Secretary Mayorkas Announces Extension and Redesignation of Yemen for Temporary Protected Status

Redesignation Allows Additional Newly Eligible Yemeni Nationals to Apply for TPS and Employment Authorization Documents 

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas today announced the extension and redesignation of Yemen for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months, from September 4, 2024, to March 3, 2026, due to country conditions in Yemen that prevent individuals from safely returning.

After consultation with interagency partners, Secretary Mayorkas determined that an 18-month extension and redesignation of Yemen for TPS is warranted because ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions continue to support Yemen’s TPS designation, and that the extension and redesignation are not contrary to the national interest of the United States.

“Yemen has been in a state of protracted conflict for the past decade, severely limiting civilians’ access to water, food, and medical care, pushing the country to the brink of economic collapse, and preventing Yemeni nationals living abroad from safely returning home,” said Secretary Mayorkas. “The steps the Department of Homeland Security has taken today will allow certain Yemenis currently residing in the United States to remain and work here until conditions in their home country improve.”

The redesignation of Yemen for TPS allows an estimated 1,700 Yemeni nationals (and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen) who have been continuously residing in the United States since July 2, 2024 to file initial applications for TPS, if they are otherwise eligible.

The extension of TPS for Yemen allows approximately 2,300 current beneficiaries to retain TPS through March 3, 2026, if they continue to meet TPS eligibility requirements. This extension and redesignation does not apply for anyone who was not already in the United States on July 2, 2024.

The corresponding Federal Register notice provides information about registering for TPS as a new or current beneficiary under Yemen’s extension and redesignation. The Federal Register notice explains eligibility criteria, timelines, and procedures necessary for current beneficiaries to re-register and renew EADs, and for new applicants to submit an initial application under the redesignation and apply for an EAD.

Accompanying this announcement is a Special Student Relief notice for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Yemen, or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen, so that eligible students may request employment authorization, work an increased number of hours while school is in session, and reduce their course load while continuing to maintain F-1 status through the TPS designation period.

Current TPS beneficiaries who wish to extend their status through March 3, 2026, must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period from July 10, 2024, through September 9, 2024, to ensure they keep their TPS and employment authorization. DHS recognizes that not all re-registrants may receive a new Employment Authorization Document before their current EAD expires and is automatically extending through September 3, 2025, the validity of EADs previously issued under Yemen’s TPS designation.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will continue to process pending applications filed under previous TPS designations for Yemen. Individuals with a pending Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, or a related Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, as of July 10, 2024 do not need to file either application again. If USCIS approves a pending Form I-821 or Form I-765 filed under the previous designation of TPS for Yemen, USCIS will grant the individual TPS through March 3, 2026, and issue an EAD valid through the same date.

Under the redesignation of Yemen, eligible individuals who do not have TPS may submit an initial Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, during the initial registration period that runs from July 10, 2024 through March 3, 2026. Applicants also may apply for TPS-related EADs and for travel authorization. Applicants can request an EAD by submitting a completed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, with their Form I-821, or separately later.

Since the Securing the Border Presidential Proclamation and Interim Final Rule was issued in early June, over 24,000 noncitizens have been removed or returned to more than 20 countries. All irregular migration journeys are extremely dangerous, unforgiving, and often result in loss of life. DHS will continue to enforce U.S. laws and will return noncitizens who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States. 

Queens Woman Charged With Using a Hitman-For-Hire Website on the Dark Web to Order Murder of Her Lover’s Wife

 

The Defendant Allegedly Also Discussed Having the Targeted Victim’s Adult Daughter Killed

This afternoon, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Yue Zhou is scheduled to be arraigned on an indictment charging her with murder-for-hire.  Zhou was arrested on June 5, 2024 in the Eastern District of Virginia and removed to the Eastern District of New York on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.  Today’s proceeding will be held before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. 

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the charges.

