COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS Tuesday, July 6, 2021 5:30 PM VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING Meeting Minutes Board Members in Attendance: Krystal Gomez, Chair Adrian De La Rosa Rennison Lalgee Board Members not in Attendance: Nicole Merritt, Vice-Chair Karen Crawford Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Mehraz Rahman Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Juan Vences-Benitez Montserrat Garibay Glenn Rosales Staff in Attendance: Sinying Chan, Staff Liaison & Health Equity Unit Program Coordinator/APH CALL TO ORDER 1. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL 2. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES – June 7, 2021 Rennison moved to postpone approval of June minutes; Adrian seconded; all in favor 3. NEW BUSINESS: DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS: A. Interim Chief of Police, Joseph Chacon, Sadot Azzua, Austin Police Department (APD) Neighborhood Liaison, and other members of APD to discuss: (1) U-Visa Numbers and Policy, (2) Freedom Cities Resolutions Reports, and (3) new APD initiatives and policies B. Faisal Al-Juburi, RAICES, history in Austin and anticipated scope of work Faisal was having technical difficulties and trying to reconnect; Kate moved to move Faisal to the bottom of New Business to let him reconnect; Adrian seconded; all in favor Presenter was not able to present due to technical difficulties C. Update from Rocio Villalobos on her work with the Equity Office Two naturalization ceremonies will be happening in July at the Twin Oaks Branch Library; with library card and voter registrations and COVID-19 vaccine administration Immigrant Integration Mini Grant will be launched tomorrow on 7/7/21 Talks and meetings on enhanced library cards are still going on; still need to follow up with City Legal D. Vote on a representative to attend Austin Public Health Asian Pacific Islander Task Force meetings Adrian moved to have Rennison be the representative; Kate seconded; all in favor E. Discussion and possible action regarding the Commission on Immigrant Affairs Yearly Report Krystal will send out future goals for the commission to staff liaison to forward to all commissioners for feedbacks Mehraz will help Krystal with the writing 4. OLD BUSINESS A. Budget updates No budget updates B. Report back from ISNA and the RST quarterly consultations C. Joint Inclusion Committee meeting update – Karen No updates No updates D. Update of Texas Legislative session – Krystal In special session; no information on anything immigrant related FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Have APD come present quarterly Check if RAICES would like to come …
Versión en español a continuación. Commission on Immigrant Affairs Meeting Monday, June 7, 2021 Commission on Immigrant Affairs to be held June 7, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (June 6, 2021 by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the June 7, 2021 Commission on Immigrant Affairs Meeting, members of the public must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512-972-5117 or sinying.chan@austintexas.gov no later than noon, June 6, 2021. The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). •Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sinying.chan@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Commission on Immigrant Affairs FECHA de la reunion (Lunes, Junio 7, 2021) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (Junio 6, 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de junta en 512-972-5117 o sinying.chan@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el número que se utilizará para llamar ). • Una …
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS Monday, June 7, 2021 5:30 PM VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING Meeting Minutes Adrian De La Rosa Montserrat Garibay Rennison Lalgee Board Members in Attendance: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice Chair Karen Crawford Board Members not in Attendance: Glenn Rosales Staff in Attendance: Sinying Chan, Staff Liaison & Health Equity Unit Program Coordinator/APH CALL TO ORDER 1. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES – May 3, 2021 Nicole moved to approve May minutes; Adrian seconded; all in favor 2. NEW BUSINESS: DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS: A. Update from Rocio Villalobos on her work with the Equity Office Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Juan Vences-Benitez Starting May 14, 2021, with the collaboration of Austin Public Library, Austin Public Health, and USCIS, Austin has been hosting naturalization ceremonies again. Voter registration and library card registration are available, as well as COVID-19 vaccines. ATXN attended the May 28, 2021 ceremony to shoot footage and do interviews for City View features. Will be shared during Welcoming Week in September Rocio has been meeting with various city departments and community partners to discuss the enhanced library card. Some concerns are on Austin Public Library’s databases and privacy information collection and storage. Community groups expressed interest in the card serving as a photo ID as well All recommendations are in for the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force and working groups; the proposals are separated in to two phases to review; community review panel for APD training will continue their work on the Reimagine Police Academy to provide training recommendations for cadets Mini grant program will likely launch next week to provide awards for programs that are designed to eliminate structural barriers and/or improve quality of life for various immigrant communities; would like the commission to spread the word about the program and have some commissioners to join as part of the review panel; Krystal, Nicole, and Karen will be helping to review Juan moved to form a working group around the enhanced library card; Karen seconded; Krystal, Adrian, and Juan will be on the work group B. Ayesha Hassan, Austin Refugee Roundtable, updates on World Refugee Day celebration World Refugee Day is usually celebrated on June 20 each year, but this year it is celebrated throughout the whole month of June. Will have more diversity and event planning to include and educate as many people as possible. Will have …
