On November 15th,
Mayor Catherine E. Pugh announced the grantees for the Safe City Baltimore
Immigrant Defense Fund. Established by
MIMA and Open Society-Baltimore, the initiative seeks to educate immigrant
communities about their rights and to provide legal counsel for individuals
with viable claims to remain in the United States and immigrants facing
deportation proceedings.
The Safe City Baltimore initiative is funded
by Baltimore City, OSI-Baltimore, the Vera Institute of Justice, the
Annie E. Casey Foundation, and more than 60 other foundations and individuals. Baltimore
City and OSI-Baltimore will disburse the funds to established non-profit
organizations providing immigration legal services, as follows:
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Catholic
Charities Esperanza Center will provide immigrants legal consultations
about their rights, legal representation to access available remedies, and
family safety planning.
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Pro
Bono Resource Center of Maryland will provide consultations and referral
services at the Baltimore Immigration Court and recruit, train, and
coordinate pro bono attorneys.
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The
University of Maryland Carey School of Law Immigration Clinic will provide
representation in immigration bond hearings and develop a statewide
immigrant legal defense fund.
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Capital
Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition will provide legal representation
to immigrants facing deportation hearings.
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Combined, the Safe City Baltimore initiative will assist approximately
900 people at various stages in their immigration process. The initiative will not only provide families
access to due process and fair representation, but will also disrupt the ripple
effects of deportation in our communities and the city’s economy. |
Check out this month’s topic, Safe City Baltimore
No te pierdas el tema de
este mes, Proyecto:
Baltimore Ciudad Segura
 Following Hurricane Maria, many of our residents
organized efforts to assist our neighbors in Puerto Rico. Among them, Baltimore
business owner Elda Devarie galvanized efforts to bring donations to the island
following the disaster. Elda’s resilience and commitment to her beloved Puerto
Rico has resulted in the delivery of 320,000 pounds of supplies for those in
need so far.
Elda’s next project is to deliver 1,500 boxes of
non-perishable products to feed a family of 8 in rural areas of Puerto Rico for
Christmas. Bags of Love for Puerto Rico seeks to bring hope and relief for
families during the holidays. For information regarding this cause, please
contact bagsofloveforpuertorico@gmail.com or 301
322-4503 ext. 130
If
you wish to volunteer, Bags of Love for Puerto Rico will be hosting an event on
Saturday, December 2nd from 10am to 2pm at EMD Sales, located
at 2010 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, 21230.
Volunteers can sign up via the following link.
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The International Rescue Committee provides
opportunities for refugees, asylees, victims of human trafficking, survivors of
torture, and other immigrants to thrive in America. In Baltimore, the IRC has a range of
employment services from supporting refugees and immigrants seeking a first job
or a job upgrade. One of their most successful programs is the Baltimore
Refugee Integration, Skills Training and Employment Program (RISE), commonly
known as Baltimore RISE. The mission of Baltimore RISE is to facilitate the
long-term self-sufficiency of refugees through career laddering, job upgrades
and access to ESL training. The RISE team is currently enrolling new clients in
search of a job or job upgrade. To qualify for this program you must have
authorization of employment, and be a refugee, asylee, special immigrant visa
(SIV) holder, victim of trafficking (VOT) or other humanitarian migrant within
5 years of date of arrival/immigration status. To learn more about the program,
please contact Huda Muhammed at huda.muhammed@rescue.org
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Smret arrived in the
U.S. in January 2016 from Eritrea. A single mom of two sons, she initially
obtained work at Starbucks in April 2016 with support from the International
Rescue Committee (IRC) in Baltimore. In March 2017, Smret was connected to the
Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs’ RISE program, attended
Food Service training, and obtained a Serve Safe food handling certificate.
Within 1 month of training completion, Simret transitioned to full time work at
Mercy Hospital’s food service department, making $4,000 more annually than her
initial position.
Smret says, “The
training has a lot of information about how to work with people and how to
serve customers.” With regard to her future, Smret says, “Every day there is a
new opportunity at Mercy. It gives me hope that I’ll work my way up. Maybe one
day I will become a nurse.”
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On
November 20, 2017 Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke announced the
decision to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for
Haitians living in the United States. There are an estimated 60,000 Haitians impacted
by this announcement, who have been living in the U.S. since the 2010 earthquake
in Haiti. According to Acting Secretary Duke, the “extraordinary but temporary
conditions caused by the 2010 no longer exist. Thus under the applicable statute,
the current TPS designation must be terminated.”
