Immigrants sue US gov't over wait for files to fight deportation
Immigrants accused the US government in a lawsuit Wednesday of failing to promptly give them copies of their own immigration records, hampering their ability to fight deportation and apply for citizenship.
Two immigrants and three attorneys said they are seeking class-action status for thousands of people waiting more than 30 business days to get the documents from the US Department of Homeland Security.
The plaintiffs, who are represented by the American Immigration Council and other immigrant rights advocates, sued in federal court in San Francisco.
Immigrants need the files to review details in their own immigration histories to defend themselves against deportation and apply for asylum, green cards and citizenship, advocates said.
The records, known as immigrants' A-files, contain information about how they came into the country and any immigration benefit applications they have submitted.
The delay "causes unnecessary emotional and financial hardship for individuals left in legal limbo while they wait to obtain the records that hold the key to assessing their immigration options in the United States," the lawsuit said.
A spokesperson for US Citizenship and Immigration Services didn't immediately comment.
The US immigration system is facing massive backlogs in naturalisation applications, asylum filings and the immigration courts. Advocates have decried lengthy waits for citizenship interviews and asylum hearings, and with the lawsuit, they are adding the ability to obtain immigration documents to the list.
The numbers of pending asylum applications and immigration court cases have grown since the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and a rise in children and families arriving on the southwest border, many from Central America.
About 41,000 Freedom of Information Act requests were pending at US Citizenship and Immigration Services in the 2018 fiscal year, the lawsuit said.
Claudia Valenzuela, FOIA staff attorney at the American Immigration Council, said she didn't know how many are from people seeking their own A-files but believes there are thousands.
The average processing time for A-file requests ranges from 55 to 90 days, according to the Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
Cheryl David, an immigration attorney in New York and a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said wait times for A-files aren't new. She said it regularly takes her about eight months to get the documents and they are critical to prepare a case, especially when immigrants have lived in the US for a long time and may have filed applications previously on their own or with other lawyers.
"You don't want to go into an immigration interview blind as to what your client has applied for before or has submitted to immigration if they don't remember," she said.
Source-AP
Public Weather Forecast June 20, 2019
THE PUBLIC FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT THURSDAY, 20TH JUNE, 2019 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY.
GENERAL SITUATION: AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BECOME THE MAIN WEATHER FEATURE AS IT HOVERS OVER THE ISLANDS THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS AND RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT FOR POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT OR TORNADIC ACTIVITY WHILE BEACH-GOERS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT EAST COAST BEACHES.
ALL AREAS:
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY AND HOT WITH THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHERN ISLANDS BECOMING MOSTLY FAIR AND VERY WARM TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
WINDS: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS BUT EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE: 94°F 34°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE: 81°F 27°C
HEAT INDEX: 106°F 41°C
SUN
SUNRISE: 6:21 AM
SUNSET: 8:00 PM
MOON
MOONSET: 9:08 AM
MOONRISE: 10:54 PM
TIDES
HIGH TIDE: 9:43 AM & 10:04 PM
LOW TIDE: 3:43 PM & 4:36 AM (FRI.)
10 candidates running in Brexit-dominated UK leadership race
Leading lawmakers from Britain's governing party battled over Brexit as the contest to become the next Conservative prime minister officially kicked off Monday with the declaration of 10 candidates for the top job.
The choice of who will replace Prime Minister Theresa May affects all Britons, but will be made only by members of the right-of-centre Conservative Party.
After the 5:00 pm (UK time) close of nominations, party officials announced the names of the 10 lawmakers who are running, including former Cabinet minister Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Environment Secretary Michael Gove. An 11th, Sam Gyimah, withdrew because he was unable to secure the support of eight colleagues as required by party rules.
The winner will face the challenge of breaking Britain's impasse over Brexit, an issue that has bedevilled politicians for three years and ultimately defeated Theresa May.
May stepped down Friday as Conservative leader after failing to secure Parliament's backing for her EU withdrawal deal. She will remain caretaker prime minister until the party picks its new leader, a process that could run until late July.
Many of the candidates have been campaigning unofficially for weeks, laying out policies on everything from policing to tax, and facing questions about past drug use. But the overriding issue in the contest is Brexit.
The Conservatives have been hammered in recent European and local elections as voters punish the party for failing to leave the 28-nation EU.
