arehonorably discharged veterans of the CoastGuard or Armed Forces of the UnitedStates;4. Have not been convicted of a felonyoffense, a significant misdemeanoroffense, multiple misdemeanor offenses,or otherwise pose a threat to national secu-rity or public safety;5. Not be above the age of thirty.Individuals must also complete a back-ground check and, for those individualswho make a request to USCIS and are notsubject to a final order of removal, must be15 years old or older.

How will the new directive be imple-mented? Individuals who are not inremoval proceedings or who are subject toa final order of removal will need to sub-mit a request for a review of their case andsupporting evidence to U.S. Citizenshipand Immigration Services (USCIS).Individuals may request deferred action ifthey meet the eligibility criteria. In thecoming weeks, USCIS will outline andannounce the procedures by which individ-uals can engage in this process. Thisprocess is not yet in effect and requestsshould not be submitted at this time.

For individuals who are in removalproceedings before the Executive Officefor Immigration Review, ICE will, in thecoming weeks, announce the process bywhich qualified individuals may request areview of their case. For individuals whoare in removal proceedings and havealready been identified as meeting the eli-gibility criteria as part of ICE’s case-by-case review, ICE will immediately begin to

offer deferred action for a period of twoyears, subject to renewal.

Are individuals who receive deferredaction pursuant to the new directive eli-gible for employment authorization?Yes. Pursuant to existing regulations, indi-viduals who receive deferred action mayapply for and may obtain employmentauthorization from USCIS provided theycan demonstrate an economic necessity fortheir employment.

Does the process result in permanentlawful status for beneficiaries? No. Thegrant of deferred action under this newdirective does not provide an individualwith permanent lawful status or a pathwayto obtaining permanent lawful status. OnlyCongress, acting through its legislativeauthority, can confer the right to permanentlawful status.

Why will deferred actions only be grant-ed for two years? Grants of deferredaction will be issued in increments of twoyears. At the expiration of the two yearperiod, the grant of deferred action can berenewed, pending a review of the individ-ual case.

If an individual’s period of deferredaction is extended, will individuals needto re-apply for an extension of theiremployment authorization? Yes. If anindividual applies for and receives anextension of the period for which he or shewas granted deferred action, he or she mustalso request an extension of his or heremployment authorization.

Does this policy apply to those who aresubject to a final order of removal? Yes.An individual subject to a final order ofremoval who can demonstrate that he orshe meets the eligibility criteria canrequest a review of his or her case andreceive deferred action for a period of twoyears, subject to renewal. All cases will beconsidered on an individualized basis. Thisprocess is not yet in effect and requestsshould not be submitted at this time. In thecoming weeks, USCIS will outline andannounce the procedures by which individ-uals can engage in this process.

If an individual who is about to beremoved by ICE believes he or she satis-fies the eligibility criteria for the newprocess, what steps should he or she taketo ensure his or her case is reviewedbefore removal? Individuals who believethey can demonstrate that they satisfy theeligibility criteria and are about to beremoved should immediately contacteither the Law Enforcement SupportCenter’s hotline at 1-855-448-6903(staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) orthe ICE Office of the Public Advocatethrough the Office’s hotline at 1-888-351-4024 (staffed 9am – 5pm, Monday –Friday) or by e-mail atEROPublicAdvocate@ice.dhs.gov.

If an individual who satisfies the eligibil-ity criteria is encountered by Customsand Border Protection (CBP) or ICE,

will he or she be placed into removalproceedings? This policy is intended toallow ICE and CBP to focus on prioritycases. Pursuant to the direction of theSecretary of Homeland Security, for indi-viduals who satisfy the eligibility criteria,CBP or ICE should exercise their discre-tion to prevent them from being appre-hended, placed into removal proceedings,or removed. If individuals, including indi-viduals in detention, believe they wereplaced into removal proceedings in viola-tion of this policy, they should contacteither the Law Enforcement SupportCenter’s hotline at 1-855-448-6903(staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) orthe ICE Office of the Public Advocatethrough the Office’s hotline at 1-888-351-4024 (staffed 9am – 5pm, Monday –Friday) or by email atEROPublicAdvocate@ice.dhs.gov.

If an individual accepted an offer ofadministrative closure under the case-by-case review process or if his or hercase was terminated as part of the case-by-case review process, can he or shereceive deferred action under the newprocess? Yes. Individuals who can demon-strate that they meet the eligibility criteriawill be eligible for deferred action even ifthey had accepted an offer of administra-tive closure or termination under the case-by-case review process. For individualswho are in removal proceedings and havealready been identified as meeting the eli-gibility criteria as part of ICE’s case-by-case review, ICE will immediately begin tooffer deferred action for a period of twoyears, subject to renewal.