“As alleged, the defendant took affirmative steps to hire a hit man to carry out the ruthless killing of the wife of her romantic partner,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Her depraved plan was only thwarted because the web site she used to set up the murder-for-hire was a scam.  Although the scheme involved newer technologies like the Internet and Bitcoin, the end result would have been age-old cold-blooded murder.”

Mr. Peace thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for their assistance.

“Yue Zhou is accused of offering cryptocurrency, cash, and even sexual favors during her discussions related to having her then-partner’s spouse and adult daughter killed. Little did she know, the website she allegedly thought she was using to solicit a hitman was a farce, and the crimes of which she is accused soon caught up to her,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Arvelo.  “I commend HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force Cyber Division, Customs and Border Protection, the New York Police Department, and the Eastern District of New York for their unwavering commitment to utilizing their state-of-the-art methods to secure justice on behalf of New Yorkers.”

As alleged in the indictment and other court documents, between March 25, 2019 and April 4, 2019, Zhou sought to hire a hitman through a murder-for-hire website on the dark web (Website) to murder Victim-1, the spouse of the defendant’s then-romantic partner.  Using an alias on the website, Zhou placed an order to have Victim-1 murdered.  To pay for the murder, Zhou contracted with a Bitcoin exchange service in Ukraine to make a $5,000 payment in Bitcoin on her behalf to the Website.  Zhou provided approximately $5,000 in cash to a middleman in Brooklyn and then communicated with the Website administrator to confirm payment.  After sending payment, Zhou provided a detailed description of Victim-1, including her home, her work schedule, and the best times to target Victim-1, so that Victim-1’s husband would have an alibi for the murder.  Zhou later tried to use to the Website to secure the murder of Victim-2, her romantic partner’s adult daughter.  In February 2021, Zhou also sent a text message to a neighbor of Victim-2 seeking to hire that neighbor to kill Victim-2.  Zhou offered the neighbor $10,000 and sexual favors in exchange for killing Victim-2 and disposing of the body in a lake.  Zhou was not aware at the time of her scheme that the Website was a scam operated by a third party and there was no actual hitman for hire. 

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Governor Hochul Joins State and Federal Officials to Announce $6.88 Billion Full Funding Grant Agreement for Gateway Hudson Tunnel

Governor Hochul: “Today is a historic day. We have moved into places that others thought was impossible… Tunnels that were built in 1910, that were ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, and people said, ‘Well, stuff happens, right?’ No. You find the investment, you find the partners, and you make $16 billion of investments happen.”

Hochul: “95,000 good-paying jobs for this region is phenomenal. To the men and women of labor, let's give them a huge round of applause, because they're the ones building back our region, one tunnel at a time. $20 billion dollars of economic impact. What does that look like? Oh, our local businesses are so excited about families having more money in their pockets.”

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul joined state and federal officials as the Gateway Development Commission signed a $6.88 billion maximum full funding grant agreement with the Federal Transit Administration. The grant supports the Hudson Tunnel Project, which will build two additional tracks and rehabilitate the existing two tracks, resulting in four modern tracks between New York and New Jersey that create operational flexibility, rail network redundancy and resiliency against future impacts to the Hudson River rail crossing.

I have a question for Majority Leader Schumer, if he's still in earshot. What if we got up to 75-80 percent? Can we get a really big bag of cherries? I mean, I think that'd be fabulous. But no, I'm grateful to him. I want to say this: there are so many extraordinary public servants at every-level who made this happen. And to recognize that it starts at the very top — if you don't have a President of the United States of America who's committed to this, it doesn't happen. So yes, we will give praise to President Biden. I think we give him a huge round of applause for not just loving Amtrak, loving trains, but being truly the embodiment of what an infrastructure president actually is and does. Let's give President Biden a round of applause.

