Nov. 15: Medgar Evers College Hosts Immigration Town Hall

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Trump. His so-called compassion for DACA beneficiaries clearly wasn’t true. Now TPS is targeted

Medgar Ever College’s Center for Law and Social Justice is hosting a town hall on immigration concerns from 6:30 -8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15 in the Edison O. Jackson Auditorium at 1638 Bedford Ave.

The community-wide meeting is intended to provide information at a time when many undocumented people face the fear of deportation. The forum is free and open to the public, with doors opening at 6 p.m.

Thousands of people across the country, including MEC students and Central Brooklyn residents, are threatened by changes in a Homeland Security Program. The Temporary Protective Status (TPS) program allows people from countries affected by violence, epidemics, environmental disasters or other unusual temporary conditions to live in the U.S. without facing forced removal. The designation is always temporary but nationals under TPS are eligible for employment and may be granted travel authorizations.

The town hall will provide information about support services available for those enrolled in TPS, raise awareness about changes to the TPS designations, and allow the community an opportunity to find ways to get involved. Other issues of concern to immigrants will also be discussed.

The event is co-sponsored by MEC CUNY Citizenship Now! (718-270-6292); Moms Rising/Mamas Con Poder; Black Alliance for Just Immigration; UndocuBlack; and TheRoot.com.

The countries covered by TPS designations are: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

But the TPS status for Nicaragua nationals was terminated on November 6, 2017 and they have until January 2019 to leave the country. The designation for Haitian nationals was extended only until Jan. 22, 2018. Hondurans have until July 5, 2018.

The New York Times recently reported that the White House attempted to pressure the Homeland Security Department to end the program, which enrolls about 300,000 people.

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