If an individual declined an offer ofadministrative closure under the case-by-case review process, can he or shereceive deferred action under the newprocess?Yes. Individuals who can demon-strate that they meet the eligibility criteriawill be eligible for deferred action even ifthey declined an offer of administrativeclosure under the case-by-case reviewprocess.

If an individual’s case was reviewed aspart of the case-by-case review processbut he or she was not offered adminis-trative closure, can he or she receivedeferred action under the new process?Yes. Individuals who can demonstrate thatthey meet the eligibility criteria will be eli-gible for deferred action even if they werenot offered administrative closure follow-ing review of their case as part of the case-by-case review process.

Will DHS personnel responsible forreviewing requests for an exercise ofprosecutorial discretion under thisprocess receive special training? Yes.ICE and USCIS personnel responsible forconsidering requests for an exercise ofprosecutorial discretion under theSecretary’s directive will receive specialtraining.

Will individuals be subject to back-ground checks before they can receivean exercise of prosecutorial discretion?

Yes. All individuals will undergo bio-graphic and biometric background checksprior to receiving an exercise of prosecuto-rial discretion. Individuals who have beenconvicted of any felony, a significant mis-demeanor offense, three or more misde-meanor offenses not occurring on the samedate and not arising out of the same act,omission, or scheme of misconduct, or oth-erwise pose a threat to national security orpublic safety are not eligible to be consid-ered for deferred action under the newprocess.

What do background checks involve?Background checks involve checking bio-graphic and biometric information provid-ed by the individuals against a variety ofdatabases maintained by DHS and otherfederal government agencies.

What documentation will be sufficientto demonstrate that an individual cameto the United States before the age of 16?Documentation sufficient for an individualto demonstrate that he or she came to theUnited States before the age of 16includes, but is not limited to: financialrecords, medical records, school records,employment records, and military records.

What documentation will be sufficientto demonstrate that an individual hasresided in the United States for a leastfive years preceding June 15, 2012?Documentation sufficient for an individualto demonstrate that he or she has resided inthe United States for at five years immedi-ately preceding June 15, 2012 includes, butis not limited to: financial records, medicalrecords, school records, employmentrecords, and military records.

What documentation will be sufficientto demonstrate that an individual wasphysically present in the United Statesas of June 15, 2012? Documentationincludes, but is not limited to: financialrecords, medical records, school records,employment records, and military records.

What documentation will be sufficientto demonstrate that an individual is cur-rently in school, has graduated fromhigh school, or has obtained a generaleducation development certificate(GED)? Documentation sufficient for anindividual to demonstrate that he or she iscurrently in school, has graduated fromhigh school, or has obtained a GED certifi-cate includes, but is not limited to: diplo-mas, GED certificates, report cards, andschool transcripts.

What steps will USCIS and ICE take toprevent fraud in the new processes? Anindividual who knowingly makes a mis-representation to USCIS or ICE, or know-ingly fails to disclose facts to USCIS orICE, in an effort to receive deferred actionor work authorization in this new processwill be treated as an immigration enforce-ment priority to the fullest extent permittedby law, subjecting the individual to crimi-nal prosecution and/or removal from theUnited States.

Are individuals with a conviction for afelony offense, a significant misde-meanor offense, or multiple misde-meanors eligible for an exercise of pros-ecutorial discretion under this new

continued on next page

YOUR RIGHTS 21

process? No. Individuals who have beenconvicted of a felony offense, a significantmisdemeanor offense, or three or moreother misdemeanor offenses not occurringon the same date and not arising out of thesame act, omission, or scheme of miscon-duct are not eligible to be considered fordeferred action under the new process.

What offenses qualify as a felony? Afelony is a federal, state, or local criminaloffense punishable by imprisonment for aterm exceeding one year.

What offenses qualify as a “significantmisdemeanor”? A significant misde-meanor is a federal, state, or local criminaloffense punishable by no more than oneyear of imprisonment or even no imprison-ment that involves: violence, threats, orassault, including domestic violence; sexu-al abuse or exploitation; burglary, larceny,or fraud; driving under the influence ofalcohol or drugs; obstruction of justice orbribery; unlawful flight from arrest, prose-cution, or the scene of an accident; unlaw-ful possession or use of a firearm; drug dis-tribution or trafficking; or unlawful pos-session of drugs.

How many non-significant misde-meanors constitute “multiple misde-meanors” making an individual ineligi-ble for an exercise of prosecutorial dis-cretion under this new process? An indi-vidual who is not convicted of a significant

misdemeanor but is convicted of three ormore other misdemeanors not occurring onthe same day and not arising out of thesame act, omission, or scheme of miscon-duct is not eligible to be considered fordeferred action under this new process.

