"U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi conducted a rare "filibuster" speaking for more than seven hours in Congress on Wednesday to try to force Republicans to bring up an immigration bill in the chamber...
She said,"There's nothing partisan or political about protecting Dreamers," Pelosi said, using the term commonly applied to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children. "If a Dream Act were brought to the floor, it would pass immediately, with strong bipartisan support." She cited polling that showed 84 percent of Americans support a path to citizenship for the Dreamers.
"I commend my Republican colleagues for their courage in speaking out on this, yet our Dreamers hang in limbo with a cruel cloud of fear and uncertainty above them. The Republican moral cowardice must end," she continued, referring to Republican leadership's reluctance to bring a bill to the floor. (read more)"
Today we are not going to talk about any one president. We will instead talk about the presidency itself -- what some people call “the office of the presidency.” (read more) Read, listen and watch
February Town Hall with US Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) Feb 4, 2018 4:00 to 5:30 PM · Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA annotated Tweets posted by @uscitizenpod
Teacher Jennifer says: Here are my annotated tweets from today's town hall meeting with our US Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17). If you have the opportunity, please attend a Congressional Town Hall. AWESOME!
Q2 Dem response #NunesMemo? RK: GOP has forgotten how to be conservative. Dems support US institutions / #lawenforcement #RoKhanna
@RoKhanna tweeted Feb 4, 2018 "The Nunes memo is an assault on our founding. Madison said that the “preservation of liberty” requires that the executive and congressional powers be “separate and distinct.” Montesquieu warned that “there can be no liberty where the executive and legislative powers are united.”
Q5 Climate Change? RK: Head of EPA thinks the air is too clean. However the #ClimateChange caucus is growing. Carbon offset. #RoKhanna
@RoKhanna tweeted 9:47 AM - 26 Sep 2017 Climate Change isn’t just a moral question but a collective issue for our nation. We need bipartisan efforts to find real solutions now.
Q6 HR2925 Medicare and wigs. RK: He will cosponsor #HR2925 #RoKhanna
Q8 Uprising in #Iran #HR188. RK: Will review this res. We support #humanrights but can't use it as an excuse for regime change #RoKhanna
@RoKhanna tweeted 1:19 PM - 6 Jan 2018 Iran’s treatment of protesters who are speaking out for a better life is completely unacceptable. Every person has the right to protest, and the government should listen to their demands instead of cracking down on their dissent.
Q8 #H4visa? RK: I support #H4 holders right to work. #RoKhanna
Follow @h4visaacurse H4 VISA, A CURSE Advocacy platform to highlight the issues faced by dependents on H4 Visa.
Q9 #education #financialaid for #middlecollege #students. RK: we must support financial relief / #debtfree #AdultEdu #PostHighSchool #edu
Connect with @IndivisibleTeam: Former congressional staffers reveal best practices for making Congress listen. We're not the leaders of this movement. You are.
@swingleft helps you find and commit to supporting #progressives in your closest Swing District so that you can help ensure we take back the House in 2018. https://swingleft.org/ #Crooked7 @crookedmedia @PodSaveAmerica #takebackthehouse
@RoKhanna tweeted 1:09 PM - 31 Jan 2018 There is only one person who was responsible for the shutdown and that is @SpeakerRyan. 34 Republicans in the House want to vote for DREAMers and most Americans are in support. This should be a no-brainer. If Ryan gave us a vote in the House, this crisis would be over.
Our Citizenship interview with Tam Thi To Nguyen. Sign up for our newsletter and download our free pdf Mix-and-Match U.S. Citizenship Interviews and Quizzes http://eepurl.com/c30oVz
During the month of February, US Citizenship Podcast explores the connection between the USCIS History and Civics questions and African American History. Let's get started!
Citizenship Interview and Civics Quizzes:
15 USCIS Civics Questions in Honor of African-American History Month. (mp3) (pdf)
Citizenship Resources for Martin Luther King Jr Day (post)
14 questions in Honor of Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr mp3 and pdf (2017)
One year ago, President Trump signed an executive order that would become among his most controversial and legally tested decisions to date: a ban restricting travel for foreign nationals from a group of Muslim-majority countries in the name of national security. VOA spoke with members of diaspora communities from countries on the revised list, where lives and livelihoods have been affected. Ramon Taylor reports from New York.
