Public Charge Forum Held in Sunset Park to Inform Immigrants of Law and Their Rights
In an effort to set the record straight on a complicated subject, on Tues., Nov. 27, local elected officials mounted a town hall entitled Public Charge: A New threat to Immigrant Families in Sunset Park to help educate residents on the current law, as well as potential changes that could impact immigrants’ rights.
Held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 558 59th Street, the event was sponsored by Councilmember Carlos Menchaca and Congressmember Nydia Velazquez.
Dozens of attendees, predominantly Asians and Hispanics, gathered to educate themselves on the subject, which refers to use of public services by immigrants and its impact on their ability to get a green card or certain types of visas, based on their dependency on specific government programs.
Menchaca, who was slated to be at the event, didn’t attend the forum due to illness, but other officials provided salient information, including Manager of Outreach for Public Benefits at the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) Makdyanet Cedeno, Senior Advisor to Menchaca Cesar Vargas, immigration attorney Damian Vargas, representatives of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, and more.