How will ICE and USCIS handle casesinvolving individuals who do not satisfythe eligibility criteria under this newprocess but may be eligible for an exer-cise of prosecutorial discretion underthe June 2011 Prosecutorial DiscretionMemoranda? If an individual has a finalorder of removal and USCIS determinesthat he or she does not satisfy the eligibili-ty criteria, then it will reject the individ-ual’s request for deferred action. That indi-vidual may then request an exercise ofprosecutorial discretion under the ICEJune 2011 Prosecutorial DiscretionMemoranda through any of the establishedchannels at ICE, including through arequest to the ICE Office of the PublicAdvocate or to the local Field OfficeDirector. USCIS will not consider requestsfor review under the ICE June 2011Prosecutorial Discretion Memoranda.

If an individual is currently in removalproceedings and ICE determines that he orshe does not satisfy the eligibility criteriafor deferred action under this process, itwill then consider whether the individual isotherwise eligible for an exercise of prose-cutorial discretion under its current prac-tices for assessing eligibility under theJune 2011 Prosecutorial DiscretionMemoranda.

Deferred Action forDREAMers: FAQscontinued from previous page

Can individuals appeal a denial by ICEor USCIS of their request for an exerciseof prosecutorial discretion under thenew process? No. Individuals may notappeal a denial by ICE or USCIS of theirrequest for an exercise of prosecutorial dis-cretion. However, ICE and USCIS willdevelop protocols for supervisory reviewas part of their implementation of the newprocess. Although there is no right forappeal, individuals in removal proceedingswho believe their cases were not correctlyhandled may contact the ICE Office of thePublic Advocate either by phone at 1-888-351-4024 or by e-mail atEROPublicAdvocate@ice.dhs.gov.

If an individual’s request to USCIS fordeferred action is denied, will he or shebe placed in removal proceedings? Forindividuals whose requests for deferredaction are denied by USCIS, USCIS willapply its existing Notice to Appear guid-ance governing USCIS’s referral of casesto ICE and issuance of notices to appear.Under this guidance, individuals whoserequests are denied under this process willbe referred to ICE if they have a criminalconviction or there is a finding of fraud intheir request.

Should individuals who are not inremoval proceedings but believe them-selves to be eligible for an exercise ofdeferred action under this process seekto place themselves into removal pro-ceedings through encounters with ICEor CBP? No. Individuals who are not inremoval proceedings but believe that theysatisfy the eligibility criteria should submit

their request for review of their case toUSCIS under the procedures that USCISwill implement.

Does deferred action provide individu-als with a path to citizenship or perma-nent legal status? No. A grant of deferredaction is a form of prosecutorial discretionthat does not confer a path to citizenship orlawful permanent resident status. OnlyCongress, acting through its legislativeauthority, can confer these rights.

Does this Administration remain com-mitted to comprehensive immigrationreform? Yes. The Administration has con-sistently pressed for passage of compre-hensive immigration reform, including theDREAM Act, because the Presidentbelieves these steps are critical to buildinga 21st century immigration system thatmeets our nation’s economic and securityneeds.

Is passage of the DREAM Act still neces-sary in light of the new process? Yes. Asthe President has stated, individuals whowould qualify for the DREAM Act deservecertainty about their status, and this newprocess does not provide that certainty.Only the Congress, acting through its leg-islative authority, can confer the certaintythat comes with a pathway to permanentlawful status.

How can I get more information on thenew process? Visit www.cawnyc.com ORwww.ijlef.com OR www.figeroux.com l

NEWS COVER STORY22

CAW: So as you talk about the need tochange the face of the immigration issue toinclude people from the African Diaspora,how do we start to encourage the AfricanAmerican community and the Caribbeancommunity and continental Africans to beginto unify not just around this issues but in gen-eral?

Barron: Well I know that “The blood thatbinds us is thicker than that water that dividesus.” We have to begin to sit down and reallybegin dialogues with each community andhighlight out commonalities and the strengthsthat we each bring to the discussion. Weshould no longer focus on differences but onhow we are united by blood because justbecause the slave ship stopped in on an islandin the Caribbean or a port in Virginia does notmake those slaves or their ancestors any dif-ferent from each other, than two brothers wholive on the other side of the country. They arestill family. We are still family. My goal is to a hold a Conference on Unity

that will highlight that we are one AfricanPeople and to bring people from across theDiaspora regardless of language or locationand cut through the internal misconceptionsthat plague us and begin to figure out the nextsteps of marshaling our forces and begin toact collectively. Many would say that thiscan’t be done but it can with the right motiva-tion. As Congressman I will work with all thedifference groups in my district to begin tofoster dialogue and lead the effort to ensurethat the Conference on Unity is held. Wehave too much at stake to allow the situationto continue where families are not workingtogether because we haven’t found the way todialogue.