Originally published at - https://www.voanews.com/a/people-from-travel-ban-affected-countries-reflect-one-year-later/4225860.html
President Trump’s immigration framework proposing a pathway to citizenship for almost 2 million undocumented immigrants faces a tough road ahead on Capitol Hill. A week after an impasse over immigration policy briefly shut down the U.S. government - and with only a few working days left before another possible shutdown - congressional leaders of both parties are running out of time to make a deal. VOA’s House correspondent Katherine Gypson has more.
Originally published at - https://www.voanews.com/a/4230828.html
This listening activity has commands that you may hear during the naturalization interview. Download the self-study flash cards to practice on your own.
People can create a variety of practice interviews by pairing an interview with a quiz, then making double-sided copies. You can see examples of these interviews on our YouTube channel.
This week, I am joined by my fellow citizenship teacher, Miguel Flores from Cutler-Orosi Adult School. We finally met in person at the CASAS EL Civics Conference in Ceres. Between workshop sessions we sat down and did a quick practice interview based on the Mix-and-Match Citizenship Interview Series B Practice 2 paired with a multiple choice civics quiz on USCIS 1-12 questions.
After the interview, I talk a bit with Miguel Flores about his citizenship class in Cutler-Orosi,which is in the heart of California. these I will talk a bit more about the CASAS EL Civics project and my sponsor OTAN: Outreach and Technical Assistance Network. You can see my workshop presentations Citizenship class 101: 10 Tips for a New Citizenship Teacher and "Tech Up Your Citizenship Class" on uscitizenpod.com's blog post for Jan 26, 2018
CASAS is a nonprofit organization that provides assessments of basic skills for youth and adults to target instruction.
The English Literacy and Civics (EL Civics) is funded under the The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). The purpose of the EL Civics program is to support projects that demonstrate effective practices in providing, and increasing access to, English Literacy programs linked to civics education.
Congress has reserved this funding for "integrated English literacy and civics education services to immigrants and other limited English proficient populations." According to Congress, to effectively participate in education, work, and civic opportunities in this country, immigrants and other limited English proficient persons must not only master English, but be able to understand and navigate governmental, educational, workplace systems and key institutions, such as banking and health care.
To that end, CASAS hosts EL Civics Conference, in Northern, Central, and southern California so that teachers can share best practices as related to their EL Civics programs.
OTAN's mission is to lead California adult education in the integration of technology into the educational process, ultimately empowering learners to meet their academic, employment and civic goals.
On a much more personal note: Working in Silicon Valley IT departments for over 20 years well prepared me to work with immigrants with varying degres of English fluency, but did not prepare me to use tech in the adult education classroom. By participating in OTAN training sessions, I learned how adapt technology to empower adult students and their teachers to acquire new language, work, and life skills. Thanks OTAN folk for every thing.
Teachers--if you get the chance, attend OTAN's Technology and Distance Learning Symposium March 9–10, 2018 in Napa, CA. You'll pick up some cool, new tech tips, and meet some even cooler techie teachers.
Edel Pontes USA: US Citizenship Oath Ceremony - January 19, 2018 This video is my appreciation to this country. US Citizenship Oath Ceremony - January 19, 2018 in Oakland Park, Florida. God Bless America. Gratitude is the energy of LOVE. For more information: www.edelpontes.com
The Trump administration on Thursday sent a one-page framework to Republicans in Congress addressing immigration questions that have divided Congress and the American people. Mike O'Sullivan reports that, with critics on both sides, the administration's proposals face an uphill battle.
Originally published at - https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-immigration-proposals-face-uphill-battle/4227518.html
The U.S. government is open again, but the fate of about 800,000 young undocumented immigrants at the center of the three-day shutdown remains uncertain. A number of lawmakers had promised to protect them after President Trump ended DACA in September, an Obama administration policy that allowed them to live and study or work in the country legally. Esha Sarai reports that DACA recipients, who some call "Dreamers," are bitterly disappointed.
Originally published at - https://www.voanews.com/a/4221560.html
VOANews: Immigration Promise Breaks Congressional Deadlock, Reopens Government A partial U.S. government shutdown ended Monday with Senate Democrats providing enough votes to restart federal funding for the next few weeks in return for a promise by the Republican leadership to bring an immigration bill up for a vote by February 8. VOA House correspondent Katherine Gypson looks at how the brief shutdown sets up an even tougher fight ahead on Capitol Hill. Originally published at - https://www.voanews.com/a/4219865.html
Senator Mitch McConnell promised to bring a vote on immigration reform to the floor by Feb. 8. Democrats are selling that pledge as a win. But is it?
If you have an opinion about the budget, immigration, DACA, or any other topic, you can contact your representative by phone or email via Senate.govor House.gov. Frequently, the website will ask about yourZip + 4, which is your zip code plus your route number, which you can find by following the link to USPS.com and entering your street address You can also write or call the President https://www.whitehouse.gov/get-involved/write-or-call/ The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 202-456-1111
The United States Congress has voted to reopen the federal government three days into a partial shutdown. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the temporary funding bill soon.
Late Monday, members of the House of Representatives voted for the bill approved earlier in the day in the Senate.
The bill permits spending for government operations through February 8. (READ MORE)
CAPITOL HILL — "The U.S. Congress has voted to reopen the federal government three days a into a partial shutdown that was triggered in part by a partisan brawl over immigration. President Donald Trump was standing by to sign the stop-gap funding bill.
Late Monday, members of the House of Representatives voteD to approve the the bill approved earlier in the day in the Senate." (READ MORE)
uscitizenpod: USCIS and the Government Shutdown In this episode, we talk about USCIS, the Government shutdown, and how to contact your federal government representatives.
The Government Shutdown does not affect Citizenship services.
The USCIS will continue to process USCIS Form N-400 Applications for Naturalization and interview applicants for U.S. Citizenship.
However, several USCIS programs will either expire or suspend operations, or be otherwise affected, until they receive appropriated funds or are reauthorized by Congress. These include:
1. EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program. The EB-5 visa allows eligible Immigrant Investors to become lawful permanent residents by investing at least $1,000,000 to finance a business in the United States that will employ at least 10 American workers
2. E-Verify. This free internet-based system allows businesses to check the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.
3. Conrad 30 J-1 doctors. This program allows J-1 doctors to apply for a waiver of the two-year residence requirement after completing the J-1 exchange visitor program.
4. Non-Minister Religious Workers. This special immigrant category allows non-minister religious workers to immigrate or adjust status in the United States.
DACA is Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This is an American immigration policy that allows some individuals who entered the country as minors, to live, work, and go to school in the United States with out fear of deportation.
Last September, the Trump administration tried to end the DACA program. In January 2018, a federal judge said that USCIS must continue to renew DACA applications.
Further note: The government shutdown occurred in part because the Democrats are demanding a congressional vote on an immigration reform package which includes path towards citizenship for DACA recipients. In response, the Republicans are demanding more money for national security which includes a wall along the US-Mexico border.
The Democrats and Republicans are still meeting about the budget which will include funding for CHIP--The Children's Health Insurance Program and disaster relief for areas such as Puerto Rico. Please watch the news for updates.
If you have an opinion about the budget, immigration, DACA, CHIP, disaster relief, or any other topic, you can contact your representative by phone or email via Senate.govor House.gov.
Frequently, the website will ask about yourZip + 4, which is your zip code plus your route number, which you can find by following the link to USPS.com and entering your street address
Leave a simple message such as: "I support DACA" or "I support CHIP."
Or you can exercise your right to peaceable assembly by marching with thousands of women across America this weekend and in the months to come.
A special thanks goes out to USCIS SF Community Relations Officer Lucee Rosemarie Fan. Every single day, Officer Fan and her fellow USCIS officers, help new US citizens achieve their American Dream. Officer Fan--good luck on your retirement!
Order "US Citizenship Bootcamp: Exercises and Quizzes to Pass the Naturalization Interview" by Jennifer Gagliardi, http://eslpublishing.com/ and amazon.com
