Immigration

January 13, 2024 0

Immigration Update 1/12/24

According to government estimates, it takes three to four months for federal immigration authorities to process temporary employment authorization for most legal applicants. Many immigrants in Massachusetts have been waiting much longer. In an article published just before the end of the year, The Boston Globe spoke to a number of immigrants in Massachusetts who applied for work authorization. Some have been waiting six months, others nine. This is despite Massachusetts lawmakers’ attempts to improve waiting times by expanding legal […]

January 12, 2024 0

Chinatown YMCA Supports Migrant Families in Boston

by Tony Le

In the heart of Boston, where the city’s vibrant tapestry is woven with threads of diverse cultures, the migrant situation emerges as a narrative embodying the hopes, struggles, and resilience of those who have journeyed great distances in pursuit of a better life. At the forefront of this story is the Chinatown YMCA’s Migrant Support Program, integral to the city’s response to the challenges faced by migrants. Boston, historically shaped by waves of immigration, witnesses a resurgence of its immigrant […]

December 24, 2023 0

Biweekly Immigration News, 12/22/23: Federal and State Updates

by Jeff Millman

It has been a difficult few months for immigrants in Massachusetts, but there is finally some good news. Lawmakers have approved millions of dollars in funding under a supplemental budget that allows immigrants in the state to access SNAP benefits. The legislation covers residents who are not citizens but are in the immigration process or have legal status. Massachusetts used to provide SNAP benefits to immigrants in the late 90s, but the state halted funding for this aspect of the […]

November 18, 2023 0

Immigration News: Federal and State Updates

by Jeff Millman

As Congress works to avoid yet another government shutdown, immigration funding and legislation have been top of mind. Multiple states, including Massachusetts, have experienced the strain of a lack of funding and emergency shelter space for an unprecedented number of individuals and families traveling to the U.S. from Central and South America, India, China, and other countries. Last week, multiple immigration advocacy groups jointly released a memo demanding that Congress pass “common sense, bipartisan measures” to address the immigration system […]

July 8, 2023 0

Immigrants and Their Stories: A Series of Narratives

by Mary Wong-Sommer

In this series, we interview new immigrants to the US to hear their stories, struggles, and dreams. Here, we speak with Hu Yang (his name has been changed), from China. Hu Yang, from China Hu Yang comes from the city of Tai Shan in Guangdong Province, China. After graduating from college, he began working as an intern at the Bank of China. He remained at the bank for 17 years, rising to the position of Loan Officer Manager. Hu Yang […]

July 8, 2023 0

DIGNIDAD Act: The First Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill Seen in Years

by Daniel Steinberg

With the nation bogged down in partisan, polarized debate surrounding immigration, the DIGNIDAD Act provides the first bipartisan effort at reform effectively transcends party lines with seemingly practical solutions and works to address security, documentation, and humanitarian aid. The system currently faces a backlog of 1.6 million cases and unprecedented humanitarian displacement in Latin America. The situation shows no signs of slowing. The evenly divided Congress could prove a barrier to this bill’s eventual enactment. For now, the results remain very uncertain, […]

June 10, 2023 0

New Immigration Uncertainty with Title 42’s Expiration

by Daniel Steinberg

Title 42 expired last Thursday, May 11th, at 11:59 pm EDT. As new migrants flooded the US-Mexico border following this development, many questions have been raised about Title 42, its provisions, and the consequences its expiration could have nationally and in the greater Boston area. Here is a look at the new immigration legislation developments. What was Title 42? The restrictions known as Title 42 derive their name and authority from Title 42 of a 1944 public health law. […]

April 23, 2023 0

Immigrants and Their Stories: A Series of Narratives

by Mary Wong-Sommer

America has long been known as a country of immigrants. In 1958, Senator John F. Kennedy (who became President in 1961) wrote a book about the USA titled, “A Nation of Immigrants”. Kennedy writes that immigration is important to America and points out “that every American who ever lived, with the exception of one group [Native Americans], was either an immigrant himself or a descendant of immigrants.” The immigrants of today Who are the people who immigrate to America today? Where […]

January 7, 2023 0

Immigrants are Getting the Job Done in America

by Sonia Cavazos

The pandemic has impacted many aspects of the US economy. We are struggling with some huge labor shortages. Studies have clearly identified the lack of immigrant workers as a major drain on the labor force. Immigrants have been contributing significantly to the US long before and since Covid in every field, but they are projected to be even more valuable as U.S. born workers move into retirement ages in the next few years and as other US born workers continue […]

November 21, 2022 0

T-Visa Offers Inadequate Help to Noncitizen Human Trafficking Victims. Advocates Demand More Support and More Protection

by Yiwei Zhao

There are two types of human trafficking: sex trafficking and labor trafficking. When a commercial sex act is forced, obtained by fraud, or coerced, or when the individual is encouraged to do such an act and is under the age of 18, this is called sex trafficking. Labor trafficking is also common with H2A visas (agricultural) and H2B visas (temporary). A victim may not be paid for his or her work or may not be allowed to leave until additional payments […]

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