161st Street Business Improvement District - Make Music New York on the Grand Concourse

 

Make Music New York returns this year to the 161st Street Business Improvement District (BID) but at a different location than in pervious years. This year Make Music New York will happen on the Grand Concourse Service Road between 161st and 162nd street instead of Lou Gehrig Plaza and will feature some of the BID's favorite artists and the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. Performances will be Wednesday, June 21 from 11 am - 6pm on the Grand Concourse Service Road.

“Last year was my first year during a Make Music New York event as I was the new Executive Director for the 161st Street BID,” said Trey Jenkins. "I learned very quickly how important music is to this neighborhood along with this event and our summer lunchtime concert series at Joyce Kilmer Park. This year we wanted to do expand on Make Music New York by bringing our friends from the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus on board to make it a family affair. We also are working with some new artists and our favorite group the Morrisania Band Project."

Make Music Day began in France 41 years ago in 1982 and was introduced by the French Ministry of Culture to celebrate the summer solstice with free live music for all. 

Saxophonist Tony Smith will kick off the musical festivities starting at 11am followed by a noon performance from the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, the brass band the Underground Horns, DJ Tony Crush from the Cold Crush Brothers, another performance from Bindlestiff, Latin flavor from Miss Yaya and a headline performance from the Soul/R&B neighborhood group Morrisania Band Project to close the day out from 5-6pm.

In addition to Make Music New York on Wednesday, June 21, the BID will be hosting Tuesday lunchtime concerts in front of the Lorelei Fountain inside Joyce Kilmer Park starting on July 18 through September 19.

Federal Jury Convicts Three Defendants of Interstate Stalking of Chinese Nationals in the U.S. and Two of Those Defendants for Acting or Conspiring to Act on Behalf of the People's Republic of China

 

Retired NYPD Sergeant and Co-Conspirators are First Defendants Convicted After a U.S. Trial in Connection with PRC’s Repatriation Program “Operation Fox Hunt”

 Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned guilty verdicts against three defendants on multiple counts of a superseding indictment charging them with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as illegal agents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without prior notification to the Attorney General.  Defendant Michael McMahon was convicted of acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking.  Defendant Zhu Yong, also known as “Jason Zhu”, was convicted of conspiracy to act as an illegal agent of the PRC, acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking.  Defendant Zheng Congying was convicted of conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking.  Defendants McMahon and Zhu knowingly acted at the direction of PRC government officials to conduct surveillance and engage in a campaign to harass, stalk, and coerce certain residents of the United States to return to the PRC as part of a global and extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.”  Defendant Zheng engaged in interstate stalking of the same victims, leaving a threatening note at their residence.  Today’s verdict followed a three-week trial before United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen.  When sentenced, McMahon faces up to 20 years in prison, Zhu faces up to 25 years in prison, and Zheng faces up to 10 years in prison.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, James E. Dennehy, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Jersey Field Office (FBI), and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the verdict.

“The jury’s verdict confirms that defendants McMahon and Zhu knowingly acted at the direction of a hostile foreign state to harass, intimidate and attempt to cause the involuntary return of a resident of the New York metropolitan area to the People’s Republic of China, and that defendant Zheng harassed and intimidated that same person and his family,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “It is particularly troubling that defendant Michael McMahon, a former sergeant in the New York City Police Department, engaged in surveillance, harassment, and stalking on behalf of a foreign power for money.  We will remain steadfast in exposing and undermining efforts by the Chinese government to reach across our border and perpetrate transnational repression schemes targeting victims in the United States in violation of our laws.” 

Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the FBI’s New York Field Office for their valuable assistance with the investigation.

“The defendants engaged in a campaign of harassment and coercion on behalf of the PRC to force the victim’s repatriation to China from the United States, including by threatening family members,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen.  “The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who would help repressive regimes violate the fundamental freedoms of people in the U.S.”

FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Dennehy stated:  “We hope this verdict serves as a message to other operatives in the United States working right now at the behest of the People’s Republic of China in its effort to silence those who speak out against it. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are watching, and we are taking action to stop the stalking, threatening, and repressing of dissidents. A specific takeaway, private investigators will face consequences if they wittingly ignore the warning signs that they may be part of a larger plot to illegally harass and coerce people by a foreign power. If you have concerns, reach out to us.”