Versión en español a continuación. Commission on Immigrant Affairs Meeting Monday, May 3, 2021 Commission on Immigrant Affairs to be held May 3, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (May 2, 2021 by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the May 3, 2021 Commission on Immigrant Affairs Meeting, members of the public must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512-972-5117 or sinying.chan@austintexas.gov no later than noon, May 2, 2021. The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). •Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sinying.chan@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Commission on Immigrant Affairs FECHA de la reunion (Lunes, Mayo 3, 2021) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (Mayo 2, 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de junta en 512-972-5117 o sinying.chan@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el número que se utilizará para llamar ). • Una …
Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Rennison Lalgee COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS Monday, May 3, 2021 5:30 PM VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING Meeting Minutes Karen Crawford Adrian De La Rosa Board Members in Attendance: Krystal Gomez, Chair Nicole Merritt, Vice Chair Juan Vences-Benitez Board Members not in Attendance: Montserrat Garibay Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Glenn Rosales Staff in Attendance: Sinying Chan, Staff Liaison & Health Equity Unit Program Coordinator/APH CALL TO ORDER 1. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES – March 1, 2021; April 5, 2021 Nicole moved to postpone March and April minutes to the end of meeting; Karen seconded; March and April minutes were reviewed at the end of the meeting Karen moved to approve March minutes with one edit; Nicole seconded; all in favor Nicole moved to approve April minutes with edits; Adrian seconded; all in favor all in favor 2. NEW BUSINESS: DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS: A. Update from Rocio Villalobos on her work with the Equity Office Presenter was not able to present due to scheduling conflict 3. OLD BUSINESS A. Budget updates pattern All budget recommendations are uploaded and submitted. Currently in a holding B. Report back from ISNA and the RST quarterly consultations Nothing to report back from ISNA as Sam was not reappointed as commissioner Nothing to report back from RST Karen moved to have Juan to be the representative of ISNA; Adrian seconded; all in favor C. Joint Inclusion Committee meeting update – Karen Karen was elected Vice Chair of the Joint Inclusion Committee For budget, JIC approved a proposal of internet broadband connecting the city; it also voted to endorse a couple of the budget recommendations from the Commission on Immigrant Affairs – legal services funding and summer camps; will vote on the healthcare navigator recommendation at next meeting For Compassion Contract, it is still being worked on; waiting on guidance from the Office of the City Manager; Karen will forward more details to other commissioners D. Update of Texas Legislative session – Krystal There were some anti-immigration bills that would not be passed. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS meetings Vote on the representative to attend Austin Public Health Asian Pacific Islander Task Force Updates from Rocio Villalobos including municipal ID The impacts of Prop B on the immigrant community Updates from APD The status on certifying Austin as a welcoming city …
Versión en español a continuación. Commission on Immigrant Affairs Meeting Monday, April 5, 2021 Commission on Immigrant Affairs to be held April 5, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (April 4, 2021 by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the April 5, 2021 Commission on Immigrant Affairs Meeting, members of the public must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512-972-5117 or sinying.chan@austintexas.gov no later than noon, April 4, 2021. The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). •Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sinying.chan@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Commission on Immigrant Affairs FECHA de la reunion (Lunes, Abril 5, 2021) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (Abril 4, 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de junta en 512-972-5117 o sinying.chan@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el número que se utilizará para llamar ). • Una …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20210405‐2c: Fund DACA Clinics WHEREAS, the DACA program allows eligible people to obtain and renew work authorization in two year increments, allowing them to further participate in Austin’s economy; and WHEREAS, the DACA program was recently reinstated after being closed for three years, and many people who became eligible over those three years, especially people who were too young to apply previously, need assistance in applying for the program; and WHEREAS, DACA allows people to be more secure members of our community, and participate fully in our community. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that the City of Austin fund DACA clinics over the next two years. Date of Approval: April 5, 2021 Attest: Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 8‐0 vote with Juan Vences‐Benitez, Rennison Lalgee, and Glenn Rosales absent Staff Liaison
