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From YouTube: Commission on Human Relations Public Hearing #1 - Travel Bans & Federal Immigration Policy
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A
A
B
Morning,
thank
you
for
joining
us
today
for
the
city
of
Pittsburgh
Commission,
on
Human
Relations,
public
hearing
on
ethics
and
racial
and
religious
discrimination.
My
name
is
Commissioner
Winfred
Craig
I'd
share
the
commission
of
the
city
of
Pittsburgh
commissioners
in
relation.
The
Commission
is
a
silver
rights
enforcement
agency,
empowered
by
article
5
of
the
Chris
Berg
City
Code,
to
investigate
and
resolve
issues
of
discrimination
that
has
occurred
within
the
city.
B
The
Commission
makes
study
and
investigated
by
means
of
public
hearing
and
conditions
have
an
adverse
effect
on
intergroup
relations
in
the
city.
We
work
to
study
and
address
problems
and
prejudice
the
bigotry
discrimination
and,
as
it
affected
Public,
Safety
and
general
welfare
of
the
city.
Today,
we
hope
to
learn
from
experts
and
member
of
the
community
about
challenges.
Faced
due
to
religious
and
ethnic
discrimination.
B
This
has
to
do
religious
discrimination,
discrimination
in
employment
and
education,
setting
community
and
Public
Relation
resources
and
sanctuary
cities.
Those
are
topics
that
will
be
discussed
today.
Please
also
note
that
we
will
have
two
sections
for
public
comments
from
11:15
a.m.
to
1:00
p.m.
and
from
4:30
p.m.
to
approximately
6:00
p.m.
C
C
This
Commission
has
a
long
history
of
being
at
the
forefront
of
protecting
protecting
civil
rights
for
all
people,
regardless
of
who
they
are
their
place
of
worship
or
where
they're
from
this
hearing
will
assist
us
as
we
continue
to
work
to
eliminate
discrimination
and
specifically
combat
ethnic
intimidation
or
any
difference
in
treatment
because
of
ancestry,
color,
race,
religion,
natural
origin
or
place
of
birth.
With
that,
our
first
panel
will
provide
information
on
the
2017
troubled,
an
executive
orders
and
they
effect
on
at
the
local
level.
Thank
you.
B
B
But,
as
you
know,
and
maybe
our
our
speakers
can
elaborate
on
the
change
by
the
Supreme
Court
in
the
last
few
days
regarding
this
policy,
there
has
been
some
adjustment
and
also
has
been
concerns
on
how
to
administer
the
new
change
in
laws
that
the
Supreme
Court
has
levy
regarding
immigration.
So
that's,
maybe
one
of
the
items
in
addition
to
these
two,
this
discussions
that
our
senators
may
want
to
have
to
speak
on
today.
B
The
commission
has
an
interest
in
ensuring
fair
and
equal
treatment
for
all
persons
who
live,
work
or
visit
the
city
of
pittsburgh,
and
we
have
an
interest
in
better
understanding
the
challenges
faced
by
communities
because
of
their
national
origin,
religion,
race
or
color,
and
also
to
help
us
to
help
us
to
understand
and
help
us
to
need
to
understand
what
the
recent
policies
are
and
that
their
impacts
are
locally.
Each
speaker
will
be
asked
to
present
their
case.
E
B
D
Thank
you
so
much
and
so
I
defend.
My
name
is
Sarah
Pierce
I'm
associate
policy
analyst
at
the
migration
policy
institute,
which
is
an
independent
nonpartisan
nonprofit
think-tank
in
washington,
DC
at
the
migration
policy
institute.
I
study
US
immigration,
law
and
policy
and
before
joining
the
institute,
I
practice
as
an
immigration
attorney
at
a
private
firm
in
chicago,
and
so,
as
you
said,
I
was
asked
today
to
quickly
review
the
immigration
actions
President
Trump
has
taken
busbar
in
his
presidency.
D
The
president
and
his
administration
have
been
extremely
active
on
immigration
in
a
wide
range
of
areas,
so
for
simplicity,
sake,
I'm,
going
to
divide
my
testimony
into
four
parts.
First
I
will
spend
most
of
my
time
discussing
the
president's
actions
on
the
travel
ban
and
refugee
resettlement.
Then
I
will
discuss
changes
on
border
security,
followed
by
interior
enforcement
and
fourth
and
finally,
I
will
discuss
changes
related
to
employment
based
immigration,
so
first
the
travel
ban
and
refugee
resettlement.
D
Shortly
after
taking
office,
the
President
signed
an
executive
order
which,
among
other
actions,
immediately
suspended
the
entry
of
Nationals
of
seven
countries,
Iran
Iraq,
Libya,
Somalia,
Sudan,
Syria
and
Yemen.
It
also
required
federal
agencies
to
develop
extreme
vetting
procedures,
to
screen
new
applicants
for
admissions
and
made
a
number
of
changes
to
the
u.s.
refugee
resettlement
program,
including
pausing
the
program
for
90
days,
reducing
the
refugee
ceiling
from
a
hundred
and
ten
thousand
refugees
to
fifty
thousand
refugees
for
fiscal
year.
