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The New York City Council voted to adopt legislation that would provide immigration relief for undocumented immigrant families of frontline workers who died of COVID-19. Councilor Francisco Moya, who introduced this resolution, represents East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Corona — the “epicenter of the epicenter” during the pandemic’s early days. In Moya’s district, immigrant communities have dealt with an excessive death toll, food insecurity, and a lack of city and state support the unemployed. Over 47 percent of hospital medical staff and more than 79 percent of home healthcare aides are foreign-born throughout the five boroughs, according to the Mayor’s Office of Immigration Affairs. QNS
In other local immigration news…
New York’s Eviction Moratorium Ended. Here’s What to Do Now.
📍 Documented Original New York’s Emergency Eviction Act, a statewide eviction pause enacted to close to all eviction proceedings for 60 days, ended Friday, Feb. 26. Pending eviction cases can begin moving forward again in court unless a tenant submits a hardship declaration form to either the court or the landlord. Any tenants facing eviction who have not filled out the hardship declaration should expect to start hearing from the courts, as landlords could start new cases against tenants behind on rent. According to the Office of Court Administration, 6,817 people in New York State have filed hardship declarations. Over 5,000 people were facing eviction cases and about 1,000 filed to prevent cases that were not started yet. Even though the Emergency Eviction Act ended, you can still submit a form until May 1. Read more at Documented.
Restaurants and Workers Fight Delivery Apps
When the pandemic began, many restaurants started using Grubhub, DoorDash and other third-party delivery apps to help save their businesses. But because these apps charged commission, they’ve also hurt the restaurants and the immigrants who work for them along the way. Many low-income immigrants and people of color work for these delivery apps, including Lucina Villano, a 31-year-old Mexican immigrant who began delivering for DoorDash and Relay because she has a young child and wanted flexible hours. But that work got harder during the pandemic since she is not allowed to use restrooms and take breaks in the cold, Villano described. Gothamist
Activists Petition Kean University to Cut Off Detention Center Operators
Immigrant rights activists gathered in front of Kean University in Union, New Jersey, to deliver a petition with close to 1,400 signatures to President Lamont Repollet. They demanded the removal of Anne Estabrook and Dave Gibbons from the university’s board. Estabrook and Gibbsons are owners of the Elberon Development Group, which leased the Elizabeth Detention Center and is in partnership with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement through CoreCivic. Detainees have reported unsafe and unsanitary conditions inside the jail, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Insider NJ