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20210405‐2c: Immigrant Integration Mini Grants Whereas, the City of Austin is a Welcoming Community, as noted in Resolution 20140320‐049; and Whereas, organizations in the community could be funded with mini grants to help foster a sense of welcoming among immigrant1 communities; and Whereas, the Equity Office has an existing Mini Grant program that can serve as a model for an Immigrant Integration Mini‐Grant Fund to improve the quality of life of immigrant communities; and Whereas, an Immigrant Integration Mini‐Grant Fund would provide flexible resources for local, community‐based organizations to seed projects; and Whereas, the Fund would help increase sense of welcoming and belonging of immigrant communities; and Whereas, the projects granted the funds would be focused on eliminating structural barriers for the City’s various immigrant populations; and Whereas, the projects granted the funds would be focused on improving the quality of life for the City’s various immigrant populations; and Whereas, the Fund would support creative projects that can help bring diverse communities together in the spirit of collaboration; and Whereas, the Fund would support projects that are aligned with advancing one or more of the six outcome priorities featured in Austin City Council’s Strategic Direction 2023 addressing equity concerns and disparities where gaps need to be closed; and Whereas, the Equity Office was able to pilot the project during the current fiscal year. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that the City of Austin set aside a pool of at least $100,000 to the Equity Office for continued funding for an Immigrant Integration Mini‐Grant Fund. Each Mini‐Grant would be no more than $10,000. Date of Approval: April 5, 2021 1 The term “immigrant” as used here also includes people who are refugees and asylees/asylum‐seekers. Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 8‐0 vote with Juan Vences‐Benitez, Rennison Lalgee, and Glenn Rosales absent Attest: Staff Liaison
COMMISSION ON IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS Monday, April 5, 2021 5:30 PM VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING Meeting Minutes Board Members in Attendance: Karen Crawford, Chair Krystal Gomez, Vice Chair Samuel Adair Board Members not in Attendance: Juan Vences-Benitez Adrian De La Rosa Montserrat Garibay Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Glenn Rosales Staff in Attendance: Sinying Chan, Staff Liaison & Health Equity Unit Program Coordinator/APH CALL TO ORDER 1. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES – March 1, 2021 Minutes not available; will table to next month 2. NEW BUSINESS: DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS: A. Update from Rocio Villalobos on her work with the Equity Office Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez Rennison Lalgee Nicole Merritt To put in motion in having naturalization ceremonies in Austin with assistance from Austin Public Library (APH) and Austin Public Health Immigrant Integration Mini Grant program pilot project – developing rubric for evaluation and fine-tuning the language of the proposal and application for easy understanding and completion; will translate in multiple languages as well; Commission on Immigrant Affairs will create a working group to help with application review Reimagining Public Safety, Equity Reinvestment Working Group – to propose to have mini hubs throughout the city focusing on communities that face the most challenges; allowing hubs to have funding to create programing based on the needs of the neighborhood New American Economy – in the process of finishing the COVID-19 impact survey and reviewing guidelines for local emergency management and preparedness Ongoing collaboration with APH in the communities of color, immigrant, and non- English speakers – presentation on public charge, COVID-19 vaccine registration and Q&A, APH/AISD focused vaccine POD without registration, and mass vaccine registration campaign Assisting United Way to review applications for COVID vaccination grant Media requests on anti-Asian racism Undoing racism training in Spanish No additional movement from community members on municipal ID as they worry about having personal information living with the City; having a community partner handling the ID project and utilizing the mini grant could be an option; there’s still concern on if showing the municipal ID means they’re undocumented immigrants as they don’t have a state-issued ID B. Elections for Chair and Vice Chair Krystal will run for the Chair position and Nicole will run for the Vice Chair position Karen moved to approve; Adrian seconded; all in favor C. Vote on budget recommendations Nicole moved to approve the …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20210405‐2c: Fund DACA Clinics WHEREAS, the DACA program allows eligible people to obtain and renew work authorization in two year increments, allowing them to further participate in Austin’s economy; and WHEREAS, the DACA program was recently reinstated after being closed for three years, and many people who became eligible over those three years, especially people who were too young to apply previously, need assistance in applying for the program; and WHEREAS, DACA allows people to be more secure members of our community, and participate fully in our community. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that the City of Austin fund DACA clinics over the next two years. Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 9‐0 vote with Glenn Rosales and Juan Vences‐Benitez absent Date of Approval: April 5, 2021 Attest: Staff Liaison
