Adams, Brooklyn, Queens leaders offer workshops for immigrants

July 18, 2018 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams says “Our diversity is our strength, and we grow even stronger by supporting our immigrant neighbors who are making their way through the citizenship process and need a helping hand.” Photo courtesy of Eric Adams’ office

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In the wake of a shocking incident in which a Muslim woman was verbally harassed by a fellow passenger on an S53 bus traveling from Bay Ridge to Staten Island, an attack that was captured on video, elected officials and immigration rights advocates in Brooklyn and Queens are planning to hold workshops and forums to assist immigrants.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who led a symbolic unity ride on the S53 bus on July 15 to combat hatred, will host his annual Citizenship Drive on Saturday, July 21, at Borough Hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On Saturday, July 28, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest will team up Catholic Migration Services, the Center for Immigrant Education and Training at LaGuardia Community College, law firms and volunteers from Goldman Sachs to hold a naturalization workshop at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City.

The July 28 workshop is designed to offer information and guidance to green card holders seeking to become U.S. citizens, according to organizers, who said lawyers and trained volunteers will assist them in filling out naturalization applications and help them understand their legal rights.

The forum will take place in the E Atrium at LaGuardia Community College, 31-10 Thompson Ave., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The immigration workshops are taking place after an incident on an S53 bus on July 11 that shocked New Yorkers.

A woman who identified herself as Ashley is seen on a video verbally attacking a woman wearing a headscarf. In the video, “Ashley” can be heard taunting the woman, telling her that Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] is coming to arrest her. “Immigration at the door. Oh wait, is that ICE? Oh mama, they here for you,” Ashley is heard shouting.

It’s not clear if the victim is an immigrant.

In response to the S53 incident, Adams led a group of elected officials and Arab-American groups on a symbolic unity ride on the S53 on July 15 to send the message that hatred has no place in New York.

Adams said his Citizenship Drive is a good place to learn about immigration rights.

“Brooklyn is home to everyone from everywhere, and we’re proud of that. Our diversity is our strength, and we grow even stronger by supporting our immigrant neighbors who are making their way through the citizenship process and need a helping hand. I thank our partners in the legal community, as well as our incredible network of community advocates, who are coming together to make this drive possible at such an important moment in our history,” Adams said.

Adams is working with Dominicanos USA, a Dominican-American organization, to put together the workshop.

The Citizenship Drive also includes input from the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP); Carnegie Corporation of New York; Citizenshipworks; Coalition of Latin American Consuls in New York; Gay Men’s Health Crisis; the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs; Make the Road New York; New Americans Campaign and other groups.

“Assisting Brooklyn residents with the naturalization process enables more people to have access to rights and economic opportunities afforded by American citizenship, providing family stability and ensuring our diversity as a nation continues to enrich us all,” said Heidi Lee Henderson, executive director of the Brooklyn Bar Association VLP.

Anyone planning to attend the Citizenship Drive should bring a green card, passport, the most recent federal tax return, a marriage certificate and/or divorce papers and any certified court dispositions. Registration is required to take part in the event.

Spanish-speaking interpreters will be available.

For more information, visit: www.brooklyn-usa.org/citizenship or call 718-665-1920.

To learn more about the workshop in Queens, call 212-225-4400 before July 28.