Foreclosing on the American Dream

Transcription

1 FREE An NNRA Pubication Vo. 1 BY LISA CHRISTOPHER The American Dream for many immigrants is simpe: own a home or a business. Sad to say, this dream is becoming a nightmare. Neary 2.5 miion homeowners nationay, have ost their homes in forecosure since 2007, and that number coud baoon to 13 miion in the next four years. In New York, Brookyn, the city's forecosure capita, remains under pressure. The borough saw notices reach 6,689 ast year, a 12.8% increase. Among the worst hit neighborhoods were East New York, Canarsie and Bedford-Stuyvesant. The other boroughs a had decreases. Brookyn's troubes can be traced to its high unempoyment rate 9.8% vs. the city's 9% and a high concentration of risky mortgages in some areas; that s according to Michae Hickey, executive director of the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, which coordinates free advice and ega counseing for city residents at risk of osing their homes. Ethnic communities are bearing the brunt of the forecosure crisis. Eight percent of Backs and 46% of Latino 1105 Nostrand Avenue, Brookyn, NY Te: Fax: Forecosing on the American Dream homeowners have been forecosed on, according to a recent nationa study by researchers at Princeton University. What Is Forecosure? Forecosure is a ega process in which the rights to a property is taken away from the owner and the property is then sod to satisfy unpaid mortgages and iens against the property. Forecosure proceedings start in most cases when payments become deinquent. So, who is most ikey to forecose on an individua s property? Mortgage hoders and other ien hoders who have a vested interest in oans on your property, which is used as coatera, can forecose on you. Can One Stop the Forecosure Sae? Of course. You can bring your mortgage payments current aong with a ate charges, forecosure fees, taxes, and insurance premiums. However, if you are unabe to do so, you can contact your ender and try to negotiate a pan to modify your payments, but don't wait unti the ast minute to do this. Other options incude refinancing, seing your home and/or fiing for bankruptcy. If you ose your property through forecosure, there is a possibiity that you can get money from the forecosure sae. First, any remaining baance on the mortgage wi be paid aong with a outstanding property taxes and court fees. In most cases, very itte, if any money, wi be eft for you to get. continued on page 5 Mortgage Fraud Crackdown... see page 4 Dream Act To Be Reintroduced In Congress...see page 9 Photo: White House Mr. President, Change Takes Courage On Thursday, March 30, Congressiona Representatives in Washington, DC, incuding Rep. Luis Gutierrez, joined hands with hundreds of community-based immigrant rights organizations and caed on President Obama to take heed and stop the deportation and suffering of thousands of immigrant famiies. Estimates vary but the pain and suffering of miions of famiies on a daiy basis due todeportations, persecution, oss of jobs and security, oca anti-immigrant ordinances, and a Department of Homeand Security gone rogue is very rea. Neary 800,000 peope, sixty per cent non-vioent or serious criminas, have been deported during the first two years of President Obama s administration and it appears the roundups wi continue. continued on page 3 Nostrand Ave Gets Madison Ave Chic... see page 12 GET MONEY FOR YOUR INJURIES BENEFIT FROM OVER 15 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE NO FEE UNLESS YOU COLLECT THE LAW OFFICE OF FIGEROUX & ASSOCIATES MEDICAL MALPRACTICE AUTO & PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS BIRTH INJURIES & BRAIN DAMAGE LEAD POISONING SLIP & FALL DEFECTIVE & DANGEROUS PRODUCTS FREE CONSULTATION NEW YORK LAWYERS FOR NEW YORK S INJURED 26 COURT STREET, SUITE 701, BROOKLYN, NY Website CACCI Ceebrates Women s History Month... see page 4 Emai: bfigeroux@msn.com PERSONAL ATTENTION, AFFORDABLE FEES CALL DIVORCE - CUSTODY - SUPPORT AGGRESSIVE, SENSITIVE ATTORNEYS WITH THE BEST EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD DIVORCE/SEPARATION CUSTODY VISITATION PARENTS RIGHTS PATERNITY ABUSE/ NEGLECT PRE & POST-NUPTIAL AGREEMENTS ORDERS OF PROTECTION CHILD & SPOUSAL SUPPORT ALL OTHER FAMILY COURT MATTERS ABUSE SPOUSE PETITIONS DA Hynes Project Safe Surrender Program...see page 6 PERSONAL ATTENTION, REASONABLE FEES QESTATE LITIGATION QPROBATE QESTATE PLANNING QMEDICAID PLANNING ESTATE LAW HOME & HOSPITAL VISITS AVAILABLE 1105 NOSTRAND AVENUE BROOKLYN, NY Take #2 or 5 trains to Stering Avenue or B44 to Nostrand Avenue Beat Deportation... see page 8 Figeroux & Associates 26 Court Street, Suite 701 Brookyn, NY QWILLS QTRUSTS QDEED TRANSFERS QPOWERS OF ATTORNEY CALL NOW FOR A CONSULTATION

2 2 Caribbean Consuates in New York Anguia 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y Te: Antigua & Barbuda 610 Fifth Avenue, Suite 311 New York, N.Y Te: The Bahamas 231 East 46th Street New York, N.Y Te: Barbados 820 Second Avenue, 5th Foor New York, N.Y Te: Beize 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1911 New York, N.Y Te: Dominica 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400H New York, N.Y Te: Dominican Repubic 1500 Broadway, Suite 410 New York, N.Y Te: Grenada 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400K New York, N.Y Te: Guyana Consuate Genera of Guyana 370 7th Avenue, 4th Foor New York, NY Te: Haiti 271 Madison Avenue, 17th Foor New York, N.Y Te: Jamaica 767 Third Avenue New York, N.Y Te: Martinique 444 Madison Avenue, 16th Foor New York, N.Y Te: Montserrat 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y Te: Panama 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Foor New York, N.Y Te: St. Kitts & Nevis 414 East 75th Street, 5th Foor New York, N.Y Te: St. Lucia 800 Second Avenue, 9th Foor New York, N.Y Te: St. Maarten 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807 New York, N.Y Te: St. Vincent & The Grenadines 801 Second Avenue, 21st Foor New York, N.Y Te: Trinidad & Tobago 125 Maiden Lane New York, N.Y Te: For Back America: The Issue Is Jobs BY MARC H. MORIAL PRESIDENT & CEO NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE From March 29th through the 31st, the Nationa Urban League brought its fight for urban jobs to Capito Hi with its 2011 Legisative Poicy Conference. This year s summit made the case for targeted action to tacke the persistent unempoyment crisis in Back America. Dozens of Urban League affiiate deegations comprised of CEOs, board chairs and the presidents of affiiate Guid and Young Professiona auxiiaries wi joined us for meetings on Capito Hi with U. S. Senators and Representatives. The conference aso served as the backdrop to the reease of the Nationa Urban League's andmark annua pubication, The State of Back America, hed this year at historic Howard University, with a Town Ha event featuring Howard students, facuty and others, moderated by Jeff Johnson and Roand Martin. The highight of this year s egisative summit and State of Back America report was jobs, jobs, jobs. The great recession is officiay over. But, with overa unempoyment now at 8.9 percent and 13.7 miion peope sti out of work, the recovery has been painfuy sow and has yet to make a significant visit to communities of coor. The Labor Department s February jobs report shows Back unempoyment at 15.3 percent. The rate is 16.2 percent for Back men and 11.6 percent for Hispanics. Ceary, the jobs crisis persists in urban America and an immediate nationa response is ong overdue. In the past, our nation has decared war on poverty war on drugs even war on obesity. I ca on Washington to decare war on unempoyment and the first ine of defense must be urban America. The truth is, any recovery that fais to bring jobs and prosperity back to urban and communities of coor is a recovery in name ony. America can ony succeed if its cities and the peope who ive and work in them have access to jobs and are fuy prepared to exce and innovate in those jobs. That is the key message of this year s State of Back America. Our report takes an honest ook at the reaity and underying causes of doubedigit jobessness in Back America. But Marc H. Moria we don t just point out the probem, we offer a soution with a 12-point bueprint for quaity job creation. Our pan recognizes that as the nation takes steps to reduce our baooning deficit, we must make tough choices. But if, as the President has said, we are going to win the future, this is no time to cut investments in our peope. That means, among other things, we must invest in summer jobs for teens, broadband and green jobs for their parents, and direct job creation for cities and states. Our report wi aso unvei the Nationa Urban League s 2011 Equaity Index, our annua comparison of the socia, poitica and economic status of African Americans and Latinos to that of whites. It highights some successfu jobcreating initiatives by the Urban League and others. And we make it cear that every aspect of ife in America is connected to jobs. Education is a jobs issue. Heathcare is a jobs issue. Internationa trade is a jobs issue. Housing and transportation are jobs issues. In 2011, the State of Back America is a jobs issue. Editor s note: The Nationa Urban League's State of Back America Town Ha event was hed on Thursday, March 31st at Howard University's Crampton Auditorium. For more information, visit THOUGHTS Pubisher I.Q. INC Editor-in-Chief Pear Phiip Team Assistant Editor Mariyn Siverman Contributors Marc M. Moria Stacy Jacob, Esq. Juianne Hin Tonya Wheathersbee Kathy Rougier, B.Sc.,B.A. Janet Murguia Yvonne Agbontaen, Esq. Raj Jayadev Angie Junck Sister DuBong Ronde Joseph Lisa Christopher Graphic & Website Designers Praim Samsoondar Samantha Rosero Magda Roszkowski Marketing Executives Chanta Figeroux Trudy Peynado Lega Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Marketing & Saes Office 1105 Nostrand Avenue Brookyn, NY Te: / Emai cariaweeky@ao.com Get your phone ringing off the hook. Promote your business, product or service with us. Ca