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20210405‐2c: Immigrant Integration Mini Grants Whereas, the City of Austin is a Welcoming Community, as noted in Resolution 20140320‐049; and Whereas, organizations in the community could be funded with mini grants to help foster a sense of welcoming among immigrant1 communities; and Whereas, the Equity Office has an existing Mini Grant program that can serve as a model for an Immigrant Integration Mini‐Grant Fund to improve the quality of life of immigrant communities; and Whereas, an Immigrant Integration Mini‐Grant Fund would provide flexible resources for local, community‐based organizations to seed projects; and Whereas, the Fund would help increase sense of welcoming and belonging of immigrant communities; and Whereas, the projects granted the funds would be focused on eliminating structural barriers for the City’s various immigrant populations; and Whereas, the projects granted the funds would be focused on improving the quality of life for the City’s various immigrant populations; and Whereas, the Fund would support creative projects that can help bring diverse communities together in the spirit of collaboration; and Whereas, the Fund would support projects that are aligned with advancing one or more of the six outcome priorities featured in Austin City Council’s Strategic Direction 2023 addressing equity concerns and disparities where gaps need to be closed; and Whereas, the Equity Office was able to pilot the project during the current fiscal year. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that the City of Austin set aside a pool of at least $100,000 to the Equity Office for continued funding for an Immigrant Integration Mini‐Grant Fund. Each Mini‐Grant would be no more than $10,000. Date of Approval: April 5, 2021 1 The term “immigrant” as used here also includes people who are refugees and asylees/asylum‐seekers. Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 9‐0 vote with Glenn Rosales and Juan Vences‐Benitez absent Attest: Staff Liaison
Versión en español a continuación. Commission on Immigrant Affairs Meeting Monday, March 1, 2021 Commission on Immigrant Affairs to be held March 1, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (February 28, 2021 by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the March 1, 2021 Commission on Immigrant Affairs Meeting, members of the public must: •Call or email the board liaison at 512-972-5117 or sinying.chan@austintexas.gov no later than noon, February 28, 2021. The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). •Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to sinying.chan@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Commission on Immigrant Affairs FECHA de la reunion (Lunes, Marzo 1, 2021) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (Febrero 28, 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de junta en 512-972-5117 o sinying.chan@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el número que se utilizará para llamar ). • Una …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20210301‐2b: Creation of Summer Camps in Spanish or Duel Language Summer Camps to Support A.I.S.D.’s English Learner and Duel Language Learner Population 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 provided3; 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 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 1U.S. Census Data from available at: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=language%20austin%20tx&g=1600000US4805000&hidePreview =false&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S1601&vintage=2018&layer=VT_2018_160_00_PY_D1&cid=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_Access_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 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 almost all 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 that the …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20210301‐2b: 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 address 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 recent weather crisis, 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. 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. Date of Approval: March 1, 2021 Attest: Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 9‐0 vote with Samuel Adair and Glenn Rosales absent Staff Liaison
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20210301‐2b: Fund Citizenship Clinics WHEREAS, The City of Austin has funded citizenship clinics over the last two years. These clinics have been successful in helping immigrants become US citizens, including by helping at least 200 people at citizenship clinics; and WHEREAS, naturalization allows people to become more secure members of our community. They no longer face the risk of deportation. They can vote and participate in federal and local elections and can run for office. These are all assets to our growing population and we should provide support and education to individuals wishing to naturalize. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that the City of Austin continue funding naturalization clinics over the next two years. Date of Approval: March 1, 2021 Attest: Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 9‐0 vote with Samuel Adair and Glenn Rosales absent Staff Liaison
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20210301‐2b: Increase in Legal Services Funding WHEREAS, we heard that from the community that legal services funding is crucial, and that 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’s become very complicated, and it is essential that immigrant communities obtain accurate advice and assistance. Those most impacted are low income immigrants; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin already funds legal services for low income immigrants who are Austin residents; and WHEREAS, there is a need for increased funding. Immigrants often work in the service industry and are being hard hit by the COVID‐19 situation. To compound that, if they do not have work authorization, they are not eligible for unemployment. This leaves immigrant families in a significantly worse situation than other Austin families at this time. Meanwhile, immigration rules have been changing over the years and are due to change again; and WHEREAS, other communities have decided to invest in legal representation for immigrants at a greater rate than Austin has. Harris County recently approved $2.5 million in funding.1 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that we increase funding for immigration legal services. Date of Approval: March 1, 2021 Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 9‐0 vote with Samuel Adair and Glenn Rosales absent 1 https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston‐texas/houston/article/Harris‐County‐OKs‐2‐5M‐to‐help‐poor‐ immigrants‐15717330.php Attest: Staff Liaison
