Voices Stories by Aleksandra Slabisz
Director of USCIS: We don’t arrest anybody
A New York immigration official held a press briefing for ethnic journalists last week in a bid to reassure immigrants and potential future citizens that they need not fear her organization. The New York district is the largest in the country; 10 percent to 12 percent of all green card and citizenship applications are reviewed here, the official said, and 90 percent to 95 percent of the applications are considered favorably.
Problems with papers from one immigration consultant
Pawel Janaszek, well-known in the Polish community for helping prepare immigration documents, is coming under fire. Although not a lawyer, he has helped individuals with immigration cases. However, an increasing number of his clients have been denied legal status and may be facing deportation.
The Jan Karski US Campaign has kicked off
From the right: Consul General of Poland Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, Rabbi Arthur Schneider, Sigmund Rolat and Alex Storozynski during the inaugural meeting of the campaign for the Jan Karski.
New York without Polish radio
While Polish-language Internet and satellite news broadcasts are replacing more traditional forms of media, the closing of Pomona's Polish Radio New York 910 signals the end of Polish-language radio in the New York region. more>
Republicans, Mr. Pawlenty and the Poles
Tim Pawlenty, who has Polish roots, can awaken Polonia's political ambitions. Most of the Polish organizations do not have a clearly defined goal, but there is hope that the Republican's campaign may inspire them to become more active politically. more>
Poles need to step up in the struggle for US visa waivers
The fight to include Poland in the exclusive club of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) has not met with strong opposition in the US. Poles have supporters on Capitol Hill, but the community needs more of them for the inclusion of Poland into the program. more>
An immigration game of appearances
The Obama Administration suggested that the president's trip to El Paso would be a breakthrough in the battle to repair the dysfunctional immigration system. In fact, it all ended up with rhetoric and gestures, which in no way have changed the future of close to 11 million undocumented immigrants and their families. more>
Don’t separate families
A group of legislators from the House of Representatives has launched a campaign aimed at putting an end to separating immigrant families. Such initiatives can only be applauded. more>
Is this the end of the American dream?
Statistics are frightening. Every eighth house in the United States is standing empty waiting for a buyer. Real estate prices are falling, while the number of people living inside their own four walls has been declining for the past couple of years. Is that the end of the American Dream that promised home ownership? more>
A bit of luck for undocumented immigrants?
Utah's legislature plans to introduce a visitor workers program for undocumented immigrants may be of historical significance. All the more so, since the initiative, which may solve many problems the nation is facing now, has been proposed by Republicans. more>
New York senior centers to be closed
There are 105 out of 256 New York senior centers facing shutting down. If the closings are successfully pushed forward they will affect some 8,000 seniors. more>
Let's give the reform a chance
Americans are pragmatic people. Sooner or later emotions will subside and there will emerge a climate favorable to a comprehensive immigration reform. Solving the problem of millions of people living in the U.S. illegally without any rights cannot be put off indefinitely. more>
Anti-immigrant frustration
The latest report by the German Marshall Fund of the United States confirms what each of us in fact deals with every day: the feeling of frustration regarding the governmental immigration policy. This feeling is shared on both sides of the Atlantic. more>
Minorities left out of city contracts
According to a recent report released by City Comptroller John Liu, only 2.3 percent of more than $17 billion in city contracts has gone to businesses run by minorities and women. more>
A lost dream
The Republicans' opposition to the DREAM Act should not surprise anybody; what astounds, though, is the fact that many Democratic senators and congressmen voted against the bill. more>
Will $25 million be enough for oil spill clean-up in Greenpoint?
Decades after the massive oil spill, ExxonMobil promised to pay for the clean up the polluted Newtown Creek canal in the Polish neighborhood in Brooklyn. The news was both welcomed and questioned. more>
We can already benefit from the health care reform
Jenny Rejeske, director of Health Advocacy at the NYIC, points out that as health care reform goes into effect, it presents an opportunity to include immigrant communities by providing adequate information to understand how health care reform affects them. more>