COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, April 4, 2022 6:30 PM Meeting Minutes Aditi Joshi Rennison Lalgee Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Juan Vences-Benitez Board Members in Attendance: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice-Chair Karen Crawford Adrian De La Rosa Board Members not in Attendance: Sara Becker Glenn Rosales Karen Reyes Staff in Attendance: Sinying Chan, Staff Liaison & Health Equity Unit Program Coordinator/Austin Public Health CALL TO ORDER 1. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES – February 7, 2022; March 7, 2022 • February Minutes Approved, Kate moved to approve, motion seconded, all in favor • March Minutes Approved, Kate moved to approve, Karen seconded 2. NEW BUSINESS: DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS: A. Updates from Rocio Villalobos on her work with the Equity Office i. Equity Office has been working with Austin Public Library and several other partners on creating an enhanced library card that can also serve as a photo ID. Other cities and counties have already created an enhanced library card program, including San Antonio, San Marcos, and a county in Dallas. The office of Councilman Fuentes hosted a townhall to gather feedback from the community. The feedback was that people were more interested in something more like a municipal ID than an enhanced library card. There is also a potential that the United way of Greater Austin could host the database, and could store and manage the data. They are currently looking to see which route, enhanced library card or municipal ID, would be a better option. Concerns are that a municipal ID could be used to target immigrants unlike a library card which is more common, and whether switching to a municipal ID would delay this project. ii. Naturalization ceremonies resumed March 11th. The City of Austin joined the campaign National Partnership for New Americans which is working to help two million immigrants become U.S. citizens. The Equity Office participated in a large press conference of about 300 people. The ceremony was hybrid due to weather restrictions. More ceremonies are planned. iii. The City of San Antonio and other major hubs have been experiencing a large influx of immigrant and are considering the option of having Austin receive and facilitate their travel to relieve some of the burden. Rocio will be going to San Antonio to learn more. Rocio will also be attending the Welcoming Interactive Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. B. Emi Johnson, Austin Public Library, updates …
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 6:30 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL ROOM 1101 301 W 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice Chair Sara Becker Karen Crawford Adrian De La Rosa AGENDA Rennison Lalgee Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Glenn Rosales Juan Vences-Benitez CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – February 7, 2022 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Karla Peredo, Office of Police Oversight, to provide updates on current work to revise APD’s body-worn camera and dashboard camera policies and speak on previous and future community engagement efforts with immigrant and refugee communities b. Chief Joseph Chacon and Lieutenants Christine Chomout and Craig Smith, Austin Police Department (APD), to discuss: (1) U-Visa report and (2) Resolution 74 Immigration Enforcement report c. Brie Franco, Intergovernmental Relations Office, briefing on legislation that passed that affects the City of Austin d. Budget discussion and vote on recommendations 3. OLD BUSINESS a. Report back from ISNA and the RST quarterly consultations – Juan and Rennison b. Joint Inclusion Committee meeting updates – Karen FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sinying Chan at Austin Public Health Department, at 512-972-5117, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Commission on Immigrant Affairs, please contact Sinying Chan at 512-972-5117.
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20220307-2d1: Development of Immigrant Affairs Office WHEREAS, we heard from the community an appreciation that the Immigrant Affairs position was created, and a recognition that one person cannot handle all of the work that will be required; and WHEREAS, an immigrant affairs office would help ensure the needs of the immigrant community in Austin are met; and WHEREAS, Austin has a large and diverse immigrant community, with varying needs and varying degrees of involvement in city government. Those most impacted are largely unseen, whether because of language barriers, cultural concerns, or concerns related to immigration status. This office will be able to reach out to the community so that their voices can be heard; and WHEREAS, immigrant communities have been most affected by the pandemic and the ongoing energy and utility crises, and having an immigrant affairs office helps ensure the communities are not only reached but best served, which helps the community as a whole; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin funded one full time position within the Equity Office to work in immigrant affairs; and WHEREAS, there is a large, diverse immigrant community in Austin, and our commission’s hope is that the immigrant affairs office can go out into the community to learn their concerns, see where there are gaps in services, and assess the City’s ability to address their concerns; and WHEREAS, many cities that are Austin’s peers have established immigrant affairs offices, including Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio; and WHEREAS, a report by the LBJ School of the University of Texas at Austin found that an immigrant affairs office is necessary and recommended1. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends the expansion of the Immigrant Affairs office, since one person cannot take on everything that is required of this office. 1 “Advancing Immigrant Incorporation in Austin,” Ruth Ellen Wassem et al, University of Texas LBJ School for Public Affairs, July 2021, https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/86821 Date of Approval: March 7, 2022 Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 9-0 vote with Glenn Rosales absent Attest: Staff Liaison
