Editor's Note: Is the term "illegal

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1 The Immigrant s Journa Our eaders who stood for Unity & Justice FREE Protecting God s Chidren From Distant Lands 26 Court Street, Suite 701, Brookyn, NY Te: Fax: Emai: Let the Dreams Begin Deferred Action for Dreamers Appication Fiing Process Likey to Open Third Week in August The Immigrant s Journa Lega & Educationa Fund, Inc. (IJLEF) is gearing up to provide direct assistance to immigrant youth and their famiies August 15, 2012, when it expects the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to formay initiate the fiing process for young immigrant students seeking Deferred Action for Dreamers (DAD). On June 15, 2012, President Obama announced that effective immediatey; young immigrants who entered the country without authorization before the age of 16 (and under 31 now), may quaify to receive immigration reief known as GET MONEY FOR YOUR INJURIES BENEFIT FROM OVER 10 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE NO FEE UNLESS YOU COLLECT THE LAW OFFICES 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 deferred action. Deferred action for students stops a young person s deportation and quaifies him for a work permit renewabe every two years. IJLEF has been preparing for the eventuaity that the announcement wi soon be made. On August 15, IJLEF wi open its doors at 9am and begin processing appications as per USCIS guideines. Appicants and IJLEF members can expect to find trained professionas and peers who wi guide them through the appication, fiing, and foow-up process. Before August 15, IJLEF wi provide updates at monthy meetings, hed the ast Thursday and first Saturday, The Marriage Merge: Practica Tips...see page 7 Consumer Advisory: Don t Get Scammed Recenty, DHS announced that certain young peope who entered the U.S. before age 16 wi no onger be removed from the United States. Quaifying individuas wi be granted "deferred action" and be eigibe for a work permit. You cannot appy for deferred action at this time. If you are currenty in remova proceedings, you may be offered deferred action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Otherwise, Deferred Action for DREAMers: Frequenty Asked Questions...see page 10 you wi have to wait unti the government finaizes an appication process. If you beieve you are eigibe for deferred action but face imminent remova from the United States, contact the Immigrant's Journa Lega & Educationa, Fund, Inc. now. They are offering FREE consutations in partnership with the Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates. You shoud ony trust information from a reiabe source, such as an officia government website or reputabe ega or charitabe organizations. Consut with a quaified immigration attorney before requesting deferred action. Requests for deferred action wi be Emai: bfigeroux@msn.com PERSONAL ATTENTION, AFFORDABLE FEES continued on page 8 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 church presentations, radio programs (Saturdays 10am-7pm on DiasporaRadio 620 AM & 6pm-7pm on WPAT 930AM), forums, cassroom presentations, website ( cergy breakfasts and other key educationa partnerships. IJLEF is a 501 (c)(3) approved federa non-profit community-based organization serving immigrants and their famiies since For more information pease ca , send an emai to immjourna@ao.com or visit FREE Consutations for DREAMers: ca DIASPORA ISSUES: Let Bankruptcy Be Your Persona Baiout: Ca for a FREE Consutation Brian Figeroux, Esq. Vo.79 PERSONAL ATTENTION, REASONABLE FEES QESTATE LITIGATION QPROBATE QESTATE PLANNING QMEDICAID PLANNING ESTATE LAW HOME & HOSPITAL VISITS AVAILABLE 26 COURT STREET, SUITE 701 BROOKLYN, NY TAKE 2 OR 5 TRAINS TO BOROUGH HALL OR N OR R TRAINS TO COURT STREET For Immigration News & Updates Text CIROBAMA to Ceebrating Immigrant Men & Women Keeping the American Dream Aive BY SETH HOY Countess Americans ceebrated America s 236th birthday on Wednesday, Juy 4, 2012, by joining friends and famiy for food and fireworks. Many just enjoyed the day, others recaed our Founding Fathers decaration of independence, and others raised their right hands, swore an oath of aegiance, and became citizens of the United States of America. Across the country, men and women from every corner of the gobe stood side by side and swore to support and defend the Consti- continued on page 8 Figeroux & Associates 26 Court Street, Suite 701 Brookyn, NY QWILLS QTRUSTS QDEED TRANSFERS QPOWERS OF ATTORNEY CALL NOW FOR A CONSULTATION