3 OBAMA ADMINISTRATION 3 Mr. President, Change Takes Courage continued from page 1 The foowing are comments by Angeica Saas, executive director for the Coaition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angees (CHIRLA), a humane and new immigrant American rights organization based in Los Angees. As the number of immigrants detained and deported by the current Administration grows inching sowy towards the 800,000 mark just in two years, we wonder if the common phrase see no evi, hear no evi, and do no evi has become President Obama s unofficia immigration poicy. The irony, however, is that athough immigrants continue to beieve President Obama is we-intentioned, the persecution, dehumanization, and criminaization of unauthorized immigrants across the nation in the absence of federa eadership to update our nation s immigration aws can no onger be hidden or ignored. For us on the ground, the reaity is painfuy cear: thousands of otherwise good, positive members of our society are bearing the brunt of a White House that seems intent on not seeing or hearing evi and a rogue Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that works extra hard to efficienty uneash he unto our communities. The President of the United States Immigration enforcement has gone rogue and the community asks if the White House istens or cares promised the immigrant eectorate on more than a few occasions that he woud make a priority to see immigrants emerge from the depths of the shadowy underword they are confined to as second cass citizens. Athough most unauthorized immigrants work, pay taxes, buy homes, set up businesses, do not commit crimes, and are a-around good citizens, the absence of compassion and discretionary oversight of our broken immigration aws have more than reared their ugy heads to obfuscate most efforts by common-sense egisators in Congress to update the archaic system of immigration aws some are so proud of. As we reach a shamefu miestone of injustice towards immigrants and their famiies, we ca on President Obama to heed our ca and take on the forces that keep this Administration from forging meaningfu change. On immigration poicy, every itte bit counts. The President cannot hide behind the shied of separation of powers much onger. He is, after a, our President too, and we expect him to hear, see, and do what his conscience and his courage dictate White House Easter Egg Ro: Get Up and Go! MORTGAGE DEBT RELIEF GUARANTEED! -BANKRUPTCIES -REFINANCE -QUICK SALE -MANY MORE! Want to save your home? Forecosure experts wi negotiate with the bank on YOUR behaf! CALL NOW For Free Consutation DON T WAIT ANOTHER DAY. THE LONGER YOU WAIT THE WORSE IT GETS. A information wi be kept stricty confidentia Ca now / The White House Easter Egg Ro is now ess than one month away! Each week brings new exciting information and opportunities reated to this year s event. Recenty, the officia 2011 White House Easter Egg Ro ogo and souvenir eggs were announced. The ogo features a jumping Easter Bunny, representing this year s theme, Get Up and Go! in support of the First Lady s Let s Move! initiative to raise a heathier generation of kids. This year s eggs come in the paste coors of purpe, pink, green, and yeow. The eggs are handmade in the United States from wood that is harvested using strict environmentay friendy practices. Each egg wi feature a stamp of the ogo, and the signatures of both the President and First Lady. The souvenir eggs can be purchased onine through the Nationa Parks Foundation. ORDERED DEPORTED & HIDING? If you have been deported or convicted of crimes that make you deportabe, pease ca now for a free ega consutation. You may be abe to fie a motion to re-open your case or quaify for post-conviction reief. It's a free ega, no obigation consutation. You have nothing to ose and everything to gain. Get that second, third or fourth opinion. Ca now.

4 4 Fina State Budget Keeps NYC Senior Centers Open Recenty, there has been serious concerns about the cosing of senior centers in New York. Good news: the fina state budget keeps senior centers open. Assembywoman Rhoda Jacobs said, New York City senior centers pay a key roe in improving the ives of seniors in communities throughout the city. These estabishments provide critica services for seniors, incuiding nutritious meas, heath and weness activities and socia events. The Assemby fought to ensure that the budget restores $36 miion of the Tite XX discretionary funds to these centers to keep them open. We had to make a ot of tough decisions in this budget, but protecting the quaity of ife for our seniors is vita. We have an obigation to care for those who have made ifeong contributions to our communities and we must continue providing them the services they need and deserve. Increasing Penaties for Landords Who Fai to Provide Heat & Hot Water for Tenants When the City receives a heat or hot water compaint, the Department of Housing Preservation and Deveopment wi attempt to contact the buiding s owner in an effort to have the heat or hot water service restored. If service is not restored, an HPD inspector is dispatched to the buiding to verify the compaint and issue the appropriate vioation. In Fisca Year 2010, HPD issued 12,436 heat and hot water vioations. The penaty for faiing to provide heat and hot water is currenty $250 - $500 per day for each initia vioation unti the date the vioation is corrected and $500 - $1,000 per day for each subsequent vioation at the same buiding during the same caendar year or heat season. This egisation increases the time period to receive subsequent vioations from one caendar year or heat season to two consecutive caendar years or heat seasons. CACCI Ceebrates Women & Minority Businesses at Power Breakfast Photo: Praim Samsoondar On Thursday, March 31, Brookyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Deputy Borough President Yvonne Graham hosted the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry s (CACCI) Specia Membership Power Breakfast Meeting, which paid tribute to minority-owned and women-owned businesses as part of Nationa Women s History Month. In a borough that is proud home to everyone from everywhere, sma and minority-owned businesses are the ifebood of Brookyn, said BP Markowitz. Brookyn is feeing the pinch of this economic downturn just ike everywhere ese, but the fact is, we re eading this city s economic resurgence, and we re creating jobs faster than any other borough in the city. At a press conference, foowing the breakfast, CACCI announced its partnership with the New York Mets to host a Caribbean Heritage Night at Citi Fied. This exciting evening is sated for Wednesday, August 10, 2011 when the New York Mets wi face the San Diego Padres. Aso as part of its ceebrations for its 26th anniversary there wi be a presentation of the Spirit Awards. where outstanding members of the Disapora wi be honored. NEWSBRIEFS Service Centers Are Now Required to Discose Services Provided for Women Seeking Reproductive Care Pregnancy service centers provide services to women who are or may become pregnant and are not icensed by the State or federa government to provide medica or pharmaceutica services to women. These centers provide obstetric utrasounds, obstetric sonograms or prenata care or have the appearance of a icensed medica faciity. To ensure that women are fuy informed of the services provided by pregnancy service centers, this bi requires the centers to inform their cients whether they have a icensed medica provider on staff and discose whether they provide certain pregnancy-reated services or not. This bi aso requires centers to provide confidentiaity protections for their cients persona and heath information. District Attorney Hynes Cracks Down on Mortgage Scam Artists It is aarming how easy it is to stea someone s home right out from under them. An increasing amount of scam artists have been using homes as vehices to commit various frauds, incuding seing homes stoen from the rightfu owners. Few industries have created as much weath in the past few years as the rea estate business. Unfortunatey, this surge has ed unscrupuous individuas to try to get in on the action. These peope are just ooking for opportunities to take advantage of unknowing victims. DA Hynes As rea estate fraud becomes more prevaent in our county, the homeowners must earn to protect themseves. Scam artists often expoit cracks in the system to swinde overeager, but egitimate homebuyers, mortgage brokers and commercia enders. Surprisingy, crooks are abe to stea money simpy by forging documentation and fasey making it appear as though one person signed over property to another, and then fiing the phony deeds with the City Register. One way to hep prevent mortgage fraud woud be through egisation requiring the City Registers to notify the owners of property if ever someone attempts to record a document which woud affect ownership rights in rea property. In 2009, we made significant strides in fighting rea estate fraud when my office created a Mortgage Fraud and Rea Estate Crimes Unit and set up a hotine number to report these crimes. That number is (718) The Unit, staffed by prosecutors, investigators and paraegas, focuses soey on rea estate crimes incuding mortgage fraud and predatory ending. United States Senator Chares Schumer payed a huge roe by providing $875,000 in new federa funding to create this Unit and hep protect Brookyn homeowners from a kinds of mortgage scams, rea estate fraud and cases of predatory ending. Since the new Unit s inception, we have undertaken 250 investigations, resuting in 40 prosecutions. In March, we announced 17 arrests in a variety of rea estate crimes incuding reverse mortgage scams, oan modifications, deed theft and mortgage fraud. It is a message to a the scammers out there that they wi be caught and prosecuted to the fu extent of the aw when they prey on vunerabe victims, often seniors. There are many predators who wi do whatever it takes to stea your money or your home. There are a kinds of scams out there and it can be very difficut to recognize them. Marketpace Business Card & Cassifieds To pace your ad ca or emai cariaweeky@ao.com