“Today’s verdict reinforces HSI’s commitment to aggressively combat any illegal intrusions by the Chinese government to target, threaten, harass, surveil, coerce and intimidate legal residents of the United States,” stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo.  “Rather than engaging proper officials through lawful diplomatic channels, PRC officials and intermediaries acting on their behalf have engaged in illegal conduct in the United States to carry out their goals. HSI will leverage all of its law enforcement partnerships and utilize all investigative tools to disrupt attempts by international actors to circumvent our laws, undermine our national security, and target U.S. residents.”

As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, the defendants participated in an international campaign with members of the PRC government as part of “Operation Fox Hunt” to threaten, harass, surveil, and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family, to force John Doe #1 and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC.  In or around 2015, the PRC government caused the International Criminal Police Organization (also known as “Interpol”), an inter-governmental law enforcement organization, to issue “Red Notices” for John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 alleging that both persons were wanted by the PRC government on corruption-related charges.

Zhu hired McMahon, a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator, who obtained detailed information about John Doe #1, his wife, and his daughter from a law enforcement database and other government databases, then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer, what he had learned.  McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s sister-in-law and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he had observed.  The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including co-conspirators Hu Ji, a PRC police officer with the Wuhan Public Security Bureau, and Tu Lan, a PRC prosecutor with the Wuhan Procuratorate.

In April 2017, Tu Lan and Hu Ji transported John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father from the PRC to the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s sister-in-law to attempt to convince John Doe #1 to return to the PRC.  The testimony established that John Doe #1’s father was brought by a PRC doctor and charged co-conspirator, Li Minjun, and that while John Doe #1’s father was in the United States, his daughter was threatened with jailing in the PRC.  A co-conspirator conducted surveillance of the home during the visit, wearing night-vision goggles provided by the PRC doctor and PRC prosecutor.  McMahon tailed John Doe #1 from the meeting with his elderly father, back to his home, and provided John Doe #1’s address—which was previously unknown—to the PRC operatives.

In October 2016 and April 2017, McMahon emailed himself a China Daily News article titled “Interpol Launches Global Dragnet for 100 Chinese Fugitives,” which stated, “Amid the nation’s intensifying antigraft campaign, arrest warrants were issued by Interpol China for former State employees and others suspected of a wide range of corrupt practices.  China Daily was authorized by the Chinese justice authorities to publish the information below.”  The article provided a list of photographs and identifying information about Operation Fox Hunt targets by the PRC government, including those of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1.

On September 4, 2018, Zheng drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 and pounded on the front door.  He and a coconspirator attempted to force open the door to the residence, then left a note that stated “If you are willing to go back to the mainland and spend 10 years in prison, your wife and children will be all right.  That’s the end of this matter!” 

Previously, three other defendants pled guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign.

Speaker Adrienne Adams to Rent Guidelines Board: Amidst Housing & Homelessness Crises, Avoid Proposed Rent Increases

Ahead of the Rent Guidelines Board vote on proposed rent increases to the city’s nearly one million rent-stabilized units, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams sent the Board a letter calling on them to recognize the affordable housing and homelessness crises the city is facing. New York City’s rent-stabilized units account for almost half of the city’s rental apartments, making it a crucial piece of the city’s affordable housing stock.

The Rent Guidelines Board’s Income and Affordability study showed that a majority of tenants in rent-stabilized units are rent burdened, underscoring the existing difficulty in affording their homes and covering basic needs. Over the past year, New York City has seen record growth in its shelter population and increased evictions, fueled by economic insecurity and housing unaffordability while an expanded number of people seeking asylum have arrived in need of shelter.

The full letter can be found here.

An excerpt from Speaker Adams’ letter states:

“I am deeply concerned that the proposed rent increases by the Rent Guidelines Board threaten the stability of New York City tenants, who already face immense economic pressures in an increasingly unaffordable city. While the Board ultimately did not propose to increase rents up to the previously considered 16 percent, its proposal for increases of up to 7% still presents major problems. I urge the Board to acknowledge, through its decision at the upcoming June 21 vote, that New York City is facing a housing affordability crisis and limit rent increases.

“If we continue down the same path as last year, people will be further cost-burdened and housing affordability will be pushed farther into the distance. The Board must consider that every increase it advances to the cost of housing has the potential to push more families onto public assistance and into homelessness at a time when the City is already experiencing a crisis.” 