D
So
order
was
effective
immediately
upon
signing
and
immediately
caused
chaos
at
US
airports
as
federal
agencies,
agencies
struggled
to
implement
the
order
on
short
notice
and
many
travelers
to
the
United
States
lost
the
right
to
enter
the
country
midair.
In
some
cases,
several
Court
rulings
enjoined
various
parts
of
the
executive
order,
including
a
federal
district
court
in
Seattle,
which
placed
a
nationwide
temporary
restraining
order
on
its
implementation
and
that
temporary
restraining
order
was
later
affirmed
by
the
nice
US
Circuit
Court
of
Appeals.
D
In
response
to
this
litigation,
the
president
rescinded
and
replaced
the
executive
order
with
a
new
one.
The
new
order
made
several
changes
to
the
travel
ban
and
the
refugee
resettlement
reforms,
including
removing
Iraq
from
the
list
of
countries
with
restricted
travel,
exempting
lawful,
permanent
residents
and
individuals
with
valid
visas
from
the
travel
ban,
removing
the
minority
religion
prioritization
from
the
refugee
program
and
removing
the
indefinite
suspension
of
Syrian
refugees.
The
new
executive
order.
Similarly
faced
immediate
legal
challenges,
including
in
federal
district
courts
in
Hawaii
and
Maryland,
that
enjoined
the
order
from
being
implemented.
D
Their
injunctions
were
later
affirmed
by
the
knife
and
fork
US
Circuit
Court
of
Appeals
courts
of
Appeal.
The
Trump
administration
appeals
these
decisions
to
the
US
Supreme
Court,
and
this
week
the
court
said
that
it
would
hear
the
case
in
October.
It
also
granted
a
partial
stay
of
the
lower
court
injunctions.
What
this
mean
is
that
the
Supreme
Court
is
allowing
the
travel
ban
and
suspension
of
the
refugee
resettlement
program
to
be
implemented
during
the
course
of
this
litigation.
However,
the
Supreme
Court
put
an
important
caveat
on
that.
D
D
Yesterday
in
the
State
Department
began
enforcing
the
executive
order
in
line
with
this
ruling.
Refugees
and
travelers
from
the
six
designated
countries
are
only
eligible
to
receive
new
if
they
have
close
relatives
in
the
United
States
such
as
parents,
spouses,
siblings
and
children,
or
if
they
have
formal
and
documented
business
relationships
with
entities
in
the
United
States,
such
as
students
at
US,
universities
or
employees
of
US
companies.
So,
for
example,
if
an
individual
is
from
one
of
the
six
countries
and
they
have
only
a
grandparent
in
the
United
States.
A
D
Cannot
currently
receive
a
new
visa
to
come
to
the
United
States,
the
court
cases
have
brought
up
a
number
of
legal
issues,
including
whether
the
order
exceeds
the
power
given
to
the
president
by
Congress
and
whether
the
order
violates
the
Establishment
Clause
of
the
US
Constitution
by
intending
to
discriminate
against
Muslim
travelers
to
determine
whether
the
intent
of
the
executive
order
is
to
discriminate.
Courts
have
considered
many
statements
made
by
the
president
and
his
aides,
both
during
the
presidential
campaign
and
actor.
D
These
include
several
quotes
on
his
intention
to
ban
all
Muslims
from
entering
the
country.
So
second
I'm
going
to
discuss
changes
on
border
security
on
January
25th.
President
Trump
signed
an
executive
order
on
border
security
that
called
for
a
number
of
changes
to
immigration
policies
on
the
country's
borders.
D
Congress
and
executive
agencies
have
begun
to
move
money
towards
the
construction
of
a
border
wall
in
line
with
this
executive
order,
as
well
as
the
repair
of
existing
barriers
along
the
border.
However,
the
money
allocated
currently
is
well
below
estimates
for
how
much
of
order
wall
would
cost
in
its
entirety.
D
Since
the
signing
of
the
executive
order,
apprehensions
of
unauthorized
immigrants
along
the
southern
border
have
decreased
compared
to
prior
years.
However,
it
remains
to
be
seen
whether
this
decrease
is
a
temporary
or
permanent
trend.
Third
I
will
discuss
changes
on
interior
enforcement.
The
same
day,
President
Trump
signed
an
executive
order
on
border
security.
He
also
signed
an
order
on
interior
enforcement.
D
This
order
made
a
number
of
changes
to
the
enforcement
of
immigration
laws
in
the
interior
of
the
United
States,
and
these
changes
included
broadening
individuals
or
excuse
me,
immigrants
who
are
priorities
for
removal,
as
well
as
allowing
officers
to
enforce
laws
against
immigrants
who
are
removable
but
are
not
within
the
listed
priorities.
It
also
directed
increased
cooperation
between
federal
and
state
and
local
authorities
on
immigration
enforcement,
and
it
ordered
federal
funds
view
upheld
from
certain
jurisdictions
that
failed
to
comply
with
a
federal
law
on
communication
between
local
and
federal
officials
on
immigration,
ie
sanctuary
jurisdictions.
D
Finally,
it
also
ordered
the
hiring
of
10,000
additional
ice
officers.
A
number
of
cities
and
counties
have
sued
to
enjoin
the
administration's
efforts
to
withhold
federal
funds
from
sanctuary
jurisdictions.
A
federal
district
judge
in
San
Francisco
has
issued
a
nationwide
injunction
on
this
provision
of
the
executive
order.
