In other local immigration news…
Marvin Reyes Ventura has been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since 2019. He spent most of his time in Essex County Jail in New Jersey. But in December 2020, he was transferred to Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade County in Florida, which is hundreds of miles away from his family. Reyes Ventura didn’t have an easy life in El Salvador and moved to New Jersey, where he fell into alcohol abuse and encountered law enforcement — something he now deeply regrets. “The U.S. immigration system is embedded in the criminal legal system, which disproportionately targets Black, brown, Indigenous or working-class immigrants,” Reyes Ventura said. “This joint system is unforgiving.” NJ.com [Opinion]
Hundreds Turned to Street Vending After Losing Their Jobs. Now, They Face $1,000 Fines
📍 Documented Original
Lucio lost his job at a Chinese buffet restaurant in the Bronx due to the pandemic after working there for eight years. He was desperate to work, and decided to go into street vending by opening a Bronx taco stand. But last month, he was fined $2,050 by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for unlicensed food vending. This is Lucio’s first time being penalized for operating without a vending permit, even though he has been working in the same location for over a year. In order to obtain a license, vendors must attend a food protection course, which is only available online and in English. Read more at Documented.
Jamaican-Born Nurse Celebrated at New York Parade
New York’s Canyon of Heroes parade last week celebrated the city’s essential workers who fought the pandemic for over a year. Jamaican-born nurse Sandra Lindsay was the parade’s guest of honor and grand marshal. She’s a nurse in Queens and was given the first COVID-19 vaccine in December. “Fifteen months ago, we were in a much different place but thanks to the heroic efforts of so many – health care workers, first responders, frontline workers, the people who fed us, the people who put their lives on the line, we can’t thank them enough,” Lindsay said. She was recently honored by President Joe Biden with the “Outstanding American by Choice” award from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Caribbean National Weekly Network
