OpEd: 'Public Charge' Rule Could Be Devastating to HIV-Positive Immigrants

By ASC Advocacy Director Amanda Lugg for TheBody.com

Just when you thought it couldn't get much worse for immigrants, it could get much worse for immigrants.

In late 2017, the Trump administration announced its intention to impose harsher rules for determining when immigrants are considered a "public charge" -- a legal determination that can block an individual's path to permanent residency (i.e., obtaining a green card).

Under U.S. immigration law, a person seeking a green card through a family relationship must show that they "are not likely to become a public charge," which under current law is someone who is unable to support themselves and thus likely to depend on government benefits for income. Historically, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has only excluded applicants based on continuous receipt of cash benefits or long-term institutionalization at government expense, so as not to "inhibit access to non-cash benefits that serve important public interests."

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Entrepreneurship + Innovation from Africa and the Diaspora

What a spectacular night spotlighting three trailblazers in entrepreneurism, food, culture, 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 - Yolele Foods, Hawa Hassan - Basbaas, and Shimite Obialo - ANOKO ART, host Toutman Sanders LLP and to all who turned out.

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New York Times Speaks With ASC's ICLC About DACA Mail Delays

Mauricio Noroña, a lawyer at Immigrant Community Law Center in Manhattan called the 1,900 figure, "astounding." He saw the devastating effects the mail delays had on one of his clients, whom he declined to name, saying she was afraid of repercussions from the government.

Read more: New York Times Speaks With ASC's ICLC About DACA Mail Delays

WNYC & Harper’s Feature ASC’s Work to Help Trafficking Victim

Thank you to WNYC, Harper's Magazine and NPR's Alexandra Starr for revealing the horrors of human trafficking in "Trafficked to Play, Then Forgotten." The story, which reveals how the demand for college basketball talent has led to human trafficking in countries like Nigeria, was also heard on NPR All Things Considered and The Brian Lehrer Show, with the print version "American Hustle: How elite youth basketball exploits African athletes" by Alexandra Starr appearing in Harper's Magazine April edition (click here to read the full story).

African Services' dedicated legal team, led by ASC Supervising Attorney Kate Webster along with ASC staff attorney Jessica Greenberg, worked tirelessly to help secure a bright future for Alley Ene. 

Read more: WNYC & Harper’s Feature ASC’s Work to Help Trafficking Victim