5 DIASPORA CONCERNS 5 Forecosing on the continued from page 1 President Obama s HAMP The Home Affordabe Modification Program (HAMP) is designed to hep as many as 3 to 4 miion financiay strugging homeowners avoid forecosure by modifying oans to a eve that is affordabe for borrowers now and sustainabe over the ong term. The program provides cear and consistent oan modification guideines that the entire mortgage industry can use. How Bankruptcy Can Hep Bankruptcy wi stop the forecosure proceedings and give you time to work out a pan through the courts. When you fie either a Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the court automaticay issues an order (caed the Order for Reief) incuding the "automatic stay." The automatic stay directs your creditors to cease their coection activities immediatey, no excuses. If your home is schedued for a forecosure sae, the sae wi be egay postponed whie the bankruptcy is pending typicay for three to four months. However, there are two exceptions to this genera rue: motion to ift the stay and forecosure notice aready fied. For more information about how bankruptcy can be your persona baiout for mounting debts or avoiding bankruptcy, ca to schedue a free, no obigation consutation. FIVE SIGNS OF A BAD MORTGAGE: nyou aways strugge to make your monthy payments. nyou have two or more mortgages or ine of credit on one property. nthe interest rate on your mortgage keeps increasing. ndespite reguar payments, your principa amount keeps increasing. nyou are ony paying interest Need hep? Ca Te:

6 6 Sins and Warrants: Surrendering in Church BY STACY JACOB, ESQ. When one thinks of surrendering in church, one may imagine a more spiritua experience: reigious peope surrendering to God, sins and a. But the Kings County District Attorney s Office in partnership with Brookyn cergy have deveoped a piot program that enabes a peope to surrender in church in order to resove outstanding warrants. The piot program, Project Safe Surrender, aows individuas accused of crimes and vioations to safey surrender at churches in order to get rid of their warrants or summons. Some of the charges for which one can surrender on an open warrant or summons incude disordery conduct, consumption of acoho in pubic, ittering, riding a bicyce on the sidewak, trespassing and oitering. It s an opportunity for individuas with such warrants or summons to turn themseves in to aw enforcement, in the presence of cergy. The program aso connects individuas with key socia assistance in the areas of heath, housing, empoyment training, and education. The objective of the program is not to catch peope and jai them. Rather, it heps dissipate the constant fear of being stopped by the poice, e.g., as for a traffic infraction, and then being haued off to jai because of the outstanding warrants. The vaue of regaining one s peace of mind and not feeing the need to ook over one s shouder is significant. Project Safe Surrender s church setting provides Breakfast Empowerment Seminar Series HELPING OUR CHURCHES SUCCEED a safe environment for having warrants or summons ifted and the case adjudicated. Understand, however, that this is not the same as a pardon of the underying crime or vioation. Instead, it is a chance to resove the case and, hopefuy, move on with your ife. Project Safe Surrender Day is happening on Friday, Apri 22 and Saturday, Apri 23 at Antioch Baptist Church ocated at 828 Greene Avenue, Brookyn fro 9am to 5pm. Even if a more sacrosanct surrender is not on your agenda, you might nonetheess want to get to church and surrender to aw enforcement, with cergy present to ease your fears. Ca the District Attorney s office at or visit today to find out more information about Project Safe Surrender. COMMUNITY CONCERNS Project Safe Surrender, aows individuas accused of crimes and vioations to safey surrender at churches in order to get rid of their warrants or summons Redeemer s Tabernace Services are hed at 26 Court Street, Suite 701, downtown Brookyn, New York from 11:30 am every Sunday morning. The service is broadcast ive from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on and is repeated from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. A are invited to join us at our Sunday service to worship, praise the Lord, and study the word of God. Bishop Michae E. Carke is the Pastor of Redeemer's Tabernace Hosea 4:6 My peope are destroyed from ack of knowedge The NACC Chamber of Commerce cordiay invites you to our bi-monthy Cergy Breakfast Seminar 8:45am-9:30am: Registration & Breakfast 9:30am-11:00am: Program 11:00-12noon: Networking npension Pans for Pastors nmaking Your Church Financiay Stabe nreigious Petitions 10,000 Green Cards Avaiabe nthe 501(c)(3) Process for Your Church nbusiness/job Opportunities for the Cergy nradio Hosting Buiding Your Congregation Location: NACC Conference Room, 26 Court Street, Suite 701 Brookyn, NY In diversity, we have strength! Seating is imited. Must register in advance. Pease ca ext 118 or 112

7 FAMILY MATTERS 7 HOROSCOPE Sister Dobong Horoscope 728 Frankin Avenue Brookyn, New York Te: Aries: Lucky Numbers: Lotto Positive outcome from the new moon are very possibe. You wi need to et ife unfod its mysteries for you. Just know that your destiny wi be reveaed and you wi be happy with the outcome. Taurus: Lucky Numbers: Lotto Look inside of yoursef for answers. Be aware that everyone has the right to make the inner journey that wi bring peace. In ove be more fexibe and give and take. This wi make the reationship more rewarding and baanced. Gemini: Lucky Numbers: Lotto Just know that a sorts of communication errors can be a probem this week. Write everything down and doube check everything. In ove be more open and wiing to make sacrifices for the cause. Cancer: Lucky Numbers: Lotto You wi have to make work your top priority. Bring out the best ideas and give your boss your thoughts. You have made a good impression aready and this coud ead to more responsibiity. Leo: Lucky Numbers: Lotto Opportunities wi be avaiabe just as if a genie is granting your wishes. If you want to change the word start with yoursef first and then go out to spread the good news to everyone ese. Buy fowers for yoursef and upift your spirits. Virgo: Lucky Numbers: Lotto Something great is happening now in your ife. You wi consider making new moves in many different directions never traveed before. Stay cear of any gossip; you are better than that. Exercise in any way possibe wi reieve stress. Libra: Lucky Numbers: Lotto Take a moment and give yoursef a much needed wardrobe update. Looking great and feeing great go hand and hand. Go to the movies for some aughter. Scorpio: Lucky Numbers: Lotto You have the power to make everyone do what you what them to do with just a itte bit of sweet words and a smie. There may be financia opportunities to better yoursef. Take everything to a awyer to read over first. Sagittarius: Lucky Numbers: Lotto Others are watching you at work so do the best that you can possiby do. You wi aso have work opportunities to change your current career path. Do not et ove go by the wayside. You wi have to spend quaity time with your oved ones. Capricorn: Lucky Numbers: Lotto Dance your way to happiness and trim down your waistine a in the same shot. Stay positive in a matters especiay at the office. If you do have time to make teephone cas stay in touch with text messages or emai. Aquarius: Lucky Numbers: Lotto Open the doors of ove and et joy and passion in. Now is the time to see what is reay on someone s mind; ook at the actions and et them speak to you ouder than the words. Pisces: Lucky Numbers: Lotto It is very important for you to stick to your budget and not stray. You wi need to be prepared for an unexpected event in the near future. Oh, make a wish and wait for your dreams to come true. Mentoring Our Youths BY KATHY S. ROUGIER, B.SC., B.A. In order to be a succesfu mentor, certain characteristics are necessary. Initiay there must be a good rapport and fit between the mentor and mentoree. It has often been said that the youths of today are our eaders of tomorrow. Mentoring our youths therefore coud ead to overa positive goba benefits. Mentors must be dedicated and wiing to expend the time and energy it takes for successfu mentoring. One important characteristic is that of active istening. Active istening invoves paying fu attention, taking note of what is said, asking questions and repeating what was said so that carification and understanding are gained. Using non-verba gestures and maintaining eye contact greaty assist in communication and ets the other party know whether or not you understand or are confused. Listening attentivey is important for both mentor and mentoree. It is important for both mentor and mentoree to step out of their comfort zone. This coud be achieved by expanding thoughts, nurturing confidence and embracing new chaenges. The outcome resuts in positive persona growth for both parties. In this reationship, there is mutua exchange of communication and a dedication to success. Whie the mentor is dedicated to the success of the mentoree, he/she aso experiences the satisfaction of success in observing growth and deveopment of the mentoree. This breeds success NEW YORK IS NOW A NO-FAULT DIVORCE STATE Famiy Law Practice Summarized ndivorce nseparation nsupport ncustody The awyer you hire does make a difference! ucontested & Uncontested Divorces useparation & Prenuptia Agreements ubusiness & Degree Evauations u Spousa Maintenance u Custody/Visitation upaternity ureocation uchid Support uabuse/negect urestraining & Protective Orders umodification of Previous Orders & Awards *$600 *Uncontested on consent and cost. A five boroughs. No property, no kids.. We can process your divorce even if your spouse is uncooperative or ives overseas. Has your spouse disappeared? We can find your spouse! LAW OFFICES OF FIGEROUX & ASSOCIATES in the mentor s own ife. Dedicated mentors and mentorees who genuiney invest their time and effort in this unique reationship are most effective and resuts are evident. Inquiry and perseverance for knowedge and truth can greaty assist mentors and mentorees. Guided in their search, young mentorees can overcome chaenges in their search and gain knowedge that woud benefit them throughout their ives. By having an expansive view and sharing this view with mentorees, mentors can demonstrate how the interaction of two or more peope creates a response which snowbas into other responses. Mentors can teach and show mentorees how responses and interactions can be positive even if the initia action or behavior is negative. Mentors must be peope who are ready to take on the chaenge of mentoring. They must exude responsibiity and must be respectfu. Mentorees too must be ready to earn and isten. Each party must fee free to openy communicate with the other bearing in mind that each can aso earn from the other. Diigence is required when mentoring youths and mentors must commit to meeting with their mentoree on a reguar basis. Progress over time must be recorded so as to faciitate the embrace that may be needed. This reationship is a fuid one that can maximize the many benefits for mentors and mentorees aike. Matrimonia Investigations ubank & Asset Searches uwire Transfers uaimony Reduction uco-habitation Investigation udivorce/dating/fraud uinternet Dating/Fraud uvideo Surveiance QUEENS: Liberty Avenue, Richmond Hi, NY Te: BROOKLYN: 26 Court Street, Suite 701. Te: n 1105 Nostrand Avenue. Te:

8 8 LEGAL ISSUES Litte-Known High Court Case Coud Hep Beat Deportation BY RAJ JAYADEV & ANGIE JUNCK NEW AMERICA MEDIA It is the one-year anniversary of Padia v. Kentucky arguaby the most important U.S. Supreme Court decision to date regarding the nexus between oca crimina courts and federa immigration aws. This is aso the first week of renewed freedom for Jeysson Minota, 28, a ega permanent resident from Coombia, who had been in and out of federa detention centers for the past four years after originay being charged with vandaism. His detention, and his utimate freedom, tes the story of the need and promise of the José Padia decision. In the Padia case, the Supreme Court hed that the U.S. Constitution requires crimina defense counse to provide adequate advice on the immigration consequences of how a case is resoved. Such advice is critica to defendants ike Minota. The crimina act that got Minota in troube and put him on the radar of Homeand Security was graffiti. Minota, a graffiti artist, peaded guity to a feony charge of vandaism. Immigration and enforcement officias caimed that vandaism is a crime of mora turpitude, making it a deportabe offense. Athough he was not deported, thanks to a judge who noted his good record and U.S.-citizen wife, he ost his green card and was in and out of detention. Had his previous awyers informed Minota that a guity pea coud ead to deportation, he might not have been hed over the four-year period. With the hep of new attorneys, incuding Angie Junck, a coauthor of this artice, his not-guity pea in immigration court eventuay won him a new green card and a new start in the United States. His new awyers aso heped Minota avoid a seemingy minor ega error that triggers permanent deportation. He peaded guity to a seemingy innocuous misdemeanor charge of trespassing and was found innocent by a jury. But this minor charge, which woud have carried no extra jai time, woud have caused many uninformed pubic defenders to urge the defendant to accept a guity pea, expecting an easy resoution. For immigrants, though, a guity pea woud have been equivaent to an immigration ife sentence and separation from his wife, two chidren, mother and sibings. But as with any ega device, the decision from Padia v. Kentucky is a measure of protection that ony has vaue if exercised. There are two garing and systemic roadbocks that make cases ike Minota s, even with the Padia decision, more the exception than the rue. Strip away the poitica vaue judgments around constitutiona protections for immigrants, and you are sti eft with overy impacted crimina courts. The reaity is that guity peas, eary and often, are perhaps a that prevent the country s court system from bursting at the seams. In fact, ess than five percent of a feony cases across the country ever reach the tria stage. Consequenty, one of the most fundamenta rights afforded to the accused the right to a pubic hearing is circumvented on a daiy basis. For those without immigration consequences, pea deas may be the best option in order to receive a ighter sentence. But for those ike Minota, it is a decision often born out of the pressure and isoation of the experience, and one they may come to regret. In Santa Cara County, where Minota faced crimina charges in 2008, the district attorney s office tried ony 260 cases, both for misdemeanors and feonies, out of roughy 30,000 cases. That is ess than one percent, meaning the immigration fates of immigrants, who are part of that poo of defendants, were frequenty seaed we before they faced an immigration judge. continued on page 13

9 IMMIGRATION 9 Senator Durban To Reintroduce Dream Act In Congress BY JULIANNE HIN, COLORLINES WASHINGTON, D.C.: The DREAM Act is coming back. After a bruising, neary triumphant fight through Congress at the end of ast year, Sen. Richard Durbin, D-I., is preparing to reintroduce the immigration bi this session, his office confirmed ast week. The egisation seeks to create a path to citizenship for undocumented youth, who grew up in the United States. It surged ahead on the congressiona agenda ast session, as key Democrats, ed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, courted Latino voters in a hard-fought eectora cyce. There are, however, murmurs of disquiet among immigrant youth advocates, who fear that the version of the bi Durbin pans to introduce wi be far narrower than the one they backed as recenty as a year ago. The bi s scope has shrunk significanty as its congressiona backers have sought bipartisan support. We know the DREAM Act is going to be coming out soon, and that it s most ikey going to be simiar to the version that passed the House ast time, said Mohammad Abdoahi, an immigrant youth activist, who heped cofound the DREAM Act cearinghouse DreamActivist.org. Simiar to Previous House Version According to Abdoahi and other immigration advocates famiiar with the negotiations happening now, the bi wi ikey mirror the version that passed in an historic House vote ast December, but faied to cear a Repubican fiibuster in the Senate. They say that Durbin has resisted fiing a broader version of the bi in order to accommodate his Repubican coeague Sen. Richard Lugar, who is fighting off a more right-wing chaenger back home in Indiana. Abdoahi said Durbin s decision to stick with a ess-than-idea version of the bi was the major diemma in front of DREAM Act activists right now. If Democrats are not going to advocate for a stronger bi and just give in to Repubican demands, then we have to recognize that Democrats are not going to have the backbone they need to have, Abdoahi said. Others, however, acknowedge the reaities of a shrinking poitica paying fied for moderate Repubicans, whose votes wi be required to pass any version of the bi. I do think that Sen. Durbin is sensitive to the position that Lugar is in, said Adey Lisseha, a poicy attorney and campaign coordinator with the Nationa Immigration Law Center, which has supported the immigrant youth umbrea organization United We Dream and is advocating for the DREAM Act. Lugar has drawn a primary chaenger who s been pretty voca about highighting Sen. Lugar s support of the DREAM Act as his number one reason for running against him, Lisseha said. The chaenger, Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, has forced Lugar into the poitica fight of his ife, an unusua position for a veteran senator, who is accustomed to easy re-eection. Lisseha said that immigrant-rights advocates appreciated that Lugar had stuck by the DREAM Act, unike other Repubican senators, such as Utah s Orrin Hatch and Arizona s John McCain, who abandoned the bi after years of ongstanding support for it. McCain won re-eection ast year after rebranding himsef as a staunch anti-immigrant foe, and Hatch, who s rumored to be facing a difficut re-eection in 2012, may aready be rearing for the same. significant ways: The probationary period was upped to 10 years from six and the age cap was sashed from 35 to 30 years od. The bi s advocates knew at the time those changes woud haunt them if the egisation faied. Concessions are made in an effort to get votes, Lisseha said, and if you can t get those votes, where you eave off aways becomes the starting point in the foowing Congress. Lisseha added that she considered Durbin one of the peope best positioned to do the anaysis of the poitica andscape, and trusted his commitment to keeping the DREAM Act as bipartisan as possibe, but that poitica compromises come with rea-ife costs. It s not idea, Lisseha said of the new age caps, and it s not what we want. And it s been a point of contention for a ot of DREAMers, as undocumented immigrant youth activists are often caed, because the peope who worked on it the ongest are aging out of a bi that woud hep change their circumstances. A Break From Past Approach Putting The Heat On The DREAM Act has been around for over As immigrant youth this is our message, a decade, and it s been steadiy narrowed with Abdoahi said. We re wiing to put ourseves each iteration. The eariest versions did not on the ine. Just ike in Juy, we re not going to incude a miitary service provision one hod back against Democrats, because utimatey the DREAM Act ost votes on the coud become eigibe for citizenship with community service, which seems ike a quaint Democratic side too. impossibiity in today s highy poarized antiimmigrant cimate. In the ast days of the 2010 youth staged a series of sit-ins in senators Last summer undocumented immigrant ame duck session, severa key concessions were made that narrowed the bi s scope in continued on page 15 ALL IMMIGRATION MATTERS GET THE FACTS BE SMART MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION BEWARE OF IMMIGRATION FRAUD uheath Care (RN/OT/PT/TSHH/SLP S & IT Cases) uextension of Status & Visa Renewas uwork Authorization uh-ib Professiona Workers uf-1 Students uj-1 Exchange Visitor Trainees uo-1 Extraordinary Abiity ur-1 Reigious Workers uu.s. Citizenship ufamiy-sponsored Permanent Residence ugreen Cards/Labor Certification (RIR) uimmigration Visa Petitions:Empoyment Based utemporary Work Visas unaturaization Derivative Petitions ulabor Certifications uappication for Asyum upetitions for Writ of Habeas Corpus uappeas to the Board of Immigration Appeas ulawsuits invoving Eigibiity and Processing for Citizenship CALL Court Street, Suite 701 Brookyn, NY PERSONAL INJURY ACCIDENTS FAMILY LAW POLICE BRUTALITY CRIMINAL LAW CIVIL LITIGATION BANKRUPTCY REAL ESTATE Visit our website at: LAW OFFICES OF FIGEROUX & ASSOCIATES QUEENS: Liberty Avenue, Richmond Hi, NY Te: BROOKLYN: 26 Court Street, Suite 701. Te: n 1105 Nostrand Avenue. Te:

10 10 As a Kansan, I was saddened to hear a representative from my home state sink to a new ow. The Lawrence Journa Word reported that Kansas State Representative Virgi Peck (R) said, "It might be a good idea to contro iega immigration the way the fera hog popuation has been controed with hunters shooting from heicopters." During a discussion in the Kansas House Appropriations Committee about eiminating fera hogs, Representative Peck made the foowing statement on the record: "It ooks ike to me that if shooting these immigrating fera hogs works maybe we have found a soution to our iega immigration probem." Unfortunatey, this is not the first time a egisator in our nation has compared undocumented immigrants to animas or much worse. But advocating for shooting humans from heicopters is far beyond unacceptabe. Ironicay, Representative Peck's comment comes just days after the Nationa Counci of La Raza (NCLR) aunched its Pedge for Respect campaign. It appears the campaign coudn't have come at a more timey moment. Recenty, hundreds of Latino eaders from NCLR's Affiiate Network met with their members of Congress in Washington, DC and asked them to sign a pedge to respect the Latino community, commit to encouraging civi discourse in the poitica process, and pubicy oppose irresponsibe rhetoric that dehumanizes and scapegoats Latinos. Apparenty we need to circuate the pedge in my home state of Kansas as we. To add insut to injury, when Peck was asked about his comment, he did not apoogize. Instead he said, "I was just speaking ike a southeast Kansas person." So not ony does he see no probem with insuting immigrants and Latinos, now he's adding Kansans to the mix. He was then quoted as saying, "I think it's over" and that he did not expect any more controversy over his comment. We, I beg to differ. Join Me In teing Representative Peck That It's Far From Over! He doesn't seem to think that he has done anything wrong and he needs to understand that this type of rhetoric has no pace in our pubic discourse. That's why we are aso asking Speaker Mike O'Nea of the Kansas House of Representatives to ca for an apoogy and an end to this intoerance in the Kansas egisature. We understand that our country is tired of federa inaction on immigration reform, but dehumanizing and scapegoating immigrants is not a soution. We ook to our eected officias as eaders in our nation and we demand that they start acting ike it. Kansans, and a Americans, deserve better. IMMIGRATION A New Low: Shooting Immigrants from Heicopters? BY JANET MURGUIA PRESIDENT & CEO NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA Rep. Virgi Peck Kansas House Representative Shoud Resign Ca/emai Kansas State Representative Virgi Peck to resign from his position immediatey for viciousy suggesting that the State of Kansas begin shooting undocumented immigrants from heicopters just as they do with fera hogs. Phone: Emai: virgi.peck@house.ks.gov Home Information P.O. Box 277 Tyro, Kansas Phone: Emai: virgi@virgipeck.com Business Information Occupation: Insurance Agent Phone: FREE Immigration Seminar the ast Thursday & Saturday of every month. Ca for more information. FREE CONSULTATIONS ON ANY LEGAL MATTER Sponsored by Figeroux & Associates & IMMIGRATION ISSUES TO DISCUSS Taxes for Undocumented and Tax Id No Match Letters - What to do? Deportations - 800,000 and Counting with President Obama - Soutions? Administrative Aternatives to CIR - New 601 Waiver Success for Unawfu Presence, Do not wait for CIR - You may quaify for Canceation of Remova VAWA - Immediate Reative Petitions, How to Get a Green Card Membership Drive & Benefits of Membership Updates - Dream Act - CIR New Legisation FREE CONSULTATION SCHEDULE Pease join us as we educate and empower U.S. citizens, Green Card hoders and undocumented persons about the various options for egaization and protection against immigration fraud. Every Tuesday 2pm to 7pm 1105 Nostrand Avenue, Brookyn, NY Te: Train: 2 or 5 to Stering Street Bus: B44 to Nostrand Avenue and Mape Street Muti-Cutura Programming ICE: Immigration & [Caribbean] Cutura Exposé Saturday 6pm-7pm on WPAT 930AM Caribbean news, immigration news and egisative updates, ega questions & answers, interviews and more. Legay Speaking Monday to Thursday 6:30am-7am on WVIP 93.5FM Start your week the right way by getting a your ega questions answered Listen at: The Immigrant s Journa Membership Free Citizenship Drive - Free Assistance with Tax ID # Appication, Open a Bank Account Liberty Avenue: Every Saturday from 10am to 3pm. For more information, ca Nostrand Avenue, Brookyn, NY Te: Become a Journa member now!

11 COMMUNITY CONCERNS 11 What Does Carence Thomas Have Against Back Peope? BY TONYAA WHEATHERSBEE BLACK AMERICA WEB Maybe John Thompson reminded Carence Thomas of a chidhood nemesis. Maybe Thompson, who spent 14 years on Louisiana s Death Row when prosecutors deiberatey withhed evidence that woud have proved his innocence, reminded the Supreme Court justice of one of the buies who taunted him about his coa-back skin. Or maybe, at east in Thomas eyes, Thompson quicky morphed into a back man who was ooking for a handout instead of justice. Or maybe it s a of the above. It has to be. Because there s no way that any fair-minded jurist woud turn the sort of ega cartwhees that Thomas and his four other conservative coeagues on the high court recenty turned to side with the New Oreans District Attorney s Office in tossing out a $14 miion verdict in Thompson s favor. Here s what happened. In 1985, Thompson, then 22, was convicted of murder and armed robbery in Louisiana. He was sentenced to death on the murder conviction and came within weeks of being executed in 1999 when his investigators earned that prosecutors faied to turn over evidence that woud have freed him. Among that evidence was the fact that the main informant had received a reward from the victim s famiy and that the eyewitness identification didn t match. Most of a, prosecutors deiberatey conceaed bood evidence and a ab report that woud have ceared Thompson. This they hid for 20 years. Thompson s convictions were overturned, and he sued Harry Connick Sr., the district attorney for Oreans Parish, for not schooing his prosecutors about their ega obigation to turn over such evidence to the defense. That obigation was aid out in a 1963 case, Brady v. Maryand, in which the Supreme Court said that to withhod such evidence is a vioation of the defendant s constitutiona rights. Connick, in fact, even conceded that he didn t competey understand what Brady encompassed. A jury awarded Thompson $14 miion. But it seems that Thomas who wrote the majority opinion in tossing out the verdict was more than wiing to join his white conservative cohorts in tramping the Constitution to give the powerfu more ammunition to keep the Judge Carence Thomas poweress in their pace. Incrediby, in writing for the 5-4 majority, Thomas said that Thompson didn t deserve any money because he coudn t prove that there was a pattern of simiar vioations in previous cases, or that prosecutors deiberatey set out to vioate the Constitution. He and his buddy, Antonin Scaia, basicay said it was unfair for the entire prosecutor s office to be hed responsibe for one bad act. As if it wasn t unfair for Thompson, who is now 40, to have spent 18 years of his ife 14 of those on Death Row ocked up for a crime he didn t commit. That s a heartess, wrongheaded decision and one that fies in the face of what Thomas is supposed to be about. Thomas is, after a, a man who is supposed to be a champion of individua responsibiity for back peope. So then, why doesn t he extend that expectation of responsibiity to powerfu institutions, such as district attorney s offices, to make sure that prosecutors don t amost cause an innocent person to be put to death because they withhed evidence that coud free them? Why is it that Thomas, a back man who grew up in Georgia during a time of ynchings and other injustices against back men, is so wiing to contort the Constitution and human decency to make a decision that wi invariaby give prosecutors more eeway to get innocent back peope ike Thompson kied? I have to beieve it s either a need for revenge against his chidhood tormentors or a those backs who cheered on his adut nemesis Anita Hi. Or maybe it s a just a need to be different. Many times, for back peope, being different means having no history. It means being wiing to sidestep the truth and fairness to show how coorbind they are and how they are not ike a those other back peope. And, in the end, it s a sad pace to be. Are you a victim of POLICE MISCONDUCT? Then attend our FREE Litigation Workshop To register er for this w workshop ca: c CARE: : , NAACP-NYCHA: CHA : Workshop Location: 26 Court Street, Suite 701, Brookyn, NY Discrimination imination is a major probem in the United States. Racia profiing by the poice, who use race as a factor in deciding whom to pace under suspicion and/or surveiance is frequent. Common targets incude Back and Latino youths that t suffer higher unempoyment rates more than White kids. Discrimination imination on grounds of race is widespread in many other areas of ife, incuding access to education, heath services, es, business oans, business contracts, ts housing and disaster reief. Those that benefit from discrimination do not want it to end. So, network with us, to itigate against it. Sponsored by NAACP-NYCHA CHA and CARE C And Ca to register er for a free itigation tion workshop Leave this workshop with PRO SE Knowedge