The
termination will go into effect on July 22, 2019 providing “18 months to allow
for an orderly transition before the designation terminates.” Haiti is the
third nation to have its citizens stripped of their protective status in recent
months, preceded by Nicaragua and Sudan. More information
TPS
holders from Haiti should seek legal advice from licensed attorneys or legal
service providers as soon as possible. Check out MIMA’s Welcome Guide for Information regarding Legal Services or via AILA’s Immigration Lawyer Search
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Crossing
Borders: Mexican Modernist Prints and Drawings
December
1 (2pm – 3pm)
The
Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive
Explore the exhibition Crossing Borders: Mexican Modernist
Prints and Drawings with Senior Curator Rena Hoisington. The exhibit is
free. More
information
Kwanzaa
Family Day
December
2 (12pm – 3pm)
Creative
Alliance, 3134 Eastern Avenue
An unforgettable Kwanzaa celebration of African heritage and ancestry. Honor African-American and Pan-African heritage! Vendors include Lilybee who will be selling knitted and crocheted accessories, Africa: East to West who will be selling prints of murals and paintings from artist Pontella Mason, AnnaTeiko Designs, offering exquisite modern attire with an African flare, and Tru Bakes who will provide the famous cake in a jar and other baked goods. The event will feature African music and dance. More information
Baltimore
Sister Cities at WTCI’s Maryland Global Gala
December
6 (3:30pm – 7pm)
Columbus
Center (IMET), 701 East Pratt Street
Maryland
Global Gala is an annual celebration of Maryland’s significant contribution to
the world economy. It brings together our vibrant international business
community to learn, sample food and drinks from Baltimore’s top international
restaurants and breweries, experience multicultural entertainment, and network
with leaders from across Maryland’s international community. The event is
hosted by World Trade Center Institute (WTCI). Baltimore Sister Cities will
have a booth at this event with delicious treats from our sister cities. There
is a fee for this event. More information
“The Sultan and the Saint”
Film
December 6 (8pm – 9:30pm)
Church of the Nativity and
Holy Comforter, 6112 York Road
The
Sultan and the Saint tells one of the great, lost stories from history.
Set in a past period of East-West conflict, it speaks with urgency to our
present. Two men of faith, one an itinerant Christian preacher, the other the
ruler of a Muslim Empire, bucked a century of war, distrust, and insidious
propaganda in a search for mutual respect and common ground. This event is
brought to you by the Baltimore Luxor Alexandria (Egypt) Sister City Committee
and the Church of Nativity and Holy Comforter.
Monument Lighting
December 7, 2017 (5pm-8pm)
Mount Vernon Place
Kick
off the season at the region's longest running holiday tradition with 15,000 of
your friends and neighbors. The 46th annual Downtown Partnership Monument Lighting
will feature a holiday village, live performances and a spectacular fireworks
display and light show. More Information
Consultas
de Inmigración Gratuitas
Diciembre
9
Esperanza
Center, 430 S Broadway
Reúnase con un abogado voluntario y revise sus opciones
de alivio de inmigración y aprenda qué hacer después. Para participar se tiene
que registrar en línea. Más información | Free
Immigration Consults. Meet
with a volunteer attorney to review your options for immigration relief and
learn what to do next. You must register online. More information
Walk-in Family
Tour: Arts of Asia
December 16 – 17
(11:30am – 3pm)
The Walters Art
Museum, 600 N. Charles Street
One
of the most exceptional collections of Asian art in North
America takes center stage on Sunday, October 1, when the Walters Art Museum
opens its new installation Arts of Asia. The dramatic display offers a rich
exploration of artistic traditions from diverse cultures and regions across
India, Nepal, Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia. The
stunning array of more than 150 works spanning 2,000 years includes 30 objects
that have never
Posada: Procession and Fiesta
December 17 (5pm – 9pm)
3134 Eastern Avenue (5pm)
417 S Highland Avenue (5:30pm)
274 S Highland Avenue (5:45pm)
3600 Claremont Street (6pm
– 9pm)
¡Artesanas Mexicanas de Creative Alliance presenta la
POSADA! Candle-lit
street procession from Creative Alliance to Lady of Pompei, followed by fiesta
with piñata breaking for all ages! | Community procession begins at Creative
Alliance with pilgrims María and José. Join us for the walk. We will be
distributing hot chocolate, singing books and candles. Bring musical
instruments such as tambourines, rattles and maracas! |Procesión comunitaria
comienza en Creative Alliance con peregrinos María y José. Acompáñenos
a la caminata. Estaremos repartiendo chocolate caliente, libros de canto y
velas. ¡Traigan
instrumentos musicales como panderos, sonajas y maracas. More information
2017 Charm City
Klezmer Holiday Party
December 17
(7:30pm)
Creative
Alliance, 3134 Eastern Avenue
Learn Yiddish social
dances and be propelled across the floor by a Baltimore band that hits harder
than a hammer, Charm City Klezmer! Led by husband and wife team Judith Geller
and Michael Raitzyk, along with their young kids and a powerful stable of
Baltimore musicians, Charm City Klezmer warmly hosts this lovely, authentic
Creative Alliance tradition of not-so-traditional klezmer music with roots in
Jewish East European culture. The band is kicking and the dance floor is
open. More information
Exhibition
& Collection Tour
December
27 (2pm – 3pm)
Baltimore
Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive
Discover
highlights of the Asian Art collection in this free guided tour with a BMA
educator. More
Information
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Mayor's Office of Immigrant & Multicultural Affairs
100 N. Holliday Street, Room 250
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-396-8056
mima@baltimorecity.gov
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