And this is about partnership. Don't take for granted that it's easy between two states. For example, we love New Jersey, New Jersey loves New York. But sometimes it's like brothers and sisters. Anybody come from a big family? You know what I'm talking about. So, to pull it together, to say that, yes, there have been four presidents and five governors between our two states who just said, “It's too hard, we can't get it done” and moved on to the next crisis. Let's give credit to the people behind our governors, those who make the magic happen.

And Phil Murphy, thank you. From our very first days in office — and I've been here just going on three years now — we said, “We have the power between us to work with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has dreamed of this day and made it happen” and people like Jerry Nadler and our congressional delegation.

But if the governors were not on board, my friends, we'd all be doing something different right now. So, Phil Murphy, thank you for the spirit of friendship that says we can sit around a table, we can collaborate, we can make the magic happen. So, thank you. And thank you to Kris Kolluri, this bi-state guy that we both love — you've done an amazing job.

Tony Coscia with Amtrak, we need your leadership as well. And also, to those in the Biden administration — yes, it's our President, yes, it's our Vice President — and Secretary Buttigieg, who came here many, many times. And yes, he must be on the phone with people from New York all day long, because he's always talking to me as well, and the senator and everybody. We appreciate that level of engagement.

Also, to have someone like Polly Trottenberg right there as a leader. I want to thank you Polly because your voice on behalf of this region — and yes, the whole country — but you have made a profound difference as well. And I want to thank you for that. Veronica Vanterpool — again, New York is really in the house, isn't it?

I mean, I — I'm really grateful that all of you know what we're talking about. You know what we're talking about. You know how critical this is. And so, you and your teams have made this happen. My team is extraordinary. My team, Kathryn Garcia — who would be here, except she's across the great pond watching her daughter get married. We let her take a pass for that. But what she did — and her team and Commissioner Dominguez — Marie Therese Dominguez, our Commissioner of DOT — thank you. Thank you to everyone. And Kevin O'Toole and Rick Cotton, you guys do extraordinary work. You're the unsung heroes who keep things moving in this region, and I'll never take that for granted, so thank you.

Senator Booker, have a nice trip? Had to get on the road — I guess the senators are a little bit busy today. But also, to so many others — locally, Mark Levine is here. We have representation from the Deputy Mayor from the City of New York as well.

Let me just say this: today is a historic day. There's no doubt about it. We have moved into places that others thought was impossible. We have seen this through, and what this says, is that New York and New Jersey — this region — still has the boldness, the audacity of visions where others do not. This is on the scale of the Erie Canal.

How many years, my friends? 200 years ago, next year. You need to get up and celebrate this. It is still an engineering feat that is revered around the world. That's the scale of what we're doing here. Tunnels that were built in 1910, that were ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, and people said, “Well, stuff happens, right?”

No. You find the investment, you find the partners, and you make $16 billion of investments happen. And yes, I'll say it again, because you heard it before — 95,000 good-paying jobs for this region is phenomenal. To the men and women of labor, let's give them a huge round of applause, because they're the ones building back our region, one tunnel at a time. $20 billion dollars of economic impact. What does that look like? Oh, our local businesses are so excited about families having more money in their pockets when times are tough that they're going to spend on entertainment and restaurants and their kids’ education. That's what economic development and money is all about.

So, I just want to say this: we have shown what we're capable of here. We also have a President who invests in us. You heard it before, but this is the largest federal infrastructure investment — not just today, but in American history — and I'm going to put a little side note on that. New York is simultaneously benefiting from the largest private sector investment in American history with Micron. $100 billion dollars of investment going on just up the road. Again, thank you to the Biden Administration. Thank you to Majority Leader Schumer and his partners, Gillibrand and others, who've gotten this over the finish line.

So, sit back, everybody. Enjoy the magic of this moment because it may not happen again in your lifetime. This confluence — a president who gets it, who knows how to get things done and will continue to get things done — and also, partners and the leadership that we have, with the leadership at the highest levels in the Senate, and two governors who know what friendship and camaraderie and the spirit of cooperation can do for a region.

So, go forth, celebrate, honor this day, and know that you were all witnesses to history that generations will look back to with a sense of gratitude that says, “Yes, they continued that legacy of bold, audacious people from this region who would never take no for an answer.” Thank you very much everyone.

News, updates and more from NYC Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr.

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

HART ISLAND WALKTHROUGH WITH NYC PARKS & NYCHRA

Did you know Hart Island is now accessible to the public thanks to a joint New York City Department of Parks & Recreation & NYC Human Resources Administration partnership?

NYC Parks for showing the Bronx Delegation the extensive work underway to provide island access to New Yorkers & the families of the more than 1 million people buried on Hart Island.

STATEMENT ON ADOPTION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET

My statement on the adoption of New York City Council’s Fiscal Year 25 Budget.

Thank you NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and my Council colleagues for working together to create a budget that works for all New Yorkers!

UPCOMING EVENTS

2024 NOCHE QUISQUEYANA!  MARK YOUR CALENDARS: You are cordially invited to the Annual Noche Quisqueyana celebration at the Bronx Zoo! *RSVP’S ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND* Please send your reservation to CMSalamanca.events@gmail.com to reserve your spot.  I hope to see you there! Visit our District Office at:  1070 Southern Boulevard Bronx, New York 10459 (718) 402-6130 salamanca@council.nyc.gov

This Week at KRVC - Bookbag Dropoff and Back to School Drive, Gallery Opening and Community PopUp Shop!

 

Bookbag Dropoff and Back to School Drive!

Drop off new and gently used school supplies tomorrow from 11am - 3pm

Can't make it? Please make a tax-deductible donation here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=X3EC4LPL689D2

COMING UP:

Gallery opening this Thursday featuring the work of Bronx artist, Librado Romero! 

Our Community Pop-up Shop returns this Sunday, July 14th.

Come out and support local entrepreneurs!

Official Statement From Assemblyman John Zaccaro, Jr On The Recent Shooting At A Local McDonalds in Allerton

 

MAYOR ADAMS, SANITATION COMMISSIONER TISCH UNVEIL FIRST-EVER OFFICIAL NYC BIN FOR TRASH PICK UP, RELEASE TIMELINE FOR RESIDENTIAL CONTAINERIZATION OF ALL ONE TO NINE UNIT BUILDINGS

 

NYC Bin — Cheapest Bin of its Quality — Available for Purchase Online

 

Containerization Requirement for Buildings with One to Nine Residential Units to Go Into Effect November 12, 2024

 

As of November 12, Administration Will Have Containerized 70 Percent of New York City’s 14 Billion Annual Pounds of Trash in Two Years

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner Jessica Tisch today symbolically set Gracie Mansion’s trash and recycling out at the curb, marking the next step in relegating New York City’s once-omnipresent mountains of black trash bags to the dust bin of history. This waste was the first to be set out in the first-ever official NYC Bin, now available online. The new official NYC Bin is equipped with wheels and a secure latching lid, and is the cheapest bin of its quality available, with prices below $50 for the most common size. Additionally, Mayor Adams today also announced that DSNY has put forth a proposed rule requiring that all buildings with one to nine residential units and all special use buildings that receive DSNY collection (e.g. city agency buildings, houses of worship, and professional offices located within residential buildings) put their trash in containers, effective November 12, 2024.

 

“Today, we are tossing even more black bags into the dustbin of history and taking the next step forward in our ‘Trash Revolution,’” said Mayor Adams. “The first-ever, official NYC Bin is high-quality, affordable, and will build on our efforts containerizing more than 70 percent of the city’s trash to protect our most valuable and limited resource — our public space.”

 

“NYC-branded wheeled containers, custom designed to work with our trucks, are the key to keeping our most precious real estate — New York City sidewalks — clear,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “With over 70 percent of New York City’s trash contained, the Adams administration and the hardworking men and women of DSNY are defying the odds and the naysayers and winning the ‘Trash Revolution.’”

 

“Many property owners already use bins for their trash — and pay over $100 retail in order to keep the streets clean,” said DSNY Commissioner Tisch. “Well, we’ve got great news: at the same time that we’re moving to require containerization of trash for all buildings with one to nine residential units, we’re unveiling the official ‘NYC Bin’ — beautiful, durable, and less than $50 for the most common size.”

 

The new NYC Bin. Credit: New York City Department of Sanitation

The new official NYC Bin is the cheapest bin of its quality available; similarly durable bins with wheels and a secure, latching lid are sold in retail stores for almost three times the price. These savings were achieved through an innovative contracting mechanism in which one vendor is held to a low price in exchange for exclusivity.

 

Many lower-density residential buildings and special-use buildings already use bins to set out their trash, and the rule provides a period of more than 18 months during which they may continue to use bins they already have, provided those bins are 55 gallons or less and have a latching lid to keep rats out. Thanks to this program, replacing those bins when they wear out just became vastly more affordable, significantly reducing costs for small property owners.

 

Effective June 1, 2026, those buildings will be required to use the official NYC Bin to facilitate faster, safer, cleaner mechanized collection with rear-loading “tipper” garbage trucks. Any property owner or manager covered by the rule who does not currently have a bin is encouraged to purchase the official NYC Bin, as this bin is far cheaper than anything of its quality sold in retail stores. While the requirements of this new rule only cover trash and compostable material, matching green (paper) and blue (metal, glass, plastic, cartons) NYC Bins are also available for purchase for any property owner or manager who prefers a matched set. Bins should be ordered by October 1 to guarantee delivery before the new containerization requirement goes into effect on November 12.

 

Implementation of the rule will include a warning period extending through the end of 2024, with issuance of fines to commence on January 2, 2025. As with existing commercial containerization requirements, the fine for leaving trash on New York City streets rather than in a secure bin of 55 gallons or less is $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense, and $200 for a third offense and each thereafter. DSNY will engage in substantial outreach this summer around these new rules, including through mailers, door to door canvassing, community and ethnic media outreach, and work with community boards and civic associations.

 

The “Trash Revolution” Thus Far

 

The launch of pre-orders for the official NYC Bin and the rule mandating low-density containerization are the latest steps in the rapid rethinking of the relationship between 8.3 million New Yorkers and 14 billion annual pounds of trash — an undertaking collectively known as the “Trash Revolution” — that has led to record-breaking reductions in rat sightings.

1. In October 2022, the Adams administration kicked off the Trash Revolution by changing set-out times for both residential and commercial waste from 4:00 PM — one of the earliest set-out times in the country — to 8:00 PM in April 2023, while also allowing earlier set-out if the material is in a container. This incentivization of containerization was paired with major changes to DSNY operations, picking up well over a quarter of all trash at 12:00 AM rather than 6:00 AM, particularly in high density parts of the city, and ending a practice by which up to one-fifth of trash had been purposefully left out for a full day. 
2. Later that month, DSNY published its “Future of Trash” report, the first meaningful attempt to study containerization models in New York City, and the playbook to get it done. 
3. Last August, containerization requirements went into effect for all food-related businesses in New York City. These businesses — restaurants, delis, bodegas, bars, grocery stores, caterers, etc. — produce an outsized amount of the type of trash that attracts rats. 
4. That same month, installation of the initial 10-block, 14-school Manhattan Community Board 9 pilot containers began.
5. Last September, commercial containerization requirements extended to chain businesses of any type with five or more locations in New York City. These chain businesses tend to produce a large total volume of trash.
6. This past February, Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch unveiled a new, automated, side-loading garbage truck and a new data-driven containerization strategy, affirming a commitment from Mayor Adams’ 2024 State of the City address to set New York City on the course to store all trash put out for pickup in containers.
7. On March 1, 2024, container requirements went into effect for all businesses — of every type — in New York City to get their trash off the streets and into a secure bin. 
8. On November 12, 2024, container requirements will go into effect for low-density residential buildings — those with one to nine units. At that point, approximately 70 percent of all trash in the city will be containerized. New Yorkers can purchase the official NYC Bin online starting today, and use of that specific low-cost bin will become required in June 2026.
9. In the spring of 2025, installation of stationary on-street containers will begin in Manhattan Community Board 9 for the first full-district containerization pilot, serviced by new automated side-loading trucks.  