12 12 COMMUNITY BUSINESS Madison Ave Comes to Nostrand Ave BY MARILYN SILVERMAN There s a street corner in Brookyn where you find but the unexpected a méange of unique gifts and styish cothing for a who eisurey stro by its internationa designer abes seing for ess, from cuddy crochet creations for your tiny todders to eegant evening gowns for moms a persona shopper to satisfy your styistic whims mannequins that come aive a hum of background cassica music as you sip on sampes of tea and morses of deectabe chocoates art exhibits for the art connoisseur. The proprietress of Brookyn s newest treasure, Art Nouveau at 1105 Nostrand Avenue, amid a working-cass encave in Fatbush, is Laverne Figeroux, a ta, eegant woman styishy chic and cad head to toe in back in stark contrast to the kaeidoscope of coors that meet the eye at a anges once you cross the threshod. Its debut was December 12, 2010, a few short months ago. Laverne possesses an awesome sense of creativity, imagination and marketing savvy. She embeish scarves with pompoms, jewes and buttons from a coection she has acquired. As Laverne tod me, Customers have a say as to what is added. This is certainy very ego-fattering. That it s designed just for them makes peope fee good. Litte 4-5 year-od girs squea with deight as they spot in the window, one of Laverne s pretty dresses on tiny hangers. As she said, they practicay pu their parents in. Chidren s cothes are an important part of Art Nouveau s inventory since this is a famiy oriented neighborhood with its cross-section of young and od, with different races returning to their roots. She even has a seamstress/designer on her payro who is working on dresses for this growing market of young girs. Imagine a itte gir wearing a pretty dress instead of jeans ike her oder sister. As Laverne said, Chidren shoud ook ike chidren. They shoudn t ook ike itte aduts. Her dream is to have itte girs ook ike sugar and spice. During the summer months, Laverne has hired young modes. She thinks outside the box. These modes wi serve as window dressing as a itte story board wi unfod with a typica famiy scenario a husband, wife and daughter (coincidentay, her granddaughter wi be modeing) wi be getting dressed to go to the park for a picnic on a azy, hazy summer afternoon. Then they wi strike a pose. The mae and femae modes wi both be wearing wedding bands so as not to appear as a boyfriend and girfriend as she promotes good standards of moraity. An astute and perspicacious and marketing whiz, this entrepreneur is aways thinking of how to get peope to stop and come to my store. Laverne continued, I go to the city and ask mysef, why is this store so crowded, even though peope say they have no money? What are some stores doing differenty that attracts crowds? I can t compete with the arger stores but I can certainy pick up some pointers. I can put peope in my window. That wi certainy turn heads, whereby pedestrian traffic becomes transformed into paying customers. Art Nouveau s interior, which she describes as sophisticated and a itte cassy, she personay designed due to her background in art and design. It dispays her merchandise cothes for men, women, pus size women and chidren from the coection of such designers as the actress Jessica Simpson, Dana Buchman, and Manigance-Paris. Laverne is aways expanding her repertoire of designer abes. She aso stocks unusua gifts totes to hod your unch and wine bottes, candes from Keepers of the Light and cande stands, Crème a a Carte baby towes stitched to resembe bears and rabbits and aromatic fragrances for the home in genie-ike cataytic fragrance amps. As she ed me on a tour of Art Nouveau through every nook and cranny, everything she touched has its own specia story which she enjoys reating to me ike the baby crochet vest designed by an opera singer. Though Art Nouveau is reativey sma, she has such an interesting pethora of merchandise that customers can spend upward of 1 to 1 ½ hours before making a seection. This civic- minded entrepreneur wants to support neighborhood stores, so that s where she purchases some of her fabric from. In the future there wi be Sunday afternoon exhibits with oca artists who are as yet unknown. Her own artwork scenes sketched in charcoa wi aso be dispayed, an entrepreneur/artist who sod her first painting at the tender age of 19. Laverne wants to re-introduce an earier era in merchandising history when shoppers had the time to eaf through cataogs. But now cataogs have graduated to onine versions. Art Nouveau s customers wi be abe to peruse her cataogs and pick and choose. She s ordering merchandise from such cataogs as Rioni from Itay, Two s Company and the Sweet Shoppe. Furthermore, she istens to her customers who giver her ideas as to what they woud ike to see. Fortunatey for her cientee, estabishing a persona touch is most definitey doabe. She addresses them on a firstname basis instead of the anonymity of arger stores. In today s hectic society, peope are overworked and woud absoutey reish the idea of a persona shopper. Just ca up Laverne and hire her. The procedure is reay quite simpe. An interesting touch just ask and she personay hide your gift from prying eyes in a drawer in Art Nouveau unti that specia day comes. A particuar scarf catches your fancy? Just ask for that scarf in back, if that s your favorite coor. Laverne can do you a specia favor and contact the showroom to research its avaiabiity. A fruitess endeavor in other stores but not here in Art Nouveau. How does this proprietress perform the amazing feat whereby a designer dress seing for $154 is sod here at discount at $28.99 and a uxurious sik evening gown seing for $500 is ony $198? It s reay quite simpe she buys sampes directy from designers with continued on next page

13 COMMUNITY BUSINESS 13 Madison Ave Comes to Nostrand Ave continued from previous page whom she maintains a professiona working rapport. Her merchandise is generay one of a kind. As she tod me, I want peope to fee specia. Laverne is an entrepreneur who can add the words civic-minded humanitarian to her curricuum vitae, an unusua combination of tites. She s just not interested in being a successfu entrepreneur in today s competitive marketpace but woud ike to aeviate the agony, pain and suffering that communities experience when horrific natura disasters hit by educating and enightening her feow New Yorkers on disaster preparedness. It can never happen here must be deeted from our vocabuary. I wi be seeking a grant to run a program for the community bock by bock and send out fyers for starter kits to each buiding. This ongoing initiative wi start in Brookyn with the Nostrand Avenue Merchants Association and churches. After I finish Brookyn we go to Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx and get other groups invoved. It woud be a tota disaster if we re not prepared and a strain on the federa government. Whenever I speak to peope I hear them say that they woud not know what to do, if this worse case scenario struck. The we-heeed cientee of Madison Avenue s boutiques can afford designer abes. Art Nouveau s proprietress/artist/civic-minded humanitarian Laverne Figeroux doesn t want peope to think they can t afford what she ses. It might ook expensive but the prices are reay affordabe. I want to provide peope in the neighborhood with quaity cothes at a good price....beat Deportation continued from page 8 Immigrants are often represented by pubic defenders. Nationwide, pubic defenders appoint attorneys to represent those without the resources to hire a private attorney. In Caifornia, 90 percent of a the accused are represented by some form of pubicy appointed counse. Often, pubicy appointed attorneys have an overwheming number of cases to jugge compared to private awyers, who choose their own dockets and workoad. Consequenty, there is an incentive for pubic defense awyers to encourage their cients to pead guity, rather than take the time for investigation, motions, defense construction and the financia resources required for a tria. In Santa Cara County, which incuded San Jose, the pubic defender s office does not even staff a misdemeanor arraignment courts, a key pace where peas are entered and immigrants may unknowingy dig their own deportation graves. In these courts, immigrant defendants, uness they ve retained private counse, woud not have an attorney to consut with to hep them understand the potentiay ife-atering consequences of the pea they enter. The second systemic hurde, which makes enforcement of the Padia decision difficut, is that there is no authority to hod defense attorneys accountabe for meeting their responsibiity. Minota s case was unusua because he had the hep of a community organization that activey chaenged his defense attorney to take into account his immigration status, aong with an immigration attorney, who coud advise the crimina awyers. The organization supporting Minota, Siicon Vaey De-Bug, his famiy and his immigration attorney, Angie Junck of the Immigrant Lega Resource Center, met weeky to assess the status of the case and deveop strategies. Minota said, I knew I coud continue to fight because I knew I had peope on the outside that were fighting for me. The notion of community invovement communicating with awyers, reviewing paperwork, attending court hearings in crimina or immigration cases is currenty not a common practice, particuary in immigrant communities. The Padia decision may be a ever to make defense counse better protect the rights of immigrants, but there have to be peope to pu that ever. There are two major essons earned from Minota s case: The crimina defense bar, particuary pubic attorneys on immigration matters, need to be educated on immigration consequences to crimina charges; and immigrant-advocacy groups need to see crimina courts as a centra space where they can fight to keep famiies together in the United States. For exampe, immigrant-advocacy groups can meet with pubic defenders in their counties to cite errors, underscore their responsibiities, and encourage their vigiance. Aso, advocates can ca on pubic defender offices to deveop protocos for defending noncitizens, who face immigration consequences. This shoud become an integra part of crimina defense practice. The Immigrant Lega Resource Center and Siicon Vaey De-Bug are working on both these fronts. Jeysson Minota s freedom is a testament to what is possibe when advocates empoy both approaches. Because the Padia decision is on the books, immigrant communities facing crimina charges have a new window of opportunity. With a newy educated cass of defense awyers, and freshy empowered community organizers and advocates, crimina courts wi no onger be automatic feeder systems to deportation. Raj Jayadev, a Soros Justice Feow, directs the Siicon Vaey De-Bug. Angie Junck is a staff attorney for the Immigrant Lega Resource Center. Editor s Note: Last year s Padia court decision, requiring adequate immigration advice for defendants, hods important essons for pubic defenders who must earn to protect cients. SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, Apri 20, 2011 Securing Loans & Credit Cards For Your Business 26 Court Street, Suite 701, downtown Brookyn GREAT NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY! COME & EXPAND YOUR CLIENT BASE! RSVP: ext 112 or 118. For more information visit Bring ots of business cards!

