PathWays PA Policy Blog

As we reach the holiday season, we hope you will take some time to reach out to Congress in support of other families in need. Over the past year, we've heard reports of horrific conditions in shelters where unaccompanied children were held. . In August 2019, the government announced they had no plans to give the flu shot at border detention camps - despite the deaths of at least three children from the flu while in custody. In October, we learned that 1500+ additional migrant children were separated at the border in the United States. 207 of the children were under the age of 5. We've now reached a record number of children detained , plus  an over 50% increase in the number of pregnant women detained . Even when they aren't separated from their children, whole families remain in detention , with the Administration currently appealing a decision that would enforce a 20-day time limit on family detentions. This type of long-term detention is shown to lead to stress and...

Over the past year, we've heard reports of horrific conditions in shelters where unaccompanied children were held. . In October, we learned that 1500+ additional migrant children were separated at the border in the United States. 207 of the children were under the age of 5. Now, the AP is reporting that the United States held a record number of migrant children in custody in 2019. According to the AP, "The nearly 70,000 migrant children who were held in government custody this year — up 42 percent in fiscal year 2019 from 2018 — spent more time in shelters and away from their families than in prior years." We must work with Congress now to stop family separations and family detentions, which are leading to immediate and long-term trauma for children . Please take action today to help end this practice. Take Action: Call your Senator and Representative at 202-224-3121 and ask them to stop family separation Use this link from Families Belong Together to contac...

Here's a roundup of current actions you can take to support immigrant and refugee families: Support the GRACE Act: Each fiscal year, the president determines how many refugees can be resettled in the United States. For nearly 40 years, the number of refugees entering our country has exceeded 95,000. In September 2019, the president announced that only 18,000 refugees could enter the country in the next year. Under the Guaranteed Refugee Admission Ceiling Enhancement (GRACE) Act, a minimum ceiling of 95,000 refugees would be set. You can take action on this Act and read more about it via HIAS Pennsylvania , or call Congress and ask them for support at 202-224-3121. Shut Down Berks: The Berks Detention Center continues to operate in Pennsylvania, despite having its license revoked in 2016. The facility has a capacity of 96 people and is reported to be at or near capacity most of the time. Just this week, a family from the UK were detained there and described the conditions as ...

The House and Senate are heading home soon to meet with their constituents - you. If there's something on your mind, now is a great time to set up a meeting to discuss it. If you're not sure how to go about setting up a meeting (or what to do once you're there), check out our information below. Decide what you want to meet about: There's so many issues to discuss right now - things like  immigration  and  paid family leave/the FAMILY Act. .... Think about what matters to you, and do a little research to learn more until you feel comfortable talking about it When you are ready, find your member of Congress here , and then ask to speak with the scheduler to set up a meeting. Here's a sample script: "Hi, my name is _________, and I'd like to speak to the scheduler about setting up a meeting with Rep. _______ during the August recess. I'm very interested in talking to the representative about __________. In most cases, you will need to go to the legi...

The immigrant detention crisis is deepening by the day. Children in migrant detention camps describe their situation as dire . In speaking to attorneys, they say: "I'm so hungry that I have woken up in the night with hunger." - 12 year old boy "We are in a metal cage with 20 other teenagers with babies and young children.... It is very cold." - 16 year old girl "The immigration agents separated me from my father right away. I was very frightened and scared. I cried. I have not seen my father again." - 5 year old boy Last week, the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General released a Management Alert titled: " DHS Needs to Address Dangerous Overcrowding and Prolonged Detention of Children and Adults in the Rio Grande Valley. " It notes "urgent issues that require immediate attention," including serious overcrowding, standing room only conditions (where some adults have been held for over a week), Of the 8,0...

The news coming from our southern borders this past week has been among the worst we've had - and it was already bad . Below is a summary of what we've seen this week: On Tuesday, June 18, the President announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would begin mass deportations on June 23. That process has been "delayed" two weeks to give Congress time to take action, according to a recent tweet. That same day, the government argued in court that they were not required to give soap or toothbrushes to detained children . Meanwhile, lawyers and others who have visited border facilities are reporting inhumane and dangerous conditions. These lawyers say detained children at a border station in Clint, Texas, have had no access to showers, laundry facilities, toothbrushes, or soap . Children at the facility are reportedly caring for each other. One attorney warned of a "pervasive health crisis" where "virtually everyone we saw was ill." ...

The situation for migrant children and families on our borders is worsening. In May, we learned about even more migrant children dying while detained in US custody. According to Families Belong Together, 7 children have now died while in custody or shortly after their release . Adults are also dying in custody, with three adults, including a transgender woman, dying in three days in early June. Multiple sources (including the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General) have detailed overcrowding and poor conditions at detention centers near the border. In El Paso , a processing center designed to hold 125 migrants had a population between 750-900 people. Detainees were observed standing on toilets to gain breathing space and were wearing "soiled clothing for days or weeks." In May, tents were set up to hold detained families in McAllen, Brownsville, and Rio Grande City. Closer to home, families are still being held at the Berks County Detention Center in ...