"Our failure to deliver Brexit has put our country and party in grave peril," Hunt said as he officially launched his campaign on Monday. "Without Brexit there will be no Conservative government and maybe no Conservative Party."
The candidates divide into those, including Hunt and Gove, who say they will prioritize finding a divorce deal that's acceptable both to the EU and to Parliament, and hard-core Brexit backers such as Johnson who say the UK must leave on the scheduled date of October 31 — with or without a deal.
Gove, one of the front-runners, is trying to limit fallout from his admission of long-ago cocaine use, which brought allegations that the former justice secretary — who oversaw a system that sends drug users to prison — is a hypocrite.
"I've acknowledged that I made a mistake," Gove said, adding that as justice secretary he was a reformer who sought to rehabilitate prisoners and "take broken lives and put them back together."
Most of the other contenders have also confessed to occasional past use of drugs. In most cases it involved marijuana, although International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said he smoked opium at a wedding in Iran 15 years ago.
The contest's winner will be chosen in a two-stage process. First, the 313 Conservative lawmakers will vote in a series of rounds starting Thursday, with the worst performers dropping out until only two candidates remain. The final two will be put to a postal vote among the 160,000 Conservative Party members in the country.
The favourite on betting markets is Johnson, a former foreign secretary with an instantly recognizable mop of blond hair and a knack for entertaining the public.
He says he will take Britain out of the bloc without a deal if necessary, and on Monday promised a tax cut for millions of middle- and high-income Britons.
Unlike the other candidates, Johnson hasn't given television interviews or held any public events, as his campaign team tries to avoid gaffes that could spoil his front-runner status.
Several candidates appeared to take aim at Johnson in comments Monday.
"We won't deliver Brexit with bluff and bluster," said former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, who is competing with Johnson for the support of hardcore Brexiteers.
Hunt said the party needed a "serious leader."
"We need tough negotiation, not empty rhetoric," he said.
Gove took aim at Johnson's backing for a no-deal Brexit, saying it could spell the end of the Conservative government.
"There would be a vote of confidence in the House of Commons that the government would lose," Gove said. "We would have (opposition Labour Party leader) Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street by Christmas."
Source-AFP
NATIONAL HONOURS AND AWARDS NOMINATIONS OPEN
The General Public are advised that the National Honours and Awards Nominations are open. The National Honours and Awards Committee (NHAC) is reminding the public of the following instructions for nomination and submissions for the Annual National Honours and Awards.
The Honours and Awards form depicts a description of the achievements, merits and service a recipient should possess in order to qualify for such an honour. It is of utmost importance that you nominate persons that you believe are worthy to receive an award. Additionally, a nominator must ensure to make clear which category the nominee is being considered for.
The Committee will only consider persons who are nominated in the category submitted; therefore, the General Public are advised to carefully consider the criteria for each category to ensure the nominee is suitable for the submitted category.
The Committee cannot make any corrections, additions or amendments to a submitted nomination form and cannot nominate any person included in the list of nominations, for a different honour or award category than originally selected by the nominator.
The category of awards are as follows:
- The Order of National Hero
- The Order of Turks and Caicos Islands
- The Patriotic Award
- The Long Service Medal
- The Meritorious Award
- National Young Achievers Medal
Forms are available at the Premier’s Office in both Grand Turk and Providenciales, The District Commissioners Offices in the sister islands and on the Government’s website. Completed nomination forms must be submitted in a sealed envelope, to your District Commissioner or Premier’s Office on or before July 22nd, 2019 and MUST BE clearly marked:
National Honour and Awards OR
“Ronlee James
Re: National Honours and Awards Committee”
The form only introduces your nominee. You are encouraged to add and attach information regarding your nominee’s work, service & merits. Ensure that you provide all the information, in whatever form that information takes, to support your reason why your nominee should be so honoured. Whether it be documents, newspaper clippings, letters or testimonials.
The Ordinance provides that an Honour or Award may be revoked if the Awardee allows persons to whom the award was not granted to wear his insignia or commits an act the Committee sees as bringing the Honours system into disrepute.
The general public is reminded to ensure that all nominations are submitted by July 22nd 2019.
From the desk of Hon. Vaden D Williams
The Minister Hon. Vaden D Williams, responsible for Immigration, Citizenship, Labour & Employment Services is urging residents from all islands across the Turks and Caicos Islands to register with employment service.
