African Services Committee Update
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Dear friend of ASC,
African Services Committee is at the frontlines of health and human rights justice in providing screening and access to treatment for some of the most devastating diseases, and for rising to battle legal immigration challenges, affecting several generations of immigrants who’ve entered our country.
Thanks to the expanded generosity of a dedicated African Services’ donor, we have received a needed 3- year, $150,000 operating expenses grant,
to match dollar for dollar the contributions of ASC supporters.
Can you help us raise this match, starting today?
Warm regards,
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Kim Nichols
Co-Executive Director
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Immigrants Under Siege:
Matter AB, Family Separation, Travel Ban, & Administrative Closure
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The Trump administration’s abhorrent orders on immigration have placed the immigrant community under siege. The recent
Slate Magazine report
-- indicating that HHS plans to pay for child separation by reallocating money from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and that this process of transferring those HIV/AIDS funds has already begun -- if it holds true, would deepen this already dire state of affairs. Current funding sources are insufficient to meet the crushing need immigration legal service providers are facing, or to provide help to the thousands of New Yorkers now living in daily fear. In this fight, ASC and our Immigrant Community Law Center staff attorneys are representing Blanca, whose domestic violence and gang based-claim for asylum was recently featured in
The New York Times
and
Univision
.
We are pleased to report that two of ASC's attorneys, ASC Immigrant Community Law Center attorney Mauricio Noroña and ASC Staff Attorney Maura Heron have each been awarded a stipend from the
Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC)
to volunteer for a week with legal services organizations, such as
Kino Border Initiative
in Nogales,
Arizona. Mauricio and Maura will provide vital information and counsel to asylum seekers at the border to help ensure their rights are protected. This trans-border work is especially important now that the Trump administration
just issued
new guidance
to turn away far more asylum seekers at the border — potentially thousands before they can plead their case in court. Please consider a
donation
to ASC to help support their efforts and ASC and ICLC's work here in Harlem while our attorneys are away.
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“The threats from her boyfriend came daily, fear having no respite, Blanca said. If she were to leave him, he told her from his jail cell, he would torture her, cut her into pieces and leave her to die. He was a member of the 18th Street gang in Honduras, and they did these sorts of things. She tried to resist. Then he threw her against a wall when she visited him in jail, the police nowhere to be found. When his fellow gang member later raped and impregnated her, and then another threatened to kill her, she finally fled to the United States in 2013.”
- as reported
here
in the
New York Times
recently, ASC's
Immigrant Community Law Center (ICLC)
is representing Blanca, whose domestic violence and gang based-claim for asylum is now in jeopardy because of a decision Attorney General Sessions issued, which strips protection from those who need it most -- asylum seekers.
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Click
here
for the full interview (SPANISH).
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Calling on Mayor to Protect and Invest in Immigrant Communities
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“If one immigrant is denied justice, we all are denied justice. We will not allow that in New York City - the symbol of freedom and liberty for all immigrants. We will fight for the rights of all immigrants.” - ASC’s Policy Advocate
Bakary Tandia
speaking on the steps of City Hall with fellow advocates to call on
Mayor Bill de Blasio
to protect and invest in immigrant communities.
Click
here
to watch ASC's
Bakary Tandia
's speech at City Hall.
Click
here
to read Human Rights Watch OpEd, including quotes from ASC's Supervising Attorney Corina Bogaciu.
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“The United States of America is a Nation built upon the promise of religious liberty. Our Founders honored that core promise by embedding the principle of religious neutrality in the First Amendment. The Court’s decision today fails to safeguard that fundamental principle.” The Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s scathing joint
dissent
of
SCOTUS
Travel Ban decision.
Read more about the decision in NPR
here
.
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Families Belong Together!
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“No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!” ASC advocates out in force at Foley Square on June 30, in a National Day of Action to demand an end to family detention and no Muslim ban.
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ASC & ICLC Mark World Refugee Day with FB Live Immigration Updates
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Click
here
to watch the video in English with ICLC attorney
Jessica Greenberg
and
here
to watch the Spanish language version with ICLC attorney Mauricio
Noroña
. Thanks to
Ronald Bautista
for stopping by our offices in Harlem and leading the great conversation.
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ASC OpEd in TheBody.com
Drastic Impact of Proposed New 'Public Charge' Rule on HIV-Positive Immigrants
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New rules would force eligible immigrants to choose between vital lifesaving services or preserving their path to citizenship.
Click
here
to read the full ASC OpEd featured on TheBody.com.
Photo: ASC Advocacy Director Amanda Lugg.
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ASC's dedicated staff will continue to fight for our clients. We need you to join the fight, too, by
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Entrepreneurship + Innovation from Africa & the Diaspora
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What a spectacular night, spotlighting three trailblazers in entrepreneurism, food, culture, and hospitality from the Continent and the Diaspora with brilliant
Claude Grunitzky
of
TRUEAfrica
moderating the talk. Big thanks to Claude, the magnificent panelists
Chef
Pierre Thiam
of
Yolele Foods
,
Hawa Hassan
of
Basbaas
,
Shimite Obialo
of
ANOKO
, host
Troutman Sanders LLP
and to all who turned out.
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Fourth of July Fundraiser Auction Thanks to ANOKO
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ASC is grateful to panelist
Shimite Obialo
, founder and chief executive officer at
ANOKO
for holding a Fourth of July event, which benefited African Services Committee. Special thanks also goes to the work of artist
John X Black
who live painted a brilliant piece, which was auctioned at the event, with proceeds benefiting ASC.
Thank you!
Photo: John X Black is pictured in front of his July Fourth painting.
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ASC's clients in Ethiopia represent the most marginalized segments of the community, who find it difficult to get medical and social support, particularly integrated support, from larger institutions. ASC Ethiopia has not received expected support from international donors and the health status of Ethiopia remains poor. The population suffers from a huge burden of potentially preventable diseases such as HIV and other infectious diseases; and over 40 percent of the population are living on less one dollar per day. Take a look at two new videos spotlighting African Services Committee's Health and Community Development Centers in
Mek’ele
and
Ziwey
.
ASC Ethiopia
is a true community-based response to community need, and
support
is needed now more than ever to keep our Ethiopia clinics open.
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A look at African Services Committee's Health and Community Development Center in Mek’ele, Ethiopia.
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African Services Committee's Health and Community Development Center in Ziway, Ethiopia.
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ASC’s Queer Black Immigration Project’s Inaugural Pride Celebration
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ASC’s Queer Black Immigration Project’s Pride Celebration story circle and open mic MC Ayodeji. Big thanks to NYC Pride's Pride Gives Back grant funding for making this spectacular inaugural event possible! ASC’s LGBTQ services in
NYC
provide pro-bono legal representation to create a path for LGBT
African
and
Caribbean
immigrants to assert asylum claims.
Click
here
to learn more about ASC's LGBTQ legal services.
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What thunderstorm forecast?! African Services staff, family and friends enjoyed plenty of sunshine -- joining tens of thousands of fellow walkers to take part in AIDS Walk New York 2018.
ASC dedicated the walk to help fund our ASC's programs in Ethiopia and Harlem.
We are very thankful to all who donated and walked this year!
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ASC bids a fond farewell to brilliant volunteers Pro Bono Scholar Sarah (left) and attorney Erin who assisted ASC legal and ASC’s
Immigrant Community Law Center - ICLC
. Thank you for all your hard work!
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