March 15, 2024 | Vol. 53, Issue 5

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

immigration

Public Charge Rule ends, more people should apply for public benefits

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) By Alex Milvae, Equal Justice Works Fellow Attorney The Biden Administration has ended the Trump Administration’s Public Charge Rule. This change means that everyone who is eligible should apply for public benefits. Because the Trump Administration’s Public Charge Rule made getting a green card harder for people who needed public benefits, many immigrants were afraid to apply.  For many people, public benefits are necessary to daily survival. Benefits have become even more important during the pandemic. In the past […]

Immigration ban on H/J/L visas expired as of March 31, 2021

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) On March 31, 2021, the immigration ban on entry for H, J, and L visas officially expired. The Trump administration’s ‘nonimmigrant proclamation’ began on June 24, 2020 and was originally meant to expire on Dec. 31, 2020. However, right before leaving office, former president Trump extended the ban on entry and visa processes until the end of March. President Biden did not extend it further and allowed it to expire.  According to Fragomen, a legal firm dedicated to immigration […]

Business and university leaders speak immigration reform and economic recovery during New England Immigrant Business Summit

Following the White House’s announcement of a sweeping bill that would overhaul the current immigration system for millions, a broad coalition of New England businesses, higher education and political leaders gathered to discuss the advancement of immigration reform measures on Friday, Feb. 19.  Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow and Exelon Chairman Emeritus John Rowe were among the dozens of speakers to attend the New England Business Immigration Summit. The event, cohosted by the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, aimed […]

USCIS cancels 2020 changes: Naturalization Civics Test reverts back to 2008 version

On February 22, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will cancel the changes made to the Naturalization Civics Test from December 2020 and revert back to the 2008 version of the Civics Test. This is part of President Biden’s executive order on  “Restoring Faith in our Legal Immigration Systems.” The Civics Test is an oral exam that takes place at the end of the naturalization process. According to the USCIS website, there are a total of […]

president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden sworn in on inauguration day

Advocates cautiously optimistic about Biden’s immigration policies

City representatives and advocates have said that president Joe Biden’s newest immigration policies have brought them hope, but that there is still skepticism in the community. While Biden’s sweeping reforms have appeared bold, it will likely take time for the former Trump administration’s actions to be reversed.  One of Biden’s first steps was to sign a memorandum on January 20 that ordered the attorney general and the secretary of Homeland Security to preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood […]

H1-B workers apply for visa

H1-B workers on 4 years of Trump and new administration change

As the Biden administration works to reverse Donald Trump’s immigration policies, H1-B workers reflect on their experiences during the last four years and share hopes for the changes in store and their future in the country.  From the start of his term, the Trump administration has tightened up on the skilled worker visa program, framing changes under the guise of protecting American jobs. In 2017, the former president called the H1-B program a “theft of American prosperity” and vowed to […]

Immigrant History Initiative hosts parent workshop on race

By Mandy Sun and Karen Mai On Jan. 22, the Immigrant History Initiative hosted a workshop that addressed how parents, specifically immigrant parents, could talk about Asian American identity and racism with their children. The workshop emerged in light of Asian racism during the pandemic and the language inaccessibility that prevented immigrant families from understanding how this might not only impact their children but how they would handle it. “This sort of space is sorely needed,” says Kathy Lu, one […]

Ralliers came together outside the JFK building to protest against deportations

Advocates respond to potential ban on work permits for immigrants under Orders of Supervision

The Trump administration proposed a new potential rule on November 17 to ban work permits and limit jobs for people who are under Orders of Supervision (OSUP). To be classified as being under OSUP means that a person has been ordered to be deported but is not physically able to return to their country of origin. The rule has not yet gone into practice, but local organizations and groups across the Northeast have united to challenge the ban. Before it […]

Vietnamese actress Chi Nguyen sits at a restaurant with a friend in the show "The Wilds"

Chi Nguyen: “Do what makes your heart flutter”

A story of persistence to inspire positive change. Chi Nguyen is a Vietnamese actress currently based in Melbourne, Australia. In 2017, Nguyen graduated with a Bachelor’s from Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). Her notable works include the first Vietnamese-Australian comedy series Phi and Me (2019), her solo comedy cabaret “Lotus” (winning Best Cabaret in Melbourne’s Fringe Festival in 2019), and playing the recurring role of Jeanette Dao in Amazon Prime’s “The Wilds” (2020). Twenty-four year old Nguyen has wanted […]

Nonprofit leader Eva Millona speaks at a podium to advocate for immigration reform

Local organizations, Mayor’s office, respond to restoration of DACA

On December 4, Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the United States District Court in Brooklyn, New York ordered the Trump administration to restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy to its original state during the Obama administration. Garaufis demanded that as early as December 7, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would have to begin accepting applications again, not just renewals. The fight to have DACA reinstated has been a long one, according to the executive director of the […]

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