CAW: Well we at Caribbean AmericanWeekly look forward to working with you onthe developing the Conference of Unity; it issomething that is greatly needed. As they sayall politics is local, and locally there has beenan increase of gun violence in theCongressional district particularly in theBlack and Latino areas. If you were electedCongressman, how would you address theissues of erasing gun violence and crime?

Barron: Well, crime is not something thatoccurs in a vacuum, it is a multifold issue thatrequires a comprehensive set of ways to dealwith it. I have worked hard to address the sys-temic issues that led to crime in my Councildistrict and I am proud to say that despite thegeneral spike, crime rates have not risen inEast New York. However, there is a growingconcern about what is happening with the risein the use of guns and I believe that we needto have tougher enforcement on those individ-uals who are selling the guns to our children.Gun traffickers are just a much of a plague toour community as drug traffickers and Ibelieve that we need to develop tougher lawswhen it comes to selling guns across statelines. For all these small time gun dealerswho sell the guns to our young people weneed to have the police identify them andarrest them for illegally selling guns in ourcommunity. You cannot tell me that a youngperson can find out where to buy a gun but thepolice cannot, it just doesn’t seem right to meand I know that unless we hold the policeaccountable for what they haven’t been doingby way of enforcement we will continue tohave this problem.

CAW: Finally, President Obama has putforth Jobs Bill to both the House and Senatethat has not passed, if elected what would youdo to advocate for more Jobs and what moredo you think in needed in the congressionaldistrict by way of resources?

Barron: First, poverty is the key factor in anyrise of the crime rate but we have neveraddressed the issue properly. If elected, I willpush to fight poverty in the country the wayDr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did when heformed the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968to highlight an economic bill of rights thatprioritize helping the poor with a $30 billion($200 billion in 2012) anti-poverty packagethat include a commitment to full employ-ment and more low income housing.

I would be like Dr. King and organizearound eliminating poverty and in my owndistrict I would fight to bring back an anti-poverty package that would then be a modelfor the rest of the county. I would increaseworkforce development because I know itworks. I led an effort in the City Council,when black male unemployment was 50%and secured $20 million dollars from the CityCouncil for a workforce development pro-gram where over 6000 participants wereplaced in jobs and many more were impact-ed with training and career development. As amember of Congress, my impact can be fargreater with more resources and a greatermandate from the people who elect me. I will also seek to build cultural institutions

this has been shown to be an effective weaponin fight the against the oppressive nature ofpoverty and to change how people, particular-ly young people feel about themselves. I willrebuild parks and make them safe havens forchildren the way we did Sonny Carson Parkin my district that once had a very high crimerate. Now crime is negilible. We realized thatif you give a newly renovated place that isclean and well-kept and that has the latestequipment like a new running track and stadi-um lights at night that the community will seeit as a resource. In addition to the parks, Iwould provide each public housing develop-ment with a brand new state of the art com-munity center so that the young people wouldhave something to do and an opportunity to

succeed. Besides just creating new institution we are

providing jobs through the trades and con-struction but also jobs after the buildings arebuilt and the parks are renovated with localpeople staffing the new cultural institutions,the community centers and the parks. Thegoal is not just to stimulate but to provide per-manent opportunities for community resi-dents hit with long term unemployment.I would also implement designated manu-

facturing areas that would operate like a fairtrade zone in the United States that can com-pete with manufacturers who take their busi-nesses to other countries. I would also hitthose manufacturers with tariffs and taxes tocreate a level playing field for U.S. manufac-turers who hire locally. I would continue tosupport Green Jobs as well as workforcedevelopment in the Green tech industry. Thefuture of energy is in wind, solar, geothermaland hydroelectric and so training our youngpeople to begin working on that is critical forthem to begin to change the course of theirlives and to be in line for permanent careersnot just jobs. My goal is to move our young people from

a position of hopelessness to a place of hopeand opportunity: a place where they see theirfuture as something to look forward. Ourissues around crime and violence and despairwill disappear more when our children nolonger feel hopeless but feel empowered bythe institutions that we create in the commu-nity that are looking out for them from dayone. That is what I want to bring if I am elect-ed to Congress: hope and opportunity. l

This interview was conducted by Randall N.Toure, Esq., president of the African-American International Chamber ofCommerce.

Hope & Opportunitycontinued from page 7