Family Separation:  We've been talking about it on this blog and throughout the country for months. Back in June 2018, the Administration said they would stop separating families who come to the US border. But in March, the New York Times reported that more than 200 children were removed from their families since the court ordered the practice to end. Parents and children are held in different facilities and even different states. Meanwhile, thousands of children separated from their parents before the court order took place still have not been reunited. Take Action: HIAS has an ongoing list of actions you can take, including contacting your legislators and confronting misinformation about refugees .  Welcoming America , United We Dream, and  MomsRising also have tools that can help. Public Charge : On October 10, the Department of Homeland Security issued a new change to the public charge rule, which looks at how using public benefits affects a person's appl...

On Friday, President Trump signed a national emergency declaration  in order to pay for his proposed border wall. This declaration marks the 58th time a national emergency had been made, with 31 of those emergencies still in effect today . So what happens next? The ACLU already filed a lawsuit challenging the declaration, as did 16 states who say they are harmed by diverting funding to the wall. Congress has the ability to take up a joint resolution to end the emergency declaration, although it is unclear if they have the votes to do so (or to override the expected veto). Besides signing the emergency declaration, President Trump also signed a budget agreement, preventing another shut down.  The budget includes funding for 45,724 immigration detention beds, an increase from the 2018 budget - but 17% fewer people than the 49,057 currently detained. You can read more about the detention space here . Meanwhile, in a February 2019 court filing , the Administration state...

Several items in the news highlight the need to take action for immigrants and refugees this week: Children remain in detention facilities months after the family separation policy ended. 140 children are still detained, including 117 children whose parents were deported without them.    Asylum seekers are waiting weeks for initial interviews and waiting months for determinations about their cases. This wait was cited among the factors leading to the use of tear gas at the US-Mexico border over the weekend. Citizenship wait times have also increased. Take Action : HIAS offers a number of ways to take action: Join a HIAS briefing call on November 28 at 2pm EST for an overview of the current issues facing refugees and asylum seekers, and the ways you can get involved in taking action. RSVP required. Talking points to use with Congress Other action steps are available at  https://www.hias.org/take-action Welcoming America offers a series of actions y...

On Saturday, Pittsburgh became one of the latest sites of gun violence in our country. At the Tree of Life Synagogue, 11 people were killed and 6 people injured  after a shooter opened fire. Online postings that are being attributed to the shooter include rants against refugees, the Jewish community, and the organization HIAS , among others. PathWays PA mourns for all those in Pittsburgh and all those affected by this shooting. We also stand with communities that support refugees, immigrants, and diversity.  Our partner in Pittsburgh, the Women and Girls Foundation , wrote a beautiful letter which we encourage you all to read . They also suggested a number of actions which we've listed below.. Finally, they - and we - encourage you to use your vote to make a difference on November 6. Take Action and Find Resources (from the Women and Girls Foundation and others) If you have immediate needs, contact the Jewish Federation . Family Assistance Center at the JCC Squi...

Updated 11/13/18 - Remember to take action before December 10! New resources below! On October 10, the Department of Homeland Security issued a new change to the public charge rule, which looks at how using public benefits affects a person's application to become a legal permanent resident (LPR) of the US. Essentially, this change means that using public benefits programs could make someone ineligible for legal residency in the country. Under the proposed rule, use of programs such as Medicaid along with other health, nutrition, and housing benefits would now play a factor in residency decisions. Also, DHS could consider someone having lower income (under 125% of the Federal Poverty Level, or $25,975 for a family of three) as a negative factor. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation , nearly 94% of all noncitizens who came to the US without LPR status have at least one "negative factor" under the new guidelines. Between 2.1 million and 4.9 million adults and ch...

It's another action packed week, and we don't want to miss anything that's going on. So here are some short takes on big topics: Families Belong Together: As of September 12, the federal government was housing 12,800 detained migrant children - according to the New York Times , this is the highest number ever recorded. Not only are more children being held, but fewer are being released, and children are now staying in detention for an average of 59 days . Meanwhile, the Administration is continuing to advocate for the long-term detention of children - in this case, with their families. Take Action : Call your members of Congress at 202-224-3121. Here's a sample script: "Hello, my name is ________ and I live in (your zip code). I'm calling to ask you to create a plan to end the detention of immigrant children. Nearly 13,000 children are currently detained." Support organizations like Project LifeLine that work on behalf of immigrant children in det...