14 14 Apri This buetin summarizes the avaiabiity of immigrant numbers during Apri. Consuar officers are required to report to the Department of State documentariy quaified appicants for numericay imited visas; the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeand Security reports appicants for adjustment of status. Aocations were made, to the extent possibe under the numerica imitations, for the demand received by March 8th in the chronoogica order of the reported priority dates. If the demand coud not be satisfied within the statutory or reguatory imits, the category or foreign state in which demand was excessive was deemed oversubscribed. The cut-off date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first appicant who coud not be reached within the numerica imits. Ony appicants who have a priority date earier than the cutoff date may be aotted a number. Immediatey that it becomes necessary during the monthy aocation process to retrogress a cut-off date, suppementa requests for numbers wi be honored ony if the priority date fas within the new cut-off date which has been announced in this buetin. 2. Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationaity Act (INA) sets an annua minimum famiy-sponsored preference imit of 226,000. The wordwide eve for annua empoyment-based preference immigrants is at east 140,000. Section 202 prescribes that the per-country imit for preference immigrants is set at 7% of the tota annua famiy-sponsored and empoyment-based preference imits, i.e., 25,620. The dependent area imit is set at 2%, or 7, Section 203 of the INA prescribes preference casses for aotment of immigrant visas as foows: FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES First: (F1) Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400 pus any numbers not required for fourth preference. Second: Spouses and Chidren, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents: 114,200, pus the number (if any) by which the wordwide famiy preference eve exceeds 226,000, and any unused first preference numbers: A. (F2A) Spouses and Chidren: 77% of the overa second preference imitation, of which 75% are exempt from the percountry imit; B. (F2B) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or oder): 23% of the overa second preference imitation. Third: (F3) Married Sons and Daughters of VISA BULLETIN Citizens: 23,400, pus any numbers not required by first and second preferences. Fourth: (F4) Brothers and Sisters of Adut Citizens: 65,000, pus any numbers not required by first three preferences. EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES First: Priority Workers: 28.6% of the wordwide empoyment-based preference eve, pus any numbers not required for fourth and fifth preferences. Second: Members of the Professions Hoding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptiona Abiity: 28.6% of the wordwide empoyment-based preference eve, pus any numbers not required by first preference. Third: Skied Workers, Professionas, and Other Workers: 28.6% of the wordwide eve, pus any numbers not required by first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to "Other Workers". Fourth: Certain Specia Immigrants: 7.1% of the wordwide eve. Fifth: Empoyment Creation: 7.1% of the wordwide eve, not ess than 3,000 of which reserved for investors in a targeted rura or high-unempoyment area, and 3,000 set aside for investors in regiona centers by Sec. 610 of P.L INA Section 203(e) provides that famiy-sponsored and empoyment-based preference visas be issued to eigibe immigrants in the order in which a petition in behaf of each has been fied. Section 203(d) provides that spouses and chidren of preference immigrants are entited to the same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or foowing to join the principa. The visa prorating provisions of Section 202(e) appy to aocations for a foreign state or dependent area when visa demand exceeds the per-country imit. These provisions appy at present to the foowing oversubscribed chargeabiity areas: CHINA-mainand born, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES. 5. On the chart beow, the isting of a date for any cass indicates that the cass is oversubscribed (see paragraph 1); "C" means current, i.e., numbers are avaiabe for a quaified appicants; and "U" means unavaiabe, i.e., no numbers are avaiabe. (NOTE: Numbers are avaiabe ony for appicants whose priority date is earier than the cut-off date isted beow.) Famiy- A Chargeabiity Areas Sponsore Except Those Listed d CHINA-mainand born INDIA MEXICO PHILIP- PINES F1 01MAY04 01MAY04 01MAY04 15FEB93 01APR95 F2A 01APR07 01APR07 01APR07 01JUL06 01APR07 F2B 15APR03 15APR03 15APR03 15JUL92 01DEC99 F3 15MAR01 15MAR01 15MAR01 08NOV92 01JAN92 F4 01FEB00 01JAN00 01FEB00 01FEB96 08MAR88 Source: U.S. Dept of State

15 ESTATE PLANNING 15 Sti Don t Have A Wi? BY YVONNE AGBONTAEN, ESQ. Ihad a discussion with a friend today about the future and I asked him if he had a wi. He said that he doesn t think he needs a wi since he has ife insurance and he aready assigned his interest. I expained to him his estate comprises more than just his bank account and insurance proceeds. Then he said Oh, I did not think about it ike that.. We, my friend is not the ony person that is not aware of what comprises an estate and the necessity of making a wi. That is why I decided to write this artice to give you an insight into what an estate is and why it is necessary for you to have a wi drawn up. What Is An Estate? The term estate refers to a the property that a person owns at the time of his death. Your estate incude cothes, jewery, bank accounts, retirement accounts, ife insurance poicies, cars, rea property, stocks, bond and other securities, artwork and other persona properties. At one s death, distribution of the estate becomes very crucia. However, the distribution is very much simpified if the decedent has taken the time to pan his estate and have a wi in pace. A wi determines who shoud take what property and interest in the estate. The aws of the state you ive in wi aso be taken into consideration when the estate is to be distributed. The court is generay invoved in the distribution of the estate at the death of the decedent whether there is a wi or not. The process of administering the estate is caed probate. The probate process invoves coecting a decedent s assets, iquidating iabiities, paying necessary taxes, and distributing property to heirs and beneficiaries of the estate. What Is A Wi? It is true none of us ever want to think of death or the possibiity of it happening to us. So we have equated drafting a wi to signing a death sentence. However, it is very important to provide for our famiy and oved ones if anything shoud happen to us. The best way to achieve this is by writing a wi now that you are aive or making necessary amendments to one aready made to refects changes you desire to make. According to Back s Law Dictionary, a wi is an instrument, executed with the formaities of state statutes, by which a person makes a disposition of his rea and persona property, to take effect after his death. A wi is a ega document that expresses your wishes and instructions on how you want your estate to be divided after your death. It wi aso contain names of the peope you want to benefit from your estate. Note aso that a wi is a written statement that must be signed in compiance with the formaities of the statute of the state where it is executed. A vaid wi must be in writing; this coud be handwritten, printed or typed. It must be signed by the testator (one who makes a wi) at the end of the document. It must be witnessed and signed by at east two other persons. A court wi not accept a wi that does not conform to these formaities. If the court rejects such a wi, then the estate wi be distributed as though there was never a wi. Thus, you are considered to have died intestate, that is, without a wi. If this happens, the court wi determine how your estate shoud be distributed and who the beneficiaries are. Most of the time, this wi not be according to the decedent s wishes. I wi advise you to make a wi today or as soon as possibe to protect your oved ones; smoothy transfer your assets, to secure your oved ones future and above a to have your wishes obeyed and carried out. Discaimer: This does not constitute ega advice. It is written purey for informationa purposes. You shoud contact an attorney for ega advice. Sen. Durban To Reintroduce Dream Act In Congress continued from page 9 offices and pubicy criticized members of Congress from both parties, who DREAMers fet weren t moving quicky enough to advance the bi. They often chaenged even their strongest congressiona aies, incuding Sen. Reid and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-I. Now they are prepared to put the same heat on Durbin, who has been a fierce DREAM Act advocate and was one of its origina sponsors of the bi. DREAMers criticism of these new deveopments can seem ike a puzzing position, especiay coming from the same community that put its fu weight behind a simiar version that passed the House ast December, but eventuay faied a Repubican fiibuster threat in the Senate. After two years of negotiations, we know the fina version of the DREAM Act is probaby going to be watered down even more, Abdoahi said. It s exciting that it s coming out, but we have to be rea with our communities because there are so many oca battes happening. Sti, Abdoahi added, he and other undocumented immigrant youth wi ikey support the bi when it arrives. DREAMers end up being torn by a poitica reaity that they re ceary immersed in but oathe to accept. For immigrant youth, it s not that anything is better than nothing. Rather, that in a harsh anti-immigrant cimate and with a president who refuses to stop deporting DREAM Act-eigibe young peope, undocumented youth have no choice but to keep pushing to pass a bi that s as broad as possibe, as quicky as possibe. Free Estate Panning Consutations Use this free consutation to earn the atest facts about Wis, Trusts, Powers of Attorney and Heath Care Proxies. Reservations are requested and seating is imited. Aduts ony. These are some of the issues covered: Avoid probate Avoid osing contro of assets Avoid doube taxation Avoid unintentionay disinheriting heirs Avoid oved ones wasting their inheritance Figeroux & Associates Save hundreds or thousands, or more in estate taxes Protect assets from divorce, awsuits and nursing homes Maximize income from your assets Provide for those with specia needs Take advantage of a the Government aows EVERY WEDNESDAY 4PM TO 6PM Our aw firm strongy beieves that a wisey drafted, carefuy executed estate pan is the critica component of a famiy s weath managment. Our firm s guiding principe is to provide famiies in the New York area with quaity estate panning services taiored to each cient s specific needs and goas. We offer free, no obigation consutations for any famiy who has experienced the oss of a oved one. To request a free consutation with a quaified estate panning attorney, ca