Sonson,
the
Department
of
Justice
issued
a
memo
saying
that
they
would
interpret
the
provision
to
not
extend
beyond
current
laws
and
policies
related
to
the
Department
of
Justice
and
and
Department
of
Homeland
Security
funding,
so
they're
going
to
interpret
that
provision
of
the
executive
order
very
narrowly.
D
D
Arrests
of
removable
immigrants
have
increased,
especially
the
proportion
of
arrests
that
are
occurring
against
individuals
without
criminal
records
and
since
that,
signing
of
that
executive
order,
removals
have
not
yet
increased.
This
is
actually
expected,
given
the
decrease
in
apprehensions
along
the
border
and
how
long
it
takes
to
remove
an
individual
from
the
interior
at
least
part,
because
our
our
backlogged
immigration
court
system,
so,
finally
for
us,
I
will
discuss
changes
on
employment-based
immigration
in
April,
President
Trump
signed
an
executive
order.
Excuse
me
entitled
by
American,
hire
Americans.
D
Among
other
things,
the
order
varies
lightly
addresses
employment-based
visas
by
calling
on
agencies
to
ensure
they
are
enforcing
laws
to
protect
US
workers,
including
by
rooting
out
fraud
and
abuse
in
the
immigration
system.
It
also
calls
on
agencies
to
suggest
reforms
to
the
h-1b
program.
The
h-1b
visa
is
a
common
visa
that
US
employers
use
to
bring
immigrants
to
the
United
States
to
work
temporarily
as
employees.
It's
come
under
increased
scrutiny
in
recent
years.
As
a
certain
country
companies
excuse
me,
have
used
the
visa
program
to
replace
US
workers
in
addition
to
the
executive
order.
D
Three
government
agencies
that
administer
and
enforce
the
rules
of
the
h-1b
program
have
reasserted
their
efforts
to
ensure
that
there
is
no
fraud
in
the
program.
These
actions
have
caused
anxiety
in
the
business
community
and
among
immigrants
within
the
United
States
on
employment
abuses,
and
so
that's
all
I
have
am
happy
to
answer
any
questions
on
that.
Testimony.
B
F
It
was
founded
on
its
work
with
refugees,
of
Jews,
fleeing
the
Holocaust
and
had
has
been
working
in
with
refugees
and
has
a
depth
of
knowledge
working
with
refugees
since
80
years,
but
we
also
do
many
other
things,
including
career
development,
adoption,
psychological
counseling
working
with
seniors
within
our
work
with
refugees
and
now
end
of
immigrants.
We
do
the
resettlement
work,
we
help
with
employment
of
refugees
and
legal
immigrants.
We
have
a
robust
legal
immigration
department
and
we
have
a
new
program
with
service
coordination
for
any
refugee
or
immigrant
living
in
Allegheny
County.
F
So
we're
talking
today
about
refugee
resettlement.
A
refugee
is
an
immigrant,
a
subset
of
immigrants.
These
are
people
who
must
prove
to
the
United
Nations
that
they
faced
a
well-founded
fear
of
persecution
based
on
one
of
five
reasons:
gnash
race,
ethnicity,
religion,
political
opinion
or
membership
in
a
social
group.
So
they're,
not
people
coming
here
for
economic
reasons,
they're,
not
people
coming
here
to
join
family
they're,
not
people
coming
here
to
study
these
are
people
who
fled
their
homeland
for
fear
of
their
lives.
F
There
are
22
million
people
who
have
been
approved
for
refugee
status
in
the
world
right
now,
which
is
more
than
at
any
time
in
history,
including
people
who
have
these
are
people
have
fled
their
borders.
If
you
include
people
who
have
fled
their
cities
and
towns
and
still
remain
in
their
country
of
65
million
people
out
of
their
homes,
the
number
of
people
who
get
refugee
resettlement
is
less
than
1%.
F
So
just
giving
you
perspective
on
what
we're
talking
about,
because
I
think
a
lot
of
people
don't
realize
the
scope
of
refugee
resettlement
refugees
undergo
up
to
two
years
or
more
of
screening,
which
I
would
consider
extreme
vetting
of
everyone,
they've
ever
known
their
history,
their
biometrics
and
multiple
government
agencies.
So
it
is,
it
does
take
a
very
long
time.
F
They
are
accepted
into
the
United
States
refugee
program
by
the
State
Department.
The
State
Department
works
with
nine
national
agencies.
The
local
agencies,
like
mine,
are
affiliated
with
one
of
the
nine
ours
is
the
Jewish
faith
based,
but
most
of
them
are
faith
based.
Not
all.
There
are
three
resettlement
agencies
in
Pittsburgh,
Jewish,
Family
and
Children's
Service
Northern,
Area,
multi
service
center
and
a
javo
together.
We
are,
we
had
expected
to
take
over
600
individuals
this
year.
F
So
again,
these
are
not
giant
numbers,
but
these
are
people
who
are
we
look
very
carefully
at
what
Pittsburgh
our
provider
network
and
our
capacity
to
help
people
on
their
path
to
success
in
the
United
States?
Now
we
are,
you
know.
Things
are
very
uncertain
in
the
refugee
world.