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20220307-2d2: Increase in Legal Services Funding WHEREAS, we heard from the community that legal services funding is crucial, and there is still unmet need; and WHEREAS, there are immigrants who need access to counsel, and cannot afford attorneys. This is especially so for immigrants facing removal proceedings; and WHEREAS, in a time of changes in immigration policy, people have more need of legal representation, as it has become very complicated, and it is essential that immigrant communities obtain accurate advice and assistance; and WHEREAS, the people most impacted by the complicated changes in immigration policy are low-income immigrants; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin already funds legal services for low income immigrants who are Austin residents. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that we increase funding for immigration legal services. Date of Approval: March 7, 2022 Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 9-0 vote with Glenn Rosales absent Attest: Staff Liaison
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20220307-2d3: Fund Refugee Health Screening Clinic WHEREAS, we heard testimony from staff of the City of Austin Refugee Health Screening Clinic regarding the work that they do and the challenges that they face; and WHEREAS, Austin has seen an increase in arrivals of refugees, including from Afghanistan, and will be seeing new refugees from Ukraine, in addition to continued refugee arrivals from other parts of the world; and WHEREAS, prior to the Ukrainian refugee crisis, the Refugee Health Screening Clinic was projecting for FY22 over four times the number of refugees in the Austin/Travis County area as compared to FY21; and WHEREAS, the work of the Refugee Health Screening Clinic supports the city’s outreach efforts to new immigrants and refugees, especially in the area of public health. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that we provide funding to the City of Austin Refugee Health Screening Clinic to pay for the salaries of two FTE staff. Date of Approval: March 7, 2022 Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 9-0 vote with Glenn Rosales absent Attest: Staff Liaison
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20220307-2d4: Creation of Summer Camps in Spanish or Dual Language Summer Camps to Support A.I.S.D.’s English Learner and Dual Language Learner Populations WHEREAS, 22.2% of Austinites speak primarily Spanish at home1; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin is committed to “making reasonable efforts to ensure that City services and information about those services are provided in a manner that is accessible, relevant, and timely to residents” even if those residents are limited in their English proficiency (LEP).2; and WHEREAS, on November 3, 2016, the City of Austin passed Resolution No. 20161103-052 directing the City Manager to develop “Language Access Procedures” for each City Department that interacts with the public. The procedures were to specify steps for staff to follow to, among other things, deliver services to LEP individuals and ensure effective services are provided, and3; and WHEREAS, 26% of the 81,000 students enrolled in the Austin Independent School District are English learners4; and WHEREAS, 87% of those English Learners speak Spanish as their primary home language5; and 1U.S. Census Data from available at: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=language%20austin%20tx&g=1600000US4805000&hide Preview=false&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S1601&vintage=2018&layer=VT_2018_160_00_PY_D1&c id=S1601_C01_001E 2 See the City of Austin’s Language Access Plan p.3 available at: https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/images/Airport/Travel_Security/Language_Acces s_Plan.pdf 3 Resolution No. 20161103-52 available at: http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=267426 4 https://www.austinisd.org/multilingual 5 https://www.austinisd.org/sites/default/files/dre- reports/18.22_Bilingual_and_ESL_Program_and_Demographic_Executive_Summary_2018- 2019.pdf WHEREAS, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) offers a wide variety of summer camps for children ages 5-12 at affordable rates; and WHEREAS, the stated goal of the PARD’s summer program is to “provide children with exciting experiences through structured recreation in a safe and welcoming environment”6; and WHEREAS, the PARD currently offers their summer camp information, website and enrollment materials in languages other than English, but conducts most of its over 500 camps in only English; and WHEREAS, English-only summer camps are not welcoming environments for children who speak another language at home; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Commission on Immigrant Affairs received testimony and feedback from the Austin community regarding the need for City summer programming in Spanish; and WHEREAS, the Austin Independent School District Dual Language program helps students excel academically while becoming bilingual, biliterate and bicultural and is committed to educating students in a multicultural learning environment and encouraging learners to celebrate diversity and become responsible citizens of the world7; and WHEREAS, these students would also benefit from continuing their exposure to Spanish throughout the summer. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED …
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022 6:30 PM Meeting Minutes Karen Crawford Adrian De La Rosa Rennison Lalgee Board Members in Attendance: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice-Chair Sara Becker Board Members not in Attendance: Glenn Rosales Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Juan Vences-Benitez Staff in Attendance: Sinying Chan, Staff Liaison & Health Equity Unit Program Coordinator/Austin Public Health CALL TO ORDER 1. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES – February 7, 2022 • Postponed to next month; Kate moved; Karen seconded; all in favor 2. NEW BUSINESS: DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS: A. Karla Peredo, Office of Police Oversight, to provide updates on current work to revise APD’s body-worn camera and dashboard camera policies and speak on previous and future community engagement efforts with immigrant and refugee communities • Results of two reports from 2015 and 2019 showed racial disparities persisted and in many cases worsen; OPO’s analysis revealed patterns that negatively affected Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino community members; Black/African American drivers are the most overrepresented group across all categories except for citations; Hispanic/Latinos received the highest percentage of citations; White/Caucasian are the most underrepresented in all categories; Asians are slightly underrepresented in all categories • Austin officer-involved shootings in 2018 showed that 7 out of 12 incidents involved Latinx individuals; most individuals involved in the 2018 incidents were ethnic minorities, specifically Latinx males, and most individuals involved in the 2018 incidents were between 20-28 year old; officers failed to use deescalate tactics in many incidents mail • Can make a complain/thank you for APD to OPO online, over the phone, in person, or by • OPO actively participates in community engagement events and building partnerships; it also provides education and resources • Current informational campaign to request public feedback that; project to rewrite APD’s general orders in the future few years; OPO’s analysis released in January 2022 found APD’s policy on body camera and dash camera is too vague; an officer can stop recording with a supervisor’s authorization but there’s no information on when the supervisor can make that call; OPO will ask for more clarity B. Chief Joseph Chacon and Lieutenants Christine Chomout and Craig Smith, Austin Police Department (APD), to discuss: (1) U-Visa report and (2) Resolution 74 Immigration Enforcement report • Chief Chacon was not available to attend the meeting • Lieutenant Christine Chomout shared data on U-Visa report and clarifications on denials • Lieutenant Craig …
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022 6:30 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL ROOM 1101 301 W 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Construction Advisory Committee may be participating by videoconference Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register, please contact Sinying Chan at sinying.chan@austintexas.gov or 512-972-5117. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice Chair Sara Becker Karen Crawford Adrian De La Rosa AGENDA Rennison Lalgee Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Glenn Rosales Juan Vences-Benitez CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – December 6, 2021 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Rey Arellano, City of Austin Assistant City Manager, to present updates from the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force b. Saeed Azadi and Holly Eades, City of Austin Refugee Health Screening Clinic, to provide updates on their work and the needs are c. Edna Yang, American Gateways, to share updates the City’s funding in support of immigrant legal services and seek continued support d. Budget updates, discussion and possible action 3. OLD BUSINESS a. Budget updates - Karen b. Report back from ISNA and the RST quarterly consultations – Juan and Rennison c. Joint Inclusion Committee meeting updates – Karen FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sinying Chan at Austin Public Health Department, at 512-972-5117, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Commission on Immigrant Affairs, please contact Sinying Chan at 512-972-5117.
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, February 7, 2022 6:30 PM Meeting Minutes Rennison Lalgee Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Juan Vences-Benitez Board Members in Attendance: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice-Chair Sara Becker Karen Crawford Adrian De La Rosa Board Members not in Attendance: Glenn Rosales Staff in Attendance: Sinying Chan, Staff Liaison & Health Equity Unit Program Coordinator/Austin Public Health CALL TO ORDER 1. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES – December 6, 2021 • Karen moved to approve, Kate seconded, all in favor 2. NEW BUSINESS: DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS: A. Updates from Reimagining Public Safety Task Force by City of Austin Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano • In August 2020, the City Manager created the City-Community Reimagining Public Safety Task Force which gave its recommendations in April 2021. Council approved 9.3 million dollars towards task force recommendations. More information can be found on the website https://www.austintexas.gov/department/task-force • The dashboard on the website is used to track the review of recommendations that were sent to the City Manager and show 118 of 140 recommendations are complete. Currently, the focus is on follow-up action for these recommendations. Rey is reviewing the 8 working groups and will update the dashboard when complete, beginning with the two working groups for APD. • Austin Cares is an active program that moves 911 calls from those experiencing mental health crisis to a Mental Health Clinician. Language Access is a large effort right now and is currently focusing on Spanish and API languages for public services. B. Updates from Saeed Azadi, Public Health Division Manager, and Holly Eades, Program Manager, on their work at the City of Austin Refugee Health Screening Clinic • The Refugee Health Screening Clinic does comprehensive medical and mental health assessments, treatments, immunizations, and referrals. They work with them for one year and then give them documentation they need to apply for their green card and I-693. • Afghan Placement Program significantly impacted numbers. Projecting 500-1500 arrivals for 2022. Budget increased to 1.5 million dollars for FY2022 due to increased refugees for Afghan Placement Program • Challenges: 100% Grant-funded, unpredictable federal support, contract limitations per the grant, operating with minimal staff, anticipating 500-1500 Afghans to Austin area. • Recommendation: The City of Austin create two full-time general fund positions to support the office through the above challenges with funding and staffing. Ideally, the positions would be one manager and one medical staff. …
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 6:30 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL ROOM 1101 301 W 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice Chair Sara Becker Karen Crawford Adrian De La Rosa AGENDA Rennison Lalgee Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Glenn Rosales Juan Vences-Benitez CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 4, 2021; November 1, 2021 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Update from Rocio Villalobos on her work with the Equity Office b. Jordan McGee from Capital Metro and the Housing & Planning Department will present an overview and answer questions about the equitable transit-oriented development project to plan for equitable outcomes for area residents of all incomes and backgrounds along Project Connect corridors c. Discussion and possible action on budget recommendation ideas for the Joint Inclusion Committee d. Formation of budget working group a. Budget updates - Karen b. Report back from ISNA and the RST quarterly consultations – Juan and Rennison c. Joint Inclusion Committee meeting updates – Karen d. Update of Texas Legislative session - Krystal 3. OLD BUSINESS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sinying Chan at Austin Public Health Department, at 512-972-5117, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Commission on Immigrant Affairs, please contact Sinying Chan at 512-972-5117.
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 6:30 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL ROOM 1101 301 W 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice Chair Sara Becker Karen Crawford Adrian De La Rosa Rennison Lalgee Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Glenn Rosales Juan Vences-Benitez REVISED AGENDA CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 4, 2021; November 1, 2021 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Update from Rocio Villalobos on her work with the Equity Office b. Jordan McGee from Capital Metro and the Housing & Planning Department will present an overview and answer questions about the equitable transit-oriented development project to plan for equitable outcomes for area residents of all incomes and backgrounds along Project Connect corridors c. Discussion and possible action on budget recommendation ideas for the Joint Inclusion Committee d. Formation of budget working group; possible action to finalize working groups based on the Immigrant Integration report recommendations a. Budget updates - Karen b. Report back from ISNA and the RST quarterly consultations – Juan and Rennison c. Joint Inclusion Committee meeting updates – Karen 3. OLD BUSINESS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sinying Chan at Austin Public Health Department, at 512-972-5117, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Commission on Immigrant Affairs, please contact Sinying Chan at 512-972-5117.
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021 6:30 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL ROOM 1101 301 W 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice Chair Sara Becker Karen Crawford Adrian De La Rosa AGENDA Rennison Lalgee Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Glenn Rosales Juan Vences-Benitez CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 4, 2021 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Lieutenants Christine Chomout, Craig Smith, Kenneth Murphy, and Lawrence Davis, Austin Police Department (APD), to discuss: (1) U-Visa policy updates/report, (2) APD’s collaboration with ICE report, (3) changes to call routing and non-emergency response services (9-1-1/3-1-1), and (4) any new reports/Chief’s message b. Vote on annual schedule c. Formation of working groups relating to the report on immigrant incorporation in Austin, Texas 3. OLD BUSINESS a. Budget updates b. Report back from ISNA and the RST quarterly consultations c. Joint Inclusion Committee meeting updates – Karen d. Update of Texas Legislative session - Krystal FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sinying Chan at Austin Public Health Department, at 512-972-5117, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Commission on Immigrant Affairs, please contact Sinying Chan at 512-972-5117.