Attorney General James Calls on Target to Support the LGBTQ+ Community Coalition of 15 Attorneys General Ask Target to Support LGBTQ+ Americans, Resist Anti-LGBTQ+ Harassment

 

Follows Letter AG James Sent Earlier This Month Urging Target to Return Pride Merchandise to Stores 

New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a group of 15 attorneys general in calling on Target to support inclusivity and reject anti-LGBTQ+ hate, intimidation, and discrimination. In a letter sent to the national retail chain, the coalition addresses Target’s recent decision to remove certain Pride-related merchandise from its stores amid an increasing number of politically-motivated attacks on LGBTQ+ Americans. Attorney General James and the coalition of attorneys general express their commitment to protecting the civil rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and their concern regarding Target’s recent decision. The coalition’s action follows a letter Attorney General James sent earlier this month urging Target to reinstall the Pride merchandise removed from stores in response to backlash from anti-LGBTQ+ customers. 

“Target’s decision to remove certain Pride merchandise in response to hateful backlash is wrong,” said Attorney General James. “As state legislatures nationwide are attacking the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ individuals, we must be unwavering and unapologetic in supporting the LGBTQ+ community. During Pride month and beyond, I will always fight to ensure that LGBTQ+ New Yorkers — and Americans — can live and shop as their true selves without fear of harassment and intimidation.”

The attorneys general acknowledge that Target is concerned with keeping staff members and customers safe from anti-LGBTQ+ harassment, vandalism, and other criminal acts. The letter encourages Target to reach out to responsible authorities, including the co-signed attorneys general, to help address any anti-LGBTQ+ threats and harassment in Target stores. 

LGBTQ+ Americans have faced an increasing number of politically-motivated attacks in recent years. State legislatures across the country have adopted laws barring public schools from discussing LGBTQ+ identity, limiting gender-affirming care, prohibiting transgender individuals from using bathrooms or playing on sports teams aligned with their gender identity, and restricting drag performances. At the same time, the LGBTQ+ community has also increasingly been targeted by harassment and hate, including escalating threats of violence and a spike in baseless accusations that LGBTQ+ individuals seek to abuse or convert children.   

Against this backdrop, Pride merchandise like Target’s is an important way to demonstrate support for LGBTQ+ people nationwide, and to show that loud and intimidating fringe voices and bullies do not represent the views of society at large. For this reason, the attorneys general are concerned that Target’s decision to respond to bullying, intimidation, and destruction in their stores by pulling certain Pride merchandise, even when motivated by an understandable desire to protect workers, sends the wrong message: that those who engage in hateful and disruptive conduct can cause large corporations to succumb to their bullying, and that they have the power to determine when and where LGBTQ+ consumers can feel comfortable and protected. 

In New York and many other states, the law supports Target’s efforts to protect its staff and customers in the face of any hate-based intimidation, harassment, threats, or attacks. The New York State Human Rights Law prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodation on the basis of several protected characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. 

Joining Attorney General James in sending the letter are the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Minnesota, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. 

Attorney General James has long been a leader in fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Last month, she co-led a multistate coalition in submitting comments in support of robust anti-discrimination protections for transgender students at the federal level. In April 2023, Attorney General James called out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for violating public university students’ right to privacy over his request for information on those receiving gender-affirming care. In March 2023, following a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-drag protests, rhetoric, and policies, Attorney General James hosted a first-of-its-kind Drag Story Hour Read-A-Thon for families in New York City. Last December, Attorney General James led a multi-state coalition of attorneys general to support equal access to gender-affirming care in West Virginia. In November 2022, Attorney General James led a coalition of attorneys general to support transgender students seeking to participate in sex-segregated school sports consistent with their gender identity in Indiana. Attorney General James has led or co-led coalitions of attorneys general to challenge policies prohibiting transgender students from using bathrooms which correspond with their gender identity in Indiana, Florida, and Virginia. 

FDNY FIREFIGHTER INDICTED FOR STEALING CREDIT CARDS FROM DECEASED PATIENT DURING EMS CALL

Defendant Charged $250 in Merchandise and Attempted to Charge $800 More 

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber today announced that a FDNY firefighter has been indicted on grand larceny, identity theft and other charges for stealing credit cards of a deceased patient during an emergency call and using them to charge hundreds of dollars in items.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant, a firefighter in the New York City Fire Department, allegedly stole an American Express card and a Mastercard while responding to a 911 call at the Manhattan home of a patient who died. A day later, the defendant allegedly went to various stores in the Bronx and made purchases using the stolen cards. These alleged actions are reprehensible, even more so because he is a member of the city’s Bravest and violated the public trust.”