Originally
we
were
told
instead
of
our
agency
getting
about
230
people,
then
it
was
dropped
to
120
individuals
for
this
fiscal
year
and
then
I
was
told
it
would
be
160
people
and
now
I
really
don't
know
as
of
this
week.
F
F
So
what
do
refugees
get
when
they
get
here?
They
get
the
assistance
of
a
local
agency
such
as
ours.
We
have
an
apartment
ready
for
them.
We
know
something
about
them
before
they
come
greet
them
at
the
airport.
We
teach
them
about
life
in
America.
We
connect
them
to
benefits,
they
are
legal
upon
entry,
they
get
in,
they
get
food
stamps
and
they
get
a
small
amount
of
cash
assistance.
But
someone
in
the
family
does
have
to
go
to
work
within
three
to
five
months
after
arrival
and
we
help
them
with
that.
F
Usually,
first
jobs
pay
low
wages,
so
we
find
them
housing
that
they
will
pay
for
once
they
are
able
to
support
themselves.
We
put,
we
must
put
the
children
in
school,
we
put
parents
in
English
class,
we
bring
them
to
the
doctor
and
we
connect
them
to
resources
here.
We
educate
them
on
their
rights
in
America
and
their
responsibilities.
A
refugee
is
not
a
permanent
if
they
are
law-abiding.
So
at
one
year
they
become
a
green
card
holder,
it's
a
very
easy
transition.
F
We
help
them
with
that,
if
they're,
law-abiding
and
at
five
years
they're
eligible
for
citizenship,
the
groups
that
are
coming
to
Pittsburgh
well,
but
that
we
had
expected
was
a
large
amount
of
Syrians,
some
Iraqi
and
Afghani
special
immigrant
visas.
These
are
people
who
help
the
u.s.
in
Afghanistan
and
Iraq
Congolese
Somali,
and
there
are
some
Colombians
coming
since
January.
There
have
been
zero
Syrians,
mostly
getting
Congolese
and
some
Colombian
and
and
Somalis,
and
we
will
continue
to
help.
Whoever
comes
our
way.
F
The
current
situation
in
Pittsburgh,
as
far
as
how
people
are
doing
overall
when
you're
a
newly
arrived
refugee.
You
are
feeling
thank
God,
I'm
out
of
what
I
was
in,
so
they
do
feel
safe
from
a
war
from
bombing,
and
they
do
feel
a
welcome
in
Pittsburgh
overall
I
would
say:
our
agency
has
never
had
so
many
people
step
forward
to
volunteer
donate
money
and
items.
In
fact,
the
irony
is,
we
have
less
people,
so
we're
trying
to
create
opportunities,
and
we
do
welcome
people
who
want
to
help.
So
that
has
been
very
positive.
F
The
atmosphere
in
the
city
and
the
county
government
is
welcoming
as
far
as
individuals
on
the
ground,
we
are
have
heard
of
some
incidents
at
the
school,
in
particular
for
girls
who
wear
head
coverings.
I
think
that
if
in
Pittsburgh
and
an
individual
level,
a
lot
of
people
have
had
heard
comments,
but
it
hasn't
been
like
an
onslaught
that
we've
heard
of
mostly
they
feel
a
relief
in
being
here.
F
The
challenge
of
resettlement
is
so
difficult,
you're
arriving,
you
don't
have
the
language,
don't
know
our
culture,
you've
lost
everything
and
you're
starting
at
poverty
level,
and
so
it's
it's
a
survival
mode
and
then,
over
time,
these
people
do,
as
a
group
do
very
well
they're
figuring
out
life
here,
they're
contributing
they
go
to
work,
they're,
paying
taxes,
the
children
are
getting
an
education
in
our
schools
as
far
as
supports
available.
Of
course,
there
are
the
three
resettlement
agencies:
Allegheny
County
department
of
human
services,
funded
something
new
called
Isaac
immigrant
services
and
connections.
F
Jewish
family
is
the
lead
agency,
with
five
partner
agencies
to
latina
serving
agencies,
another
resettlement,
the
English
language
school
and
a
agency
based
in
the
South
Hills,
where
many
refugees
and
immigrants
live.
So
there
are
supports
this
issac
program.
I've
left
information
outside
about
it
is
a
place
to
turn
for
any
need
of
an
immigrant
and
refugee.
As
far
as
what
we
need.
F
We
need
interpretation
and
we
need
cultural
competency
at
all
levels
of
anyone,
who's
working
with
people
who
don't
speak
our
language
while
they
are
learning
English
until
especially
as
they
interact
with
our
emergency
systems,
police
and
any
other
kind
of
medical
provider
schools.
We
need
education
to
our
providers,
which
it
has
improved,
but
it
is
a
need.
Cultural
competency,
implicit
bias,
training
and
understanding
of
our
own
Pittsburgh
history
of
immigrants
and
what
how
we
all
arrived
pretty
much
as
an
immigrant
here.
F
B
Other
questions
for
you
in
the
age
of
mass
media
we
are
looking
at
technology,
is
given
us
some
information
across
international
boundaries,
your
immigrants,
people
who
migrated
here
and
proscribed
legally
or
not
legally
undocumented.
They
view
everything
on
TV
exclude
everything
that's
going
on
and
your
experience
have.