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021 6:30 PM Meeting Minutes Board Members in Attendance: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice-Chair Karen Crawford Board Members not in Attendance: Sara Becker Adrian De La Rosa Rennison Lalgee Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Glenn Rosales Juan Vences-Benitez Staff in Attendance: Sinying Chan, Staff Liaison & Health Equity Unit Program Coordinator/Austin Public Health CALL TO ORDER 1. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 4, 2021 Postponed to next month 2. NEW BUSINESS: DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS: A. Lieutenants Christine Chomout, Craig Smith, Kenneth Murphy, and Lawrence Davis, Austin Police Department (APD), to discuss: (1) U-Visa policy updates/report, (2) APD’s collaboration with ICE report, (3) changes to call routing and non-emergency response services (9-1-1/3-1-1), and (4) any new reports/Chief’s message B. Vote on annual schedule Due to difficulty to change the traditional annual schedule, it’ll remain on the first C. Formation of working groups relating to the report on immigrant incorporation in Monday of each month at 6:30 pm Nicole moved; Karen seconded; all in favor Austin, Texas Office of Immigrant Affairs i. Krystal, Nicole, and Karen will join Naturalization and civic involvement i. Kate, Adrian, and Karen will join Workforce development and entrepreneur resources i. Nicole and Rennison will join Affordable housing and neighborhood preservation i. Joseph and Krystal will join Access resources and community hubs i. Kate will join 3. OLD BUSINESS A. Budget updates Not clear if budget recommendations from the Commission of Immigrant Affairs are approved; Karen has followed up and waiting for the budget report Equity Office did not get more funding for the mini grants or expansion for immigrant affairs’ office; will look into current budget and staffing to focus on those two items B. Report back from ISNA and the RST quarterly consultations Juan is not present to provide any updates RST quarterly meeting focused on the situation of the Afghan community C. Joint Inclusion Committee meeting update – Karen Overarching concern list identified by the Joint Inclusion Committee is available; discussed the concerns and priorities Commission of Immigrant Affairs would like to advocate for LGBTQIA+ quality of life study is released and delivered to council Committee for People with Disabilities’ quality of life study is ongoing Discussed about how to have quality of life studies done more frequently, different …
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021 6:30 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL ROOM 1101 301 W 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice Chair Sara Becker Karen Crawford Adrian De La Rosa AGENDA Rennison Lalgee Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Glenn Rosales Juan Vences-Benitez CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 6, 2021; August 2, 2021 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Dr. Ruth Wasem, LBJ School of Public Affairs, final report on immigrant incorporation in Austin, Texas b. Lauren Hargraves, Refugee Services of Texas, refugee resettlement in Austin and information on the Afghan situation 3. OLD BUSINESS a. Budget updates b. Report back from ISNA and the RST quarterly consultations c. Joint Inclusion Committee meeting updates – Karen d. Update of Texas Legislative session - Krystal FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Sinying Chan at Austin Public Health Department, at 512-972-5117, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Commission on Immigrant Affairs, please contact Sinying Chan at 512-972-5117.
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS Monday, October 4, 2021 6:30 PM Meeting Minutes Karen Crawford Rennison Lalgee Glenn Rosales Juan Vences-Benitez Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Board Members in Attendance: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice-Chair Sara Becker Board Members not in Attendance: Adrian De La Rosa Staff in Attendance: Sinying Chan, Staff Liaison & Health Equity Unit Program Coordinator/Austin Public Health Sarah F. Williams, Staff Liaison & Administrative Senior/Austin Public Health CALL TO ORDER 1. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 6, 2021; August 2, 2021 Nicole moved to approve July minutes; Juan seconded; all in favor Nicole moved to approve August minutes; Rennison seconded; all in favor 2. NEW BUSINESS: DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS: A. Dr. Ruth Wasem, LBJ School of Public Affairs, final report on immigrant incorporation in Austin, Texas B. Lauren Hargraves, Refugee Services of Texas, refugee resettlement in Austin and information on the Afghan situation Presenter could not make it to the meeting 3. OLD BUSINESS A. Budget updates Budget recommendations from the Commission on Immigrant Affairs (CoIA) were submitted in time, but changes in budget office and Joint Inclusion Committee caused failure in follow through Final budget was not specified on report; unsure if items recommended by CoIA were funded; Karen already reached out to ask for an investigation to see the results of the budget recommendations B. Report back from ISNA and the RST quarterly consultations No updates from ISNA From RST, a lot of discussions were centered around Afghan refugees; one big issue was on language differences; wish lists are set up but also needed help in managing donations C. Joint Inclusion Committee meeting update – Karen Will try to push up the budget process and not wait for the notification of the budget office Will ask all commissions of their big, overarching concerns and see if there’re common concerns in order to make bigger budget recommendations D. Update of Texas Legislative session – Krystal Focusing on redistricting and American Rescue Plan funding FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Vote on working groups Overarching budget ideas for Joint Inclusion Committee Have APD come present quarterly Have City of Austin Economic Development Department present on resources for the immigrant community ANNOUNCEMENT ADJOURNMENT Nicole moved to adjourn; Karen seconded; all in favor The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American …