2 THOUGHTS 2 It s More Compicated than Lega vs. Iega BY PRERNA LAL, NEW AMERICA MEDIA Editor's Note: Is the term "iega immigrant" a sur? Last year, New America Media asked the media serving U.S. immigrant communities what term they use to describe undocumented immigrants: How Do Ethnic Media Say 'Iega Immigrant'? Now the question is sparking a debate in mainstream media. Last week, Chares Garcia wrote a CNN opinion piece, Why 'Iega Immigrant' Is a Sur. Coumnist Ruben Navarrette responded with a CNN opinion piece tited, Iega Immigrant' Is the Uncomfortabe Truth." In the foowing open etter to Ruben Navarrette, aw schoo student and Dream Activist eader Prerna La, whose own immigration status is in imbo, argues that the term "iega immigrant" doesn't accuratey describe the fuidity of immigration status. The government aows peope to move back and forth from one status to another, and ive in a kind of ega imbo that is not refected in the binary notion of "ega vs. iega." Dear, Mr. Movarrette, I enjoy your writing, probaby more than most peope. You hod President Obama accountabe for his abhorrent immigration poicies. You stick it to the Repubicans for hating immigrants because their hate has to do with the coor of our skin. And you generay make a ot of sense. But you are wrong when you say that iega immigrant is the correct exicon to use for peope without proper immigration status because the shoe fits. The uncomfortabe truth is not that iega immigrant fits, but that painting a wide range of compex immigration statuses with the broad brush of iega is a too convenient, azy and just pain wrong. Honesty, I don t know anyone who enjoys breaking the aw. Some peope immigrate here egay because they have the priviege of doing so whie many others have to use improper channes to come here so that they can provide safety and refuge for their oved ones, or pursue their dreams in the and of opportunity. Many peope eventuay adjust their status and become ega residents, disproving the notion that being without proper immigration status is a permanent immutabe condition. On the other end of the spectrum, many peope are here with ega status simpy because they or their parents or grandparents were privieged enough to be born here. Sti, immigration status is far more amorphous and compicated than simpy abeing someone a ega or iega immigrant. Take, for exampe, my own immigration case. My parents gained ega residency through my U.S. citizen grandmother but I was aged-out of the process and put in remova proceedings. I have a pending green card appication and a pending canceation of remova case in immigration court. Whie both appications are pending, I get to have work authorization, through which I have a driver s icense, state identification and a host of other privieges. I m aso eigibe for deferred action. It is, hence, egay incorrect to ca me an iega immigrant (or even an undocumented immigrant), though many have resorted to doing so whie teing me to get out of their country. I m in ega imbo but I m certainy not in the country iegay at this point. And indeed, it is hard to te who is in the country with or without a proper immigration status uness you are a quaified immigration attorney or judge. I work at an immigration aw firm. Last week, we had a famiy come in for consutation because they thought they quaified for deferred action. It turns out that they shoud have received their green cards in the mai a ong time ago. As another exampe, someone who thought he was DREAM Act-eigibe came in for a consut to determine his eigibiity for the deferred action program. His dad had him naturaized when he was a minor and we had the peasure of teing him that he was, in fact, a U.S. citizen. A too often, the government shifts peope from one immigration status to another, burring the ine between who is in the country egay and who is here egay. A this begs the question: If peope are reay bothered about the rue of aw, shoud they not eave the abeing of peope to the jurisprudence of immigration courts? After a, ony an immigration judge can order the deportation of someone. The fact that peope resort to marginaizing and castigating some immigrants as iega ony goes to show that they aren t interested in rue and order they are interested in scapegoating difference. There is a rich history of this scapegoating, harkening back to the Chinese Excusion Act. The Chinese were deemed ineigibe for citizenship. The Indians were tod they were not white, and hence, not admissibe. Americans of Mexican descent were deported during the Great Depression. Gays and esbians were excuded from admission unti There is itte doubt that the atest fervor about iega immigration has itte to do with foowing the aw and more to do with excuding Latinos such as Mr. Navarette, or Asian-Pacific Isanders ike mysef. But America is about due process. Our system of justice is based on the premise that peope are innocent unti they are proven guity. And that is precisey how immigration courts operate. The Supreme Court affirmed in Arizona v. U.S. that being present in the country iegay was not a crime. In fact, the word iega and even iega immigrant does not encompass with specificity the many ways permission to enter and remain in the United States may or may not be granted within the aw. Neither iega nor iega immigrant are defined in the text of the Immigration and Nationaity Act. As such, I woud ike to take this opportunity to offer some egay permissibe categories that are defined in the Immigration and Nationaity Act, incuding: Overstay: Someone who overstays her admission to the country. An overstay may or may not accrue unawfu presence, and may simpy be out of status. Entry Without Inspection (EWI): Someone who enters the country without inspection or proper admission. An EWI may sti be eigibe for admission without eaving the country. Immigrant: A green-card hoder whether through admission or adjustment of status. Non-immigrant: Anyone who is in the U.S. temporariy with ega status but is not a green-card hoder or U.S. citizen. Asyee: Anyone granted asyum in the United States due to past persecution or we-founded fear of