The Employment Services Department is also seeking to register students who are graduating high school, along with all college and university students returning home for the summer. This initiative targets unemployed persons, as well as those seeking new employment.
Persons interested in registering with Employment Services are encouraged to visit The Employment Service Office, located in the Sammy Been Plaza on Airport Road, Upstairs Unit 1.
Please bring with you the following documents: Passport or Status Card; Naturalization Certificate; Belonger Certificate, and your resume.
The registration process is free. If you are unable to go to the office, please email them at jobregistration@gov.tc.
Power Outage Update
FortisTCI crews continue efforts this morning to resolve a major technical fault at the power plant on Providenciales. Engineers and technicians are presently carrying out work to replace electrical equipment at the main substation that failed yesterday. This equipment is needed to route electricity to the customers affected.
The necessary work will take approximately four hours to complete and will require additional time for restoration of services. The company estimates that restoration of electricity to customers in Grace Bay, Leeward, and Leeward Palms will begin this afternoon by approximately 3 p.m.
FortisTCI understands the impact to its customers and is making every effort to normalize service as soon as possible. Updates will be provided as additional information becomes available.
For more information, please contact our customer service representatives at 649-946-4313. Follow our Facebook page for regular updates.
Quarterly Town Hall Meeting in Salt Cay
The post budget round of Town Hall Meetings continued with the latest stop in Salt Cay.
The Premier, Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson and Ministers gathered at the Salt Shed in Salt Cay on June 3rd 2019 to speak to and hear from residents. Over 40 residents were in attendance at the meeting including students from the Mary Robinson Primary School along with their teacher.
$6 mil was budgeted for investment in Salt Cay in Budget 2019/20.
Residents were updated on some National issues before being informed of the achievements and plans. Among the achievements mentioned:
- Repairs to the Mary Robinson Primary have been budgeted for in the amount of some $300 thousand. The project was tendered and a contract has been awarded. Repairs are expected to start in July 2019 and should be completed by January 2020.
- Contract awarded to CBMS to upgrade and improve Salt Cay’s sea defense (sea wall). Works are expected to commence in the coming weeks
- Runway and aerodrome repairs budgeted at 4.5 million at Salt Cay Airport. The contract has been awarded to Herzog and those works will be starting in the coming weeks
- Salt Cay Club House and the Methodist Church have been identified as Shelters for the 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season which started 1 June. Funds were allocated for repairs to those shelters and has move to the contract stage of the procurement process
- Ongoing are the repairs to the District Commissioner’s Office, those works are expected to completed later this year
- Funds have been budgeted for repairs to the town Tank and Salt Shed of some $100 thousand. Those tenders to be posted shortly.
It was also noted during the meeting that there has been interest expressed by a few international investors in developing Salt Cay.
Premier Robinson told residents that before any contract is signed TCIG will meet with residents to hear their thoughts and to discuss how they would like to see Salt Cay develop.
Other noteworthy achievements and plans: -
- MSME programme was recently expanded to benefit the sister islands (Grand Turk, Salt Cay, South, Middle and North Caicos). Amendments made allows for persons to apply for grants through the programme for Tourism related businesses. It was committed that Invest Tc would be coming to the Island soon to educate and answer questions about the programme
- Salt Cay like other sister islands has been added to the list to receive an incinerator and site attendant for the landfill site
- Plans to erect a donkey sanctuary are in the works for Salt Cay that will serve as a tourist attraction and habitat/ housing for the roaming donkeys. Officials will in the coming weeks carryout a donkey population assessment
During the meeting it was expressed that with the incoming development to the island, residents would like to see more paved roads.
The Premier and Minister of Finance noted the concern raised and said it will be looked at under Budget 2020/21.
CLASS OF 2019 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RESULTS
The Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture, Social and Library Services extends profound congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2019 for the success obtained during their tenure in secondary school.
The Class of 2019 comprises a total of 268 students. In keeping with the Education Policy 2005, 247 students are being recommended for graduation, which means they will receive a school leaving certificate or a high school diploma and participate in one or more of the graduation ceremonies (Valedictory Service HJRHS) & Prize Giving Ceremony (CHHS, RGHS and MBHS). 23 students will receive a Statements of Attendance.
The top performing students at each school are as follows:
|
H J ROBINSON HIGH |
|||
|
Amrita Rampersaud |
Valedictorian |
90.01% |
Distinction |
|
Llewvandra Basden |
Salutatorian |
85.13% |
Distinction |
|
Jaheim Jackson |
2nd |
83.26% |
Merit |
|
MARJORIE BASDEN HIGH |
|||
|
Leshante Cox |
Valedictorian |
84.85% |
Merit |
|
Belandy Joseph |
Salutatorian |
84.15% |
Merit |
|
Savannah Moore |
2nd |
81.05% |
Merit |
|
RAYMOND GARDINER HIGH |
|||
|
Jessica Corvil |
Valedictorian |
80.08 % |
Merit |
|
Avielle Brown |
Salutatorian |
79.06 % |
Merit |
|
Ruth St Fleurant |
2nd |
70.03 % |
Credit |
|
CLEMENT HOWELL HIGH |
|||
|
Ichner Belony |
Valedictorian |
88.7% |
Distinction |
|
Roods Bensly Pierre |
Salutatorian |
88.2% |
Distinction |
|
Conrad Howell |
2nd |
86.8% |
Distinction |
|
|
|||
Weather Report
GENERAL SITUATION: MID TO LOW LEVEL TROUGHING WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SOME POCKETS OF UNSETTLED WEATHER ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT ACTIVITY.
ALL AREAS:
WEATHER: VARIABLE CLOUDINESS AND WARM WITH THE CHANCE OF A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS TONIGHT. PARTLY SUNNY, HOT AND HUMID WITH A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS, BUT FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES OVER OPEN WATERS MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 77°F 25°C
WEDNESDAY’S HIGH TEMPERATURE 90°F 32°C
SUNSET: 7:55PM
SUNRISE: 6:20AM WED.
MOONSET: 9:23PM
MOONRISE: 8:22AM WED.
HIGH TIDE: 8:36PM & 8:56AM WED.
LOW TIDE: 3:07AM WED. 2:59PM WED.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESURE LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO REMAINS DISORGANIZED AND ONLY HAS A 20 PERCENT CHANCE FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS.
Barbados PM announces sale of LIAT shares
The Barbados government Tuesday night formally announced plans to sell its shares in the cash strapped regional airline, LIAT, but insisted that it was committed to regional transportation and would continue to hold minimum shares in the Antigua-based carrier.
Barbados along with Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines are the main shareholders of the airline that employs over 600 people and operates 491 flights weekly across 15 destinations.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley in a statement to Parliament confirmed reports that Antigua and Barbuda would be seeking to replace her country as the largest shareholder government by seeking to acquire the shares Bridgetown would be outing up for sale.
She said that Attorney General Dale Marshall would lead the negotiations.
“There is only so much that Barbados can responsibly do at this time given our current circumstances and our current position on the journey which I referred to just now,” she said, having earlier made reference to the island's multi-million dollar agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to turn around the ailing economy.
“Therefore…notwithstanding our absolute commitment to regional air travel and notwithstanding the fact and given in fact that the studies have recommended a different module and restructuring for LIAT and given the inability of the government of Barbados to do for LIAT in the next five to 10 years what the government of Barbados did for LIAT in the last five to 10 years when we moved significantly to assume major shareholder responsibilities, we have taken the determination, a decision as a cabinet that it is time for us to step back while at the same time allowing other governments to continue with their proposals to restructure LIAT in the way which they have determined.”
Last month, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said he had received communication from his Barbados indicating that Bridgetown was willing to sell all but 10 per cent of its shares in the airline.
Antigua and Barbuda currently holds 34 per cent of the shares and if it acquires Bridgetown's shares, would have 81 per cent of the airline.
The government in a statement last month had said that “an offer was made for Antigua and Barbuda to acquire the LIAT shares owned by Barbados, through a take-over of the liability of Barbados to the Caribbean Development Bank.”
The Antigua and Barbuda government chief of staff, Lionel Max Hurst, said that “there are many jobs here in Antigua and Barbuda connected to LIAT and we intend to ensure that those jobs are not lost.
“Many of the route rights that LIAT now possesses would be utilized more fully if Antigua and Barbuda gets its way,” Hurst said.
Source-CMC