What
is
the
effect
of
the
new
immigration
policy
in
regards
to
the
mental
illness
of
the
individuals,
the
ASAS,
a
PTSD
TSD.
A
F
Refugees,
it's
a
hard
question.
Most
of
them
I
mean
they've,
had
already
the
trauma
of
flight
out
of
their
original
country,
the
trauma
of
resettlement
and
camps
or
in
urban
areas,
and
then
trauma
to
come
here
and
now
we're
adding
another
level
of
trauma.
So
really
people
hold
it
together
when
they're
in
the
survival
mode,
and
I
think
we
will
see
repercussions
just
more.
F
You
know
health
issues,
mental
health
issues.
One
thing
I
do
want
to
say
is:
we
do
have
funding
to
do
peer-led
support
groups
which
we
are
running
in
all
the
refugee
and
immigrant
communities,
I'm
not
all,
but
as
many
as
we
can
find.
So
I
think
that's
a
safe
place
to
get
support
from
your
peers
in
your
language.
Our
mental
health
systems
are
are
challenging
for
any
local
person
to
access
and
then,
when
you
add
the
fact
that
they
speak
a
different
language,
they're
not
used
to
one-on-one
counseling.
F
B
F
I
think
another
thing
I
didn't
mention
is
families
are
now
split,
so
we
already
got
the
base
of
Syrian
families
here
who
didn't
have
a
tie,
and
now
the
ties
are
stranded,
so
we
are
seeing
depression
from
I'm
separated
from
my
close
relatives.
So
again,
we
we
will
do
what
we
can.
There's
these
peer
support
groups
I
think
are
very
culturally
relevant
to
the
populations
we're
serving
who
are
very
family
collectivist
societies
and-
and
we
will
hopefully
as
we
identify
needs,
we
can
help
them
as
much
as
we
can.
E
F
You're
talking
about
people
who
work
with
immigrants,
Isaac
program,
well,
Isaac,
immigrant
services
and
connections,
is
a
one-stop
shop.
You
can
enter
with
a
concern
as
a
provider
or
as
an
individual.
We
will
use
language
services
to
connect.
We
can
help
with
simple.
Where
do
I
turn
for
driver's
license
to
I'm?
F
Having
you
know,
severe
problems
around
my
family,
so
Isaac
is
Isaac,
is
AC
Pittsburgh
org,
four
one,
two
seven
four
to
4,200
is
a
way
into
the
program
and
whether
it's
again
anything
that
we
can
help
people
access,
it's
not
that
we're
going
to
hold
their
hand
everywhere.
We
it's
a
teaching,
we
use
navigators
from
the
community
and
we
connect
to
existing
services
because
Pittsburgh
and
Allegheny
County
is
rich
in
existing
services
and
the
trouble
is,
if
you
don't
have
the
language
in
the
culture
you
are
shut
out
of
so
many
things.
F
B
G
G
We
need
to
have
resources
for
immigrants
in
the
community,
one
more
died
city
and
gave
the
universities
its
funding,
and
that
gave
the
opportunity
for
the
creation
of
of
the
immigration
law
clinic
because
even
with
the
immigration
law
clinic
and
Jewish
Family
and
Children's
Services
also,
there
is
very
limited
access
to
pro
bono,
legal
services
and
low
bono,
legal
services
for
immigrants,
not
only
in
Pittsburgh
but
in
western
Pennsylvania,
and
also
West
Virginia.
The
clients
that
we
have
in
the
clinic
go
from
Erie
to
Morgantown.
G
So
we
we
represent
people
all
over
the
western
Pennsylvania
region,
as
does
your
assembly
and
and
Children's
Services.
In
the
way
the
clinic
is
structure,
structured
students
represent
immigrants,
requesting
asylum
facing
removal
and
immigration
court
seeking
special
protection
on
the
Violence
Against
Women
Act.
That's
a
very
important
work
that
the
clinic
does
of
unaccompanied
immigrant
children
that
have
come
to
the
United,
States
and
also
immigrants,
and
might
have
other
issues
navigating
the
complicated
bureaucracy
of
the
Department
of
Homeland
Security.
We
also
work
closely
with
with
communities.
G
G
So
we
are
very
community
centered
and
we
work
closely
not
only
with
Jewish
family.
We
work
closely
with
Casa
San
Jose,
with
the
Pittsburgh
Action
Against
Rape
prints
of
farmworkers.
It's
a
statewide
service
organization
that
is
expanding
the
services
that
they
have
available
for
immigrants
that
are
farmworkers
in
western
Pennsylvania.
So
we're
very
happy:
do
you
see
that
happening
because
it
will
improve
the
the
offer
of
legal
services
in
a
way
that
didn't
exist
in
western
Pennsylvania
before
oh.
G
So
what's
the
current
landscape
in
in
the
city-
and
we
gathered
this
landscape
from
our
conversations
with
our
partners.
The
one
half
years
ago,
I
wrote
in
an
article
that,
even
though
President
Obama
executive
actions
on
immigration
fell
short
of
the
comprehensive
immigration
reform
that
this
country
really
needs.
They
were
nonetheless
a
welcome
change
welcomed
because
they
allowed
millions
of
immigrants
to
come
out
of
the
shadows,
to
work
and
provide
for
their
families
to
study
and
contribute
to
the
production
of
knowledge
and
to
participate
in
the
lives
in
their
communities
without
fear
or
full.
G
But
it
is
it's.
Both.
The
interior
enforcement
order
and
the
border
enforcement
order
that
are
really
impacting
communities
that
were
already
here
in
the
United
States,
particularly
a
community
communities
that
are
perceived
to
be
immigrants,
regardless
of
where,
regardless
of
whether
they're,
immigrant
or
not,.
G
Parents
were
thinking
about
not
taking
their
kids
to
school,
second-guessing,
taking
their
kid
to
medical
services
to
participate
in
community
sponsor
activities,
thinking
about
going
back
to
the
shadows
and
not
participating,
and
these
affects
access
to
social
services,
its
access
to
food
in
rapid
access
to
mental
health
and
it
affect
access
to
a
location
and
promote
what
the
Supreme
Court
has
called
in
in
an
old
case
called
flavor
pseudo,
a
caste
of
uneducated
and
and
ostracize
individuals,
which
is
part
of
what
fear.
What
fears
that
and
pittsburgh
has
not
been
the
exception.
G
I
would
like
to
say
that
we
haven't
seen
this
in
our
region
or
in
our
city,
but
I
can't
and
I'm
going
to
give
you
just
a
few
examples
of
cases
that
we
have
dealt
with
a
close
friend.
This
is
a
professor
had
to
take
a
daughter
out
of
private
Catholic
school
because
of
harassment,
constantly
harassment
about
being
deported
and
removed,
and.
G
G
Right
immediately,
after
the
announcement
of
the
secretary
orders,
we
started
meeting
immigrant
communities
on
a
daily
basis.
It
was
it
was
very
intense.
We
were
every
day
going
to
churches,
community
groups.
We
went
to
every
church
that
has
Latino
OH
popular
communities.
We
met
with
the
Somali,
went
to
community
with
lots
of
communities
of
faith
that
wanted
to
help,
even
if
they
didn't
have
a
strong
immigrant
community
among
themselves,
to
provide
guidance
and
education.
G
This
might
include
when
people
that
are
approaching
immigration
because
they
want
immigration
services
three
years
ago
and
one
of
the
most
dramatic
cases
we've
ever
handled
in
the
clinic
is
a
girl
that
was
victim
of
abuse
by
her
mother
and
she
qualified
for
Au
visa.
But
she
was
a
Niner
people
helped
her
and
she
laughs
out
of
her
U
visa
status
and
she
went
to
immigration
and
she
was
already
out
of
steps
and
they
called
us
and
they
say,
there's
this
immigration
clinic.
Why
don't
you
go
there
and
that
that
girl?
G
Now
it's
an
adult,
has
child
and
has
a
green
card,
because
she
there
was
relief
available
to
her
I,
don't
know
if
that
would
happen
now
right,
I,
don't
know
if,
under
the
new
memorandum
that
implements
executive
orders,
that
would
be
a
possibility
that
that
would
be
this
and-
and
that
is
one
of
our
biggest
concerns
right.
That
is
an
example
of
a
vulnerable
population
that
it's
that
is
affected.
G
I've
seen
the
rest
of
the
country
we've
seen
in
Pittsburgh
and
increase
in
enforcement
in
immigration
enforcement,
particularly
in
the
areas
where
there's
more
Latino
community,
more
Latino
population,
Beechview
and
that
surrounding
areas.
Part
of
the
know,
your
rights
percent
patients
have
been
in
educating
the
community
on
how
to
handle
an
encounter
with
immigration,
especially
if
it's
in
your
house,
you
don't
need
to
open
the
door.
Do
you
know
war,
and
so
what
has
been
happening
is
that
they
wait
until
people
leave
for
work.
G
So
many
of
the
immigrants
of
the
community
that
work
in
construction
areas
they
all
travel
together
early
in
the
morning,
so
they
wait
until
the
car
is
full
and
then
intervene
outside
of
the
home
and
in
a
car
were
there
it
when
it's
easier
and
when
they
have
more
more
people.
So
that
is
another
way
in
which
immigration
enforcement
has
changed,
and
that
is
not
the
way
it
was
happening
since
the
enforcement
priorities
had
been
establishing
in
2014.
G
G
13%
of
the
population
are,
girls
are
undocumented
girls,
so
this
is
a
popular
population
that
it's
really
should
be
really
of
concern,
and
also
because
that
has
increased
population
has
dramatically
increased
during
the
last
I
would
say
five
years
when
they
create
migration
from
Central
America
of
unaccompanied
minor
children.
That
includes
also
a
large
portion
of
unaccompanied
girls
and
family
migration
and
where
you're
mostly
familiar
with
the
discussion
regarding
family
detention
in
Pennsylvania,
we
have
family
detention
center
on
Berks
County.
G
So
this
is
also
in
concern
how
these
and
just
fish
how
these
policies
affect
women
and
children.
In
particular,
it's
going
to
it's
affecting
their
ability
to
apply
for
asylum
to
apply
for
asylum
at
the
border
it
affects
it,
promotes
the
tension
of
people
seeking
protection.
So
there's
there's
a
group
of
people
that
are
arriving
in
the
United
States
with
already
a
depth
termination
that
they're
refugees
and
those
are
the
those
are
the
people
that
Leslie
works
with.