persecution in their home country. And the ist continues. By questioning the use of the i-word, I am not paying with words. I m simpy pointing out that by using these words, we are paying with peope. Right-wing extremists and those in power have shaped our discourse, and in order to move past misguided perceptions, we need to reshape the diaogue on immigration and set some facts right. Any attempt to define miions of individuas using one term is going to be probematic. It woud be more specific, and proper, to use the terms overstay, EWI, out of status, and even DREAMer a reference to the young peope who woud benefit if we enacted a federa DREAM Act given the president s recent directive to hat the deportation of some young peope who were brought here not on their own voition. When we stop using the broad brush of iega, and even undocumented, to define immigrants and non-immigrants, we open the door to actuay seeing them as individuas with compex stories. I know that may be dangerous for a status quo that is premised on dividing us based on arbitrary differences. It may even be uncomfortabe because reporters and journaists woud actuay need to not ony earn about immigration aw but aso earn about the ives of those whom they disparage wiingy. But if you are committed to responsibe and accurate journaism, and uphoding the rue and integrity of aw, it is not ony egay correct, but the right thing to do. Immigrants and non-immigrants who come to the United States are risk takers. They eave behind what they know, to trave hundreds and, sometimes, thousands of mies to come to another country. Sometimes they do it to escape warrantess persecution in their home countries. Other times they do it because they are ooking for a better future for their chidren. And in many cases, peope come here with the best intentions to retain ega status, but through no mistake of their own, fa out of status. We need risk takers in our country. We want peope who have made it through the worst conditions and who come here with drive and ambition, whether they do it through proper channes or improper channes. It s what makes America a great country. Prerna La is a third year aw student at The George Washington University Law Schoo. She is a board director at Immigration Equaity and works as a aw cerk for a Washington, D.C. immigration firm, Benach Ragand LLP. Listen to Wecome to America Saturdays (5pm-6pm) on 620AM WNSR Radio

3 ABOUT US 3 TEAM Pubisher I.Q. INC. Managing Editor Pear Phiip Senior Editor Coin A. Moore Assistant Editor Mariyn Siverman Graphic & Website Designer Praim Samsoondar Samantha Rosero Lana Degadio Contributors Seth Hoy Prerna La Fernando Minoa Jeb Bush Jr. Emai immjourna@ao.com Visit Executive Director Diandra Archibad Assistant Executive Director Tracey Jordan Lega Advisor Brian Figeroux, ESQ. Vounteering at THE IMMIGRANT'S JOURNAL LEGAL & EDU- CATIONAL FUND, INC. Internship positions avaiabe throughout the year. The Immigrant's Journa Lega & Educationa Fund, Inc. is an organization dedicated to the educationa and economic empowerment of a immigrants and immigrant organizations here in the United States. We at the Journa recognize the enormous contribution of immigrants to this country economicay, sociay and poiticay. Since September 11, 2001, however, immigrants have increasingy been discriminated against and Congress has passed egisation curtaiing the rights of immigrants here in the U.S., broady caiming that immigrants are a threat to ''Nationa Security.'' We at the Journa beieve that these charges are unfounded, unsubstantiated and exaggerated. The Immigrant's Journa Vounteer Intern Program: was introduced to give our vounteers the opportunity to work in an immigrant friendy environment whie deveoping the necessary skis for coege or aw schoo. They assist our staff in resoving immigration and other ega concerns through persona interviews, radio, emai and teephone contact. They aso assist the pubic with citizenship appications and in researching whether or not chidren of naturaized U.S. citizens have derived citizenship from their parents. Some of our vounteers assist our ega staff by engaging in ega research and writing etters on other ega issues. Vounteer interns are aso assigned various other jobs in our Youth Programs. Hours are fexibe. Emai your cover etter and resume or any questions to immjourna@ao.com Te: Fax:

4 IMMIGRATION NEWS U.S. Citizen Sues FBI for Labeing Him 'Deportabe' Under S-Comm Aman in Chicago just became the first person to sue the FBI and the Department of Homeand Security for cassifying him as "deportabe" when they reviewed his fingerprints against federa databases under the Secure Communities program. The probem is that the man in question, James Makowski, has been a U.S. citizen since he was a one year od, when he was adopted by Americans and naturaized. The fact that his information in the federa database had not been updated in a these years is another reason to question the use of this program. As we have seen, this program not ony potentiay criminaizes a Latinos and peope from other non-majority ethnic groups, but aso U.S. citizens. Makowski is not the first citizen to fa victim to Secure Communities (S-Comm), but he is the first one who fied a awsuit. The damage S-Comm has caused, however, goes way beyond a temporary mistake against a citