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Haitian Immigrant Detainee Claims Retaliation for Speaking to the Press

A Haitian Immigrant at the Essex County Correctional Facility said corrections officers put him in solitary confinement after talking to WNYC

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A Haitian immigrant held in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement jail says he’s being retaliated against after speaking up about poor medical care at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, New Jersey. Ernest Francois was among over a dozen detainees who contacted WNYC to claim they were neglected by the medical staff of the jail. After the story aired, a corrections officer called him a snitch, he said. Francois was sent to solitary confinement for an incident he said was fabricated. Later, Francois said, an officer pushed him so hard he injured his head. The warden of the jail said they would conduct an investigation based on the allegations. Gothamist

In other local immigration news…

Evictions Halted, but Housing Court Hearings Continue

State courts have continued a freeze on residential evictions until October 1, but some tenants are still at risk of becoming homeless. Cases filed in Housing Court before March 17 will proceed as planned, with a ban on final warrants of eviction. People who have been taken to housing court before that date could be the first New Yorkers who are evicted once the moratorium expires. There are 200,000 pending eviction cases in the city that were filed before March 17. The City

“That’s Very Unfortunate,” De Blasio Tells a Chinatown Worker Whose Business is Suffering

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was strolling through Chinatown wearing a blue surgical mask when he was stopped by Patrick Mock, the 26-year-old manager of 46 Mott Bakery. Mock told de Blasio about the struggles of Chinatown businesses, which were hurting from xenophobic perceptions of coronavirus long before the city officially shut down. “He was there to do a photo op, they’re trying to promote outdoor dining in Chinatown,” Mock said. “But photos are cheap right now. We need help in our community.” De Blasio listened to Mock and said “That’s very unfortunate,” while turning away. “Me explaining it to him and him walking away, it just shows, like — maybe he knows there’s a problem, but there’s nothing he wants to do or say to give us a confidence boost,” Mock said. Gothamist


Asian American Developers Drive Gentrification in Flushing

Over the past few years, the character of Flushing, Queens, has changed. Residents say the traffic has gotten worse, favorite restaurants have shuttered because of COVID and everything has gotten more expensive. This has only been made worse because a development consortium called FWRA LLC has aggressively developed the Flushing waterfront with luxury housing. Chinese real estate investors are financing the developments because they see the area as a good place for their kids to live while studying in the U.S. These new buildings are attracting expensive restaurants as well, which is pushing long-term businesses and residents away. The Guardian

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