 Commissioner Strauber said, “This City firefighter, as alleged, was entrusted to provide emergency medical attention to New Yorkers in need. Instead, he used his position to steal the identity and credit cards of an individual he was called upon to help. The disgraceful charged conduct does not represent the compassion and integrity of the City’s first responders and I thank the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD for their commitment to hold accountable those City employees who violate the trust placed in them.”

  District Attorney Clark said Sylus McKenzie, 33, of the Bronx, was arraigned on June 15, 2023 on two counts of fourth degree Grand Larceny, Attempted Identity Theft in the second degree, third-degree Identity Theft, second-degree Criminal Impersonation, and Official Misconduct before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. He is due back in court on September 7, 2023.

 According to the investigation by the Bronx DA’s Public Integrity Bureau and DOI, on the night of January 11, 2021, the defendant, a FDNY Firefighter for about four years, responded to a 911 call for an unresponsive male at 231 East 50th Street in Manhattan. The man was pronounced dead shortly after the defendant arrived. After McKenzie left the scene and other first responders were preparing to seal the location, it was discovered that multiple credit cards of the decedent were missing from the apartment.

 According to the investigation, on January 12, 2021, between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., multiple transactions were made, and attempted, on the decedent’s missing credit cards. The defendant allegedly bought or tried to buy a total of $1,123.21 in purchases at a Sunoco Gas Station, a Food Bazaar Supermarket, and AirPods at Target.

 District Attorney Clark thanked the Department of Investigation, specifically Assistant Inspector General Jordan Buff in DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for FDNY, with the supervision of Deputy Inspector General Aleksandro Tilka, Deputy Inspector General Arturo Sanchez, Inspector General Audrey Feldman and Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Dominick Zarrella.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt. 

NEW LAW TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM POTENTIAL GIFT CARD SCAMS GOES INTO EFFECT TODAY, JUNE 20TH

 

Businesses are Required to Post a Notice Warning Consumers About Potential Gift Card Fraud

New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez reminded businesses that a new law to protect consumers from potential gift card scams goes into effect today, June 20th. All businesses selling gift cards are now required to display a notice at or near where any gift card or gift certificate is displayed or sold to caution consumers about gift card fraud. Requesting gift cards as payment has become increasingly popular with scammers as funds are nearly impossible to trace. According to the Federal Trade Commission in 2022, nearly 65,000 consumers filed a complaint related to gift card scams, equating to a total loss of $228.3 million. More information is available here.

“Over the past several weeks, the Department of State has been working to get the message out to both businesses and consumers about this important new law that educates and protects consumers against gift card fraud,” said Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez. “We want businesses to comply with the law, and we want to help increase the public’s awareness of these increasingly popular scams, so we encourage any business that has not already done so to post a warning notice where gift cards or displayed or sold.”

The Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection has created and published model notices that gift card sellers can download and post to comply with this new law. Businesses are encouraged to access these downloadable signs and post them where they sell gift cards. These downloadable signs are available in three different sizes on the Division of Consumer Protection website.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES ASYLUM APPLICATION HELP CENTER

 

In Absence of National Strategy, Asylum Application Help Center Will Provide Thousands of Asylum Seekers in NYC Assistance to Submit Asylum Applications, First Step Toward Work Authorization

 

City Will Also Continue to Support Non-Profit Legal Providers and Pro Se Clinics with $5 Million Investment

 

Interested Immigration Lawyers and Application Assistants Encouraged to Apply Immediately

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the Asylum Application Help Center, which will offer thousands of asylum seekers assistance completing and filing asylum applications as they seek a new life in the United States. While the tens of thousands of migrants that have arrived in New York City over the last year seeking shelter have already been paroled into the country by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, many have not officially filled out their asylum applications, delaying their eligibility for work authorization. Opening in the coming weeks — in consultation with immigration legal service providers and with the initial pro-bono support of the law firms Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP; and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP — the Asylum Application Help Center will help thousands of asylum seekers currently in New York City apply for asylum, bringing them one step closer to being eligible for work authorization. Interested asylum seekers will schedule a one-on-one appointment at the application help center, where trained application assistants will work with the applicant to answer questions. Experienced immigration lawyers will be on site to supervise application assistants and provide guidance, and interpreters will be on site to provide in-person language assistance. Mayor Adams also encouraged New Yorkers interested in working at the Asylum Application Help Center to apply immediately.

 

“Throughout this crisis, New York City has led the nation in answering the call to support arriving asylum seekers, and we are doing that again today,” said Mayor Adams. “The Asylum Application Help Center will assist the asylum seekers in New York City through the complex federal immigration process, bringing them one step closer to being eligible for work authorization and the ability to support themselves. We must act swiftly to ensure the well-being of the thousands of migrants whose deadline to submit an asylum application is fast approaching, and this center will help us do that. I encourage New Yorkers to join this unprecedented effort by applying today to work at our center.”

 

“Legal services are a critical next step in the city’s approach to support people seeking asylum as they work to achieve independence,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “The city is making important investments in the Asylum Application Help Center in partnership with a number of private sector partners. Thank you to all the firms, legal professionals, and everyday New Yorkers that are and will be a part of this effort. Ultimately, if we all work together with a national strategy for a national issue, we can address this humanitarian crisis." 

 

“The necessary first step toward work authorization — and a new life in this country — is a completed asylum application,” said Chief Counsel to City Hall Brendan McGuire. “By scaling up this help center to aid thousands of asylum seekers, this administration is providing targeted assistance to those who need it urgently.  And we are not doing it alone.  The non-profit community, the private immigration bar, and many of the city’s leading law firms have answered the call.  We are grateful to all of them and look forward to growing this effort in the weeks ahead.” 

 

“The Asylum Application Help Center represents another comprehensive measure taken by the City of New York to respond to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix. “I commend those who are a part of this valiant effort to assist individuals through the federal asylum application process. This can be a daunting task for new arrivals. The help center will provide much needed guidance and assistance to asylum seekers as they forge their path towards self-sufficiency and a new life in our city.”

 

“Since the beginning of this humanitarian crisis, our administration has gone beyond our moral obligation to humanely support our newest New Yorkers and help them integrate into our city,” said Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manual Castro. “The Asylum Application Help Center is a historic step New York City is taking with private and non-profit partners to help asylum seekers meet their one-year application deadline. While we await a national strategy, the city will continue to meet the needs of this crisis.”  

 

“New York City is a beacon of hope for so many seeking asylum, and volunteers continue to support individuals and families through their time, talents and donations. NYC Service is proud to offer free capacity building tools for organizations or programs supporting people seeking asylum, including the ability to recruit volunteers and receive in-kind donations,” said Chief Service Officer Laura Rog. “I encourage organizations to register on nyc.gov/service to connect to New Yorkers who want to help. To all the talented New Yorkers who want to get involved but aren’t sure how, register online to answer the call to serve.”

 

The Asylum Application Help Center will operate Monday – Friday from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM in the American Red Cross Greater New York headquarters in Midtown Manhattan by appointment only. The city continues to expand access to immigration assistance for recently arrived immigrants through ongoing and increased investments in its network of contracted immigration legal services providers. In addition to the Asylum Application Help Center, the city will invest $5 million to continue supporting a range of legal providers, including Lutheran Social Services, African Services Committee, Catholic Charities Community Services, and the Pro Se Plus Project (comprised of the New York Legal Assistance Group, Central American Legal Assistance, UnLocal, African Communities Together, Masa, and Catholic Migration Services) operating pro se clinics and hosting information sessions at the American Red Cross Greater New York headquarters.

 

In the coming weeks, the other support services offered at the Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center — currently operating at the American Red Cross Greater New York headquarters — will transition to the city’s Asylum Seeker Arrival Center based out of The Roosevelt Hotel. These services include New York City Department of Education school enrollment, Fair Fares enrollment, IDNYC, health insurance enrollment, and access to mental health counseling.

 

Helping asylum seekers to file asylum applications delivers on promises made in Mayor Adams’ “The Road Forward: A Blueprint to Address New York City's Response to the Asylum Seeker Crisis,” released this spring. The Adams administration also continues to strongly urge the federal government to immediately use every tool at its disposal to protect and support newly arrived migrants and asylum seekers — and the municipalities supporting them — by expanding Humanitarian Parole and Temporary Protected Status, and expediting asylum-based work authorization.