Kavanaugh Nomination:   The news is filled with reporting on the Kavanaugh nomination process. You can find more in your own trusted news sources, but we wanted to share this nonpartisan guide on the nomination created by the Campus Election Engagement Project . Please take a look, check out other sources, and make a decision.  Take Action : Once you've formed your opinion, call your Senator at 202-224-3121 to share it. Here's a sample script: "Hello, my name is ________ and I live in (your state). I do/do not support the Supreme Court nominee because __________. I urge you to vote _________ on his nomination." Families Belong Together : Despite a court order for reunification by July 26, nearly 500 children remain separated from their families under the family separation policy. 322 of those children are now in the United States while their parents are outside of the country - in some cases because those parents were deported without their children. Take...

While the Senate chose to skip its usual August recess this year, the House is at home with its constituents - you. Why not take the time to meet with your legislators and tell them what you are thinking about? If you're not sure how to go about setting up a meeting (or what to do once you're there), check out our information below. Decide what you want to meet about: There's so many issues to discuss right now - healthcare ,  DACA , domestic violence and the Violence Against Women Act, paid family leave and the FAMILY Act , payday lending .... Think about what matters to you, and do a little research to learn more until you feel comfortable talking about it. Set up the meeting: Prosperity Now put together a great tool for setting up recess meetings, including a sample email and information on how to contact the scheduler in your legislator's office.  If you're uncomfortable with this format, you can make it simple - find your member of Congress here , a...

With so much happening, here are some short takes on today's news: Families Belong Together : Despite a court order for reunification by July 10, nearly half of the children under 5 remain without their parents. Over 50 children are expected to be reunited today, with others in limbo as lawyers work to clear parents to take custody or to find parents no longer in custody - some of whom have been deported without their children .  Take Action : You can continue to call legislators and support organizations helping families in need. For further information, read our blog post from a few weeks ago.  Shut Down Berks is holding a vigil on Sunday to Shut Down the Berks County Family Detention Center. Check out the link to learn more . SCOTUS : Last night, the President announced his nominee for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh. Judge Kavanaugh currently serves on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Take Action : You can read more about Judge Kavana...

The Senate is expected to take up the Farm Bill this week, with a vote likely tomorrow. S. 3042 protects current SNAP benefit levels and eligibility rather than adding burdensome requirements (including additional work requirements) to the law. At the same time as SNAP is being debated in Congress, rules changes are rumored from the Administration. These changes could mean that immigrants would not be eligible for green cards if they or their children use benefits such as Medicaid, CHIP, or even the ACA marketplace - even though the immigrants in question have entered the country legally and are legally allowed to use the programs. Take Action:  Call your Senators at 202-224-3121 to share your thoughts on S. 3042.  Here's a sample script: "Hello, my name is _________ and I am a constituent of Senator __________. My zip code is __________. I am calling today in support of S. 3042, the Farm Bill, as it is currently written. Please support this bill but do not allow...

Last night, a federal judge in California ordered that children separated from their parents as part of the zero-tolerance immigration policy be reunited with their families within 30 days . Children under five must be reunited even sooner, and all parents must be able to contact their children by phone within ten days. This action is good, but the work of reuniting children and protecting families is far from over. You can find our previous posts on this topic here and here . For the latest on what we can do, see below. Families Belong Together Rally. Rallies will be happening across the country on June 30.  The main rally will be in DC, but you can learn about all rallies at familiesbelongtogether.org. Contact your elected officials . Dial 202-224-3121 to reach any member of Congress. The  American Immigration Lawyers Association  has tools that you can use. Here is a sample script: Hello, my name is _____ and as a constituent, I urge the _____ to use Congress'...

(Updated June 19, 2018) Here are more resources to help you take action against the separation of family members entering the United States (read  our post  from last week for the original information). Thanks especially to  Families Belong Together  for your comprehensive list of information. ** Here's what's happening.  The Guardian   put together a Q and A that you can read  here . According to this article, migrant families crossing the border illegally, even if they are seeking asylum, may now be criminally prosecuted under a new policy put in place this April. If the families come with children, the children are separated from their parents while the parents are held in federal jail. Children then wait to be reunified with their parents or to be sent to relatives or sponsors. According to  The Guardian , this wait can take weeks or months.  News reports  from  this weekend  show some of the facilities for children a...

In the past few weeks, we've learned more about immigration policies in the United States that are separating children from their parents at the border. The  United Nations is calling it a human rights violation  and reports that several hundred children have been separated from their parents since October 2017.  According to the UN, the practice is illegal and needs to stop immediately. Take Action: Contact your member of Congress: The American Immigration Lawyers Association has a call and email script you can use available  here . Sign a letter from the ACLU asking for family separation to stop. Help to end family detention here in Pennsylvania: Learn more from the Shut Down Berks Coalition