16 16 Taxpayers Can Fie Tax Return Using I.T.I.N. Tax Day is fast approaching. The Interna Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that the deadine to fie a 2010 tax return is Apri 18, 2011, three days ater than the usua Apri 15 deadine. Many residents of the United States who have earned income in 2010 and wish to fie a tax return but do not have a vaid Socia Security Number shoud sti do so by using what is commony known as an ITIN, Individua Taxpayer Identification Number. The foowing is a statement by Angeica Saas, executive director for the Coaition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angees (CHIRLA), a civi and fu citizen rights organization based in Los Angees. "The fiing of a tax return is part of our civic duty as residents of the United States. Individuas without a Socia Security Number, incuding unauthorized immigrant workers, shoud not be afraid to fie a tax return. Even if no taxes are owed or a refund is not expected, immigrant income earners who quaify shoud fie a tax return using an ITIN. Athough some benefits may not be avaiabe to tax payers using ITINs, fiing a timey tax return is considered far more beneficia SMALL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS in the ong run than avoiding or choosing not to fie. The ITIN can ony be used for federa tax fiing purposes and does not change a person's immigration status or right to work in this country. Appying for and owning an ITIN, however, does not expose a person to immigration authorities because the information is used for tax purposes ony." The Immigrant s Journa Lega & Educationa Fund, Inc. certainy agrees and encourages a immigrants to fie their taxes. It is the aw. For assistance in getting your ITIN ca GBS Creative Manager Promises Quaity & Service Praim Samsoondar, who studied Graphic Communications and obtained his bacheor's degree at New York City Tech Coege of Technoogy has been abe to combine his creativity and warm personaity into Graphics Business Soutions (GBS). When asked about GBS, Praim proudy stated, "GBS is a fu service faciity, for a your printing needs. We provide quaity printing at reasonabe prices. We offer a wide variety of printing, everything from postcards to NCR Forms. We understand the importance of sma businesses and have packages, which incude business cards, enveopes, etterhead and a 5-page website taiored to meet every budget. We are here to serve you! Pease ca us at for a free, no obigation consutation! For more information, pease visit Sma Business Soutions: FIGEROUX & ASSOCIATES You have questions... We have answers... Have access to your very own: Lega Department: New Business Setups, Retirement/Education Funding and more! Tax Preparation & Audits Department: Tax Preparation for Businesses & Individuas, Financia Statement Preparation, Tax Panning, Answering Correspondences with a Tax Authorities, Assistance with Tax Audits, Budget & Cash Fow Projections, Financia Panning and more! Accounting & Bookkeeping Department: QuickBooks Pro Advisor Franchising Department: Consutations, Review of Agreements and more! Coections Department: Letters, Lawsuits and more! C a o u r o f f i c e f o r a F R E E Sma Business Soutions consutation

17 HEALTH 17 Does Mammography Reay Save Lives? Since 1990, more and more women have been surviving breast cancer, in part because of eary detection. Mammograms x-rays of the breast are the most common too for finding breast cancer eary in women who have no symptoms. However, during the ast year, there have been many conficting messages about the roe of mammograms in saving ives from breast cancer. Because doctors can't aways te from a mammogram whether an abnorma area is cancerous, some worry the screening test eads to too many fase positives and unnecessary biopsies that can cause women a ot of anxiety. The fip side is that mammograms aren t perfect; they can miss some cancers, too. There is aso new concern about "overdiagnosis" the idea that some breast cancers might not need to be treated because they woud never become ife-threatening. Despite these imitations, there s penty of evidence that mammograms offer substantia benefit for women starting in their 40's. The American Cancer Society recommends yeary mammograms for women age 40 and oder, aong with a breast exam by a heath care professiona. Women at high risk for the disease shoud get an MRI annuay, as we. A strong famiy history of breast and/or ovarian cancer, prior chest radiation therapy, and carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations put women at increased risk for the disease. In addition, a women shoud be aware of how their breasts normay ook and fee and report any changes to a doctor right away. To earn more about what the current research says about mammography and to find out what ese you can do to hep ower your risk of breast cancer, check out this video featuring Otis Brawey, MD, the American Cancer Society s Chief Medica Officer, and Len Lichtenfed, MD, the Society s Deputy Chief Medica Officer. You can aso earn more at cancer.org/breastcancer. Source: American Cancer Society Roya Bakery & Roti House 618 Nostrand Ave. (btw Pacific & Dean) Brookyn, NY Te: Trinidadian Stye Chinese Food, Hot Roti & Fresh Baked Breads & Pastries. A in one pace! You ve tried the rest, now try the best! WE DO CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS!

18 18 ENTERTAINMENT Get Ready For Labor Day With The P Visa! BY RONDEL JOSEPH The P visa category covers athetes, entertainers and cutura performers. There are four different visa cassifications within this category. P-1 visas are for athetes and group entertainers who have been internationay recognized as outstanding for a ong period of time. P-2 visas are for entertainers that are a part of reciproca internationa exchanges. P-3 visas are for persons coming to teach or coach as artists or entertainers, individuay or as part of a group, under a program that is cuturay unique. P visas are aso avaiabe to essentia support personne. P-4 visas are avaiabe to the spouses and chidren of P-1, P-2 and P-3 visa hoders. The P visa is sub-categorized in 4 categories P1 to P4, and is usuay issued to groups. However, individua athetes can obtain such visas if they can prove to the USCIS that they are internationay recognized; the same does not appy to the entertainer. The entertainer can ony obtain such a visa if they can prove that they are coming to the U.S. to join a foreign entertainment group. Traveing as a group has been much easier in the past for entertainers, for exampe, when Mache Montano is touring the U.S. he does not tour as a singe act; instead he tours as "Mache Montano and the HD famiy" hence, meeting the requirement for the P visa. Most entertainers trave with a support band so that has not been an issue for them. However, some esser-known artists are sti using their visitor non-immigrant visas to trave to the U.S. for performances. This is extremey dangerous not to mention iega. Managers, agents or even the artists themseves shoud make an effort to secure the correct visas because the consequences if they are caught coud be serious. The P Visa is divided into four categories: P-1 Visa: Athete or member of an athetic team. P-2 Visa: Member of an entertainment Group. P-3 Visa: Cuturay unique artists and entertainers. P-4 Visa dependents. For an entertainer to perform in the United States egay, there are four steps that need to be foowed: Step 1: They need to obtain a written contract outining the nature of the work in the U.S., accompanied by the quaifications of the artists appying. Step 2: They need to foow the necessary steps that are required for fiing with the USCIS. Step 3: Submit appications to the respective embassy or consuate. Step 4: They wi then be informed that their visa is approved or denied. Athough these steps are ceary outined the process is far from simpe. If an appicant submits incorrect information or commits errors whie fiing out the forms it can not ony have a direct effect on the current appication but aso on future visa appications. It is critica that one consuts with an attorney. If you are Photo: Praim Samsoondar someone in the entertainment industry or if you know someone performing or working on their visitor's visa, the best advice is to appy for a P visa. The Law Firm of Figeroux and Associates has assisted severa artists in the past with this appication. Protect your income and your future. Do things the right way, with the professiona advice, assistance and expertise from competent attorneys at Figeroux and Associates. Ca to schedue an appointment. You can aso visit their website at Remember, the awyer you hire, does make a difference.

19 DISTRIBUTORS 19 (718) LA VARIETY CENTER Heath & Beauty Aids Stationary Greeting Cards Househod & Hardware 1191 Nostrand Avenue (Bet. Hawthrone & Fenimore) Brookyn, NY LAIKIM ASSING Manager SMOOTHIES & JUICE BAR 701 Nostrand Avenue (Between Stering PL. & Park PL.) Brookyn, NY Te: (718) PASTOR Phyis Brown Mount Cavary Baptist Church, Inc. 560 Rogers Ave. Brookyn, NY Te: (718) Fax: (718)

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