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Thousands of schools had to transition to online learning once the pandemic hit, leaving children to learn from home. But for some children, home has become home countries thousands of miles away. In Paterson, New Jersey, 306 out of 5,400 students were logged into class outside of the U.S., deputy superintendent Susana Peron says. It’s unclear just how many children are logging on to class from outside the country. Constantly changing school schedules have been hard on all parents, especially immigrants who are already dealing with a lot of change in their lives. Some families said they sent their children abroad because they had to physically go to work. The New York Times
In other local immigration news…
COVID-19 is Driving Homelessness for New York’s Undocumented Immigrants
📍 Documented Original
Eduardo, an undocumented immigrant, worked at a restaurant for five years but lost his job when the pandemic hit. He didn’t receive government assistance, and was only able to last two months in his apartment before he was forced out. Eduardo is one of about 30 homeless people living on an encampment in a quiet alley in Elmhurst, Queens. Although it’s not illegal to sleep outside, the Department of Health is allowed to conduct cleanups, with a notice, on encampments that pose a threat to a neighborhood. People who walk by sometimes threaten, insult and throw bottles at the people living in the camp. Still, some Elmhurst residents are trying to help these homeless individuals by providing them with supplies. Read more at Documented.
In other local immigration news…
Does the State Budget Rise to the Moment?
📍 Documented Original (This story was co-published with City & State)
It’s been a year since Gertrudes, a street vendor, caught COVID-19, and she still hasn’t escaped the pain from the virus. The undocumented single mother was hospitalized for five days last mid-March. When she came home from the hospital, she threw away her mattress because she feared it still contained COVID-19. Gertrudes and her children have since been sleeping on the floor because she cannot afford a new mattress and owes nearly $10,000 in rent. Like many other undocumented and excluded workers, she hopes an Excluded Workers Fund, included in New York state’s budget, will help alleviate her troubles. Read more at Documented.