“The NYC Bin adds another instrumental tool in New York City’s rat mitigation toolkit,” said Director of Citywide Rodent Mitigation Kathleen Corradi. “With this next step in the Department of Sanitation’s ‘Trash Revolution,’ New York City continues its efforts to systematically deny rats a curbside buffet and get black bags off our streets.”

 

Air Quality Health Advisory Issued for NYC Metro Region

 

In Effect for Monday, July 8, 2024

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar and State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for Monday, July 8, 2024, for ozone for the New York City Metro region. 

         The pollutant of concern is: Ozone

         The advisory will be in effect 11 a.m. through 11 p.m. 

The Monday, July 8, Air Quality Health Advisory region consists of: New York City Metro, which includes New York City, Rockland, and Westchester counties.

 

DEC and DOH issue Air Quality Health Advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter (PM2.5), are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100. The AQI was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale, with a higher AQI value indicating a greater health concern. 

 

OZONE

 

Summer heat can lead to the formation of ground-level ozone, a major component of photochemical smog. Automobile exhaust and out-of-state emission sources are the primary sources of ground-level ozone and the most serious air pollution problems in the northeast. This surface pollutant should not be confused with the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere.

 

Ozone is not a direct emission, and is produced indirectly when sunlight chemically reacts with nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. High ozone is not as visible as PM2.5 because it is a colorless gas, but will produce hazy skies and reduce visibility in high concentrations.

 

People, especially those with cardiovascular disease and those who have respiratory disease (such as asthma), young children, those who exercise outdoors, and those involved in vigorous outdoor work should consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity when ozone levels are the highest (generally afternoon to early evening). When outdoor levels of ozone are elevated, going indoors will usually reduce exposure. Individuals experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, or coughing should consider consulting their personal physician.

 

Ozone levels generally decrease at night and can be minimized during daylight hours by curtailment of automobile travel and the use of public transportation where available.

 

New Yorkers also are urged to take the following energy-saving and pollution-reducing steps:

• use mass transit or carpool instead of driving, as automobile emissions account for about 60 percent of pollution in our cities;
• conserve fuel and reduce exhaust emissions by combining necessary motor vehicle trips;
• turn off all lights and electrical appliances in unoccupied areas;
• use fans to circulate air. If air conditioning is necessary, set thermostats at 78 degrees;
• close the blinds and shades to limit heat build-up and to preserve cooled air;
• limit use of household appliances. If necessary, run the appliances at off-peak (after 7 p.m.) hours. These would include dishwashers, dryers, pool pumps and water heaters;
• set refrigerators and freezers at more efficient temperatures;
• purchase and install energy efficient lighting and appliances with the Energy Star label; and
• reduce or eliminate outdoor burning and attempt to minimize indoor sources of PM 2.5 such as smoking. 

 

Additional information on ozone and PM 2.5 is available on DEC's website and on DOH's website (PM 2.5) / DOH's website (ozone). A new DEC fact sheet about the Air Quality Index is also available on DEC’s website or by PDF download https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/aqiweb.pdf. 

 

To stay up-to-date with announcements from DEC, sign up to receive Air Quality Alerts through DEC Delivers: DEC's Premier Email Service. A toll-free Air Quality Hotline (1-800-535-1345) was also established by DEC to keep New Yorkers informed of the latest air quality situation.