G
They
have
already
been
determined
with
to
be
refugees,
but
under
the
convention
the
United
States
has
the
legal
duty
no
to
refuse
entry
and
protection
to
people
that
come
to
the
United
States
fleeing
persecution
and
that
determination
of
whether
that
person
consider
a
refugee
is
done
through
the
process
of
asylum.
So
that's
when
we
that's
what
we
mean
when
we
say
asylum,
the
way
that
executive
orders
have
been
drafted,
it
dramatically
affects
that
and
it
promotes
the
detention
of
asylum
seekers
and
that
impact
asylum
seekers
ability
to
obtain
effectively
obtain
asylum.
G
There's
plenty
of
reports
done
regarding
how
people
are
detained,
have
lack
of
access
to
counsel,
especially
regarding
asylum
cases,
because
immigrants
in
image
that
are
in
immigration
processes
have
a
right
to
an
attorney
to
no
expense
from
the
government.
So
there's
no
right
to
have
a
government
appointed
attorney
and
there's
very
limited
services
and
very
limited
access
to
counsel
for
detained
people
and
there's
a
there's
a
rather
recent
report
at
the
University
of
Pennsylvania
Law
Review.
That
has
found
that
the
single
most
important
factor
in
obtaining
asylum
in
the
United
States
is
legal
representation.
G
That
is
a
single
most
important.
The
difference
is
outstanding
from
19%
to
over
60%.
If
you,
if
you
are
represented,
it,
facilitates
criminal
prosecution
of
people
seeking
asylum,
it
place
into
the
hands
of
traffickers
and
smugglers
and
makes
that
makes
coming
to
the
United,
States
or
difficult.
So
it's
more
expensive
and
people
then
are
willing
to
endure
all
conditions
that
no
one
should
endure
to
seek
to
seek
protection
and
it
tears
apart.
Families
like
it
happens,
it
had
it's
happening
with
refugee
families.
G
It
also
it's
going
to
affect
the
ability
of
refugee
children
that
are
unaccompanied
children
coming
to
the
United
States
refugee
children.
That
might
have
already
a
refugee
status
determination,
but
they
don't
have
a
significant
relationship
and
we
have
in
the
city
experience
with
receiving
children.
G
Now
unaccompanied
minors
can
apply
affirmatively
for
asylum
before
an
asylum
officer
in
a
non-adversarial
way.
That
is
going
that
seeks
to
be
changed
and
and
and
also
it
seeks
to
punish
the
family
members
and
this
of
the
sponsors
for
possibly
for
possibly
smuggling
or
facilitating
smuggling
to
deter
sponsors
of
family
members.
G
So
now
what
we
have
been
seeing
is
that,
if
there's
an
uncle
or
an
aunt
here,
that
might
be
a
guardian,
they're
thinking
it
twice,
do
I
do
I
really,
as
some
guardianship
of
my
nephew
or
of
my
son,
is
going
to
put
me
at
risk
of
removal.
Or
is
this
point
I'm
going
to
put
my
rig
of
criminal
prosecution,
so
we
might
see
the
possibility
of
children
staying
in
office
of
refugee
resettlement,
detention,
centers
or
they're,
not
called
detention
center
facilities
for
longer
for
longer
periods
of
time.
G
I
think
that
cities
and
counties
have
a
very
important
role
to
play
in
in
this
and
and
in
promoting
policies
and
strategies
for
assisting
refugees,
asylum
seekers
and
immigrant
before
beyond
the
traditional
nation-state,
to
engaging
community
organizations
to
try
to
change
the
discourse
to
very,
very
early,
create
an
environment
that
it's
welcoming.
So
people
can
come
out
of
the
shadows
and
and
and
participate
in
in
our
lives.
B
When
you're,
looking
at
immigration
and
you're
looking
at
refugees
and
when
you
look
at
people
who
are
coming
here
in
stone
to
status,
one
is
legal,
one
is
unlegal,
undocumented
and
documented
and
there's
a
fear
of
heights.
The
the
immigration
custom
enforcement
organization
and
I
can,
when
you
deal
with
government,
when
you
deal
with
government,
you
look
at
the
more
responsibilities.
Then
you
look
at
the
legal
responsibilities
and
sometimes
they
conflict.
B
G
Since
1996
immigration
law
is
very
hard,
the
immigration
law
changed
substantially
in
1996
to
expand
the
criminal
related
backgrounds
and
to
remove
access
to
immigration
court
and
to
federal
court
for
a
certain
immigrant
cases.
So
we
have
been
the
it's
not
new,
that
we
have
a
very
hard
to
immigration
law
system.
G
So
our
clients
are
very
aware
of
that
and
are
very
aware
of
the
limited
access
to
remedies
that
sometimes
they
have
so
they
need
also
to
be
cognizant
of
that
and
make
decisions
that
are
consistent
with
the
availability
of
relief.
That
is
why
a
comprehensive
immigration
reform
bill
is
so
important
because
there's
more
than
11
million
people
in
the
United
States
that
are
undocumented
and
most
people
that
are
undocumented
are
not
people
that
entered
through
the
border
without
inspection.
G
The
there's
many
many
people
that
just
came
to
the
United
States
for
a
legitimate
reason
and
and
stayed
so.