 

 Since this humanitarian crisis began, the city has taken fast and urgent action, opening a total of 175 emergency sites to provide shelter to asylum seekers, including 11 additional large-scale humanitarian relief centers; standing up navigation centers with support from community-based organizations to connect asylum seekers with critical resources; enrolling thousands of children in public schools through Project Open Arms; and more. 

 

“Cleary Gottlieb is committed to assisting vulnerable asylum-seekers located in New York City to apply for relief, and to working alongside our partner organizations in these efforts to leverage our long-standing experience and expertise in humanitarian immigration law,” said Michael A. Gerstenzang, managing partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.

 

“We stand ready to help with this first step towards getting people authorization to work,” said Brad S. Karp, chair, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.  

 

“Simpson Thacher has a long-standing commitment to providing legal services to migrants fleeing dangerous conditions in their home countries,” said Josh Levine, co-chair, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s Pro Bono Committee.  “We recognize that the number of immigrant families arriving daily into New York City has reached an unprecedented level and we stand ready to help the city with the services needed to help these children and adults apply for asylum.”

 

“This crisis calls for tenacious professionalism to help those striving to make a new home in New York,” said Bret Parker, executive director, New York City Bar Association and Kurt M. Denk, executive director, City Bar Justice Center. “Our organizations and others like ours have seen the difference that pro bono legal services can make in times of emergency, and we’re confident that approach will have an impact here as well.”

 

“American Immigration Lawyers Association New York Chapter welcomes New York City’s efforts to provide support to the thousands of asylum seekers in need of assistance,” said Kushal Patel, chair, American Immigration Lawyers Association New York Chapter (AILA NY).

 

“The American Immigration Lawyers Association of New York City is proud to be included in this initiative to assist asylum seekers navigate the complex U.S. immigration system,” said Neena Dutta, advocacy chair, AILA NY. “Our organization is comprised of over 1,700 private and non-profit immigration lawyers and nationwide the association has over 18,000 members. We know first-hand the issues facing newly arrived immigrants, and the consequences of poor or no representation. Less than 37 percent of immigrants and 14 percent of detained immigrants are represented by counsel. Immigrants who are represented are five times more likely to win their cases with an attorney than without and detained immigrants are 11 times more likely to pursue relief when they have legal counsel. Court data regarding unaccompanied children shows that when represented, 73 percent are allowed to remain in the U.S. when represented, whereas 15 percent are allowed to stay when unrepresented. We look forward to tackling this issue at our doorstep as the country has not had comprehensive immigration reform for three decades. We applaud the mayor’s office for taking this crucial step which recognizes a dire need and a human right, and hope that other cities will follow suit and adopt similar programs.”

 

Community Board 11 Juneteenth Celebration.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining June and nineteenth, it is celebrated on the anniversary of the order by Major General Gordon Granger proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth was signed into law as the eleventh American federal holiday on June 17, 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. 

The Community Board 11 Community Development and Budget Priorities Committee of Chair Serena Muniz, Co-Chair Malcolm Gray, committee member Christine Culpepper  De Ruiz, and other Community Board 11 members came up with the idea of celebrating Juneteenth as a Community Board 11 event. Elected officials who were on hand included Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, City Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez, and State Senator Gustavo Rivera. 

Proclamations, and Certificates of merit were given to longtime CB11 member and recently retired President of the 49th Precinct Council, while other honorees were Deputy Inspector Garth Kentish commander of the 49th Precinct, Oral Selkridge Sergeant of Arms Community Board 11, and Angel Diaz member Laborers Local 79. Tyron Pope, ED.D Clinical Lecturer of Criminal Justice Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology at IONA University  spoke about Juneteenth.

(L-R) Community Board 11 members Migiel Dyer and Christine Culpepper De Ruiz, State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, CB 11 Community Development and Budget Priorities chair Serena Muniz, Tyron Pope ED.D, and CB 11 Budget Committee Co Chair Malcolm Gray.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson arrived after State Senator Rivera departed for another event, and poke of what Juneteenth meant to her. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark also spoke after the borough president about Juneteenth.

Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez arrived as the awards were handed out. Honorees Oral Selkridge and Angel Diaz stand behind Councilwoman Velazquez, Borough President Gibson, and CB 11 Budget Committee Chair Muniz.

Special Honoree Joe Thompson arrived just in time to be given his proclamation and other awards, while posing with Borough President Gibson, Councilwoman Velazquez, other honorees, and Community Board 11 members. 

The beautifully decorated and delicious red velvet and cream cheese Juneteenth cake.