That
is
the
only
way
to
fully
address
that
is
to
have
a
comprehension,
a
comprehensive
immigration
reform.
But
in
the
absence
of
that,
there's
things
that
we
could
do
I
mean
we
can
improve
the
legal
services
and
their
location
that
the
immigrant
community
have
because
there's
many
there's
many
members
of
the
community
that
have
recourse,
but
they
don't
know
it.
G
C
G
So
last
week,
early
earlier
this
week,
one
a
federal
court
in
a
settlement
case
is
the
Flores
settlement
that
talks
about
the
potential
conditions
for
minors
arrived.
The
United
States
issued
an
opinion
in
order
in
the
case,
because
the
plaintiffs
had
brought
to
attention
of
the
court
of
the
non-compliance
with
the
settlement
regarding
conditions,
and
it
sets
forth
how
are
the
conditions?
How
access
to
food
is
limited
to
healthy
food,
to
medical
care,
to
help
to
mental
health
care
in
detention?
G
How
they're
overcrowded
how
there
might
there
have
been
issues
of
abuses,
physical
and
sexual
abuse,
in
in
how
they're
extremely
cold
and
and
how
people
get
further
depressed
during
the
tension
because
of
the
conditions
of
of
the
tension.
So
that
is
it.
That
is
an
enormous,
an
enormous
concern
and-
and
it's
more
concerning,
because
what
the
orders
do
is
to
try
to
foster
more
detention
and
to
order
the
construction
of
more
detention
facilities
across
the
border
and
there's
nothing
to
really
address
the
issues
that
we
already
know
the
tension.
The
tension
has
thank.
D
B
D
Well,
that's
a
very
broad
question:
I
mean
at
the
at
a
very
basic
level
and
we
definitely
recognized
as
an
institution
that
reforms
need
to
happen.
The
current
immigration
system
in
the
form
of
a
change
in
the
law,
the
current
immigration
system,
as
those
addressed
by
prior
speakers
has
disabilities
in
a
situation
in
which
we
have
a
lot
very,
very
large
unauthorized
population
in
the
state's
11
million
people
and
the
way
the
laws
are
structured
that
it
has,
it
has
contributed
to
that
unauthorized
population.
D
So
we
need
I'll
change
them
a
lot
in
that
it
would
start
in
Congress
and
then
eventually
be
signed
by
the
president.
That
would
not
only
address
the
status
of
the
11
million
or
not
prized
individuals
in
the
United
States,
but
would
also
address
the
problems
within
the
immigration
system
that
contributed
to
that
unauthorized
population.
That
I
would
say
at
the
most
favorite
level.
That's
that's
that's
the
recommendation.
We
have
thank.
E
At
the
organization
that
I
work,
people
apply
for
food
stamps
and
other
basic
benefits,
medical
care
and
so
on.
So
how
have
the
recent
actions
by
our
federal
government
affected
people's
access
to
those
basic
benefits,
if
not
in
a
formal
sense,
also
in
how
it
affects
people's
willingness
to
come
forward
to
receive
things
for
their
children,
food
for
their
children,
other
health
care
and
for
themselves
in
ways
that
ultimately
end
up
having
a
greater
human
cost
and
a
larger
burden
on
the
overall
systems?
I
think.
G
I
think
that
we've
all
seen
a
drop
of
annex
a
given
order
that
would
further
impact
that,
but
it
also
has
affected
people's
willingness
to
go
to
any
government
services,
and
an
immigrant
woman
has
US
citizen
children.
Those
children's
have
the
right
to
receive
government
assistance,
like
any
other
citizens,
there's
not
supposed
to
be
any
discrimination
because
of
the
status
of
the
parents
when
the
children
are
US
citizens.
G
What
I
have
found
recently
is
that
there's
also
there's
more
fear
within
the
government
agencies
in
how
can
they
use
the
resources
and
analytics
and
lack
of
knowledge,
of
what
the
rights
of
this
communities
is
to
receive
some
services?
And
let
me
give
you
an
example:
when
a
woman
applies
for
Violence,
Against,
Women,
Act
protection
and
she
gets
a
prima
facie
determination.
That
means
that
II
now
could
have
at
should
have
access
to
certain
federal
government
related
services,
including
the
possibility
of
transitional
housing.
G
So
women
go
to
to
the
office,
and
no
one
knows
right,
so
so,
no
one.
No,
no,
your
own,
documented
immigrants,
entry
says
no
I.
Have
this
letter
that
says
right
here.
So
I
think
that
we
need
to
do
also
more
education
within
our
own
government
officials
to
to
have
that
be
more
clear,
because
I
would
I
think
that
some
people
are
stressed
and
and
fearful
of
making
a
mistake
and
giving
someone
benefits
that
they
are
not
entitled
to.
So
I
think
that
that
is
something
that
we
can
collectively
improve.
I.
B
Would
like
in
closing
I
appreciate
our
panelists
coming
here,
taking
the
time
and
speaking
on
behalf
of
this
this
session
here
in
closing,
I
would
like
to
thank
our
guest
speaker
for
sharing
their
expertise
time
with
us
today.
We
hope
to
hear
from
the
public
about
the
issues
during
the
public
comment
portion
from
11:15
p.m.
to
1:00
p.m.
we
will
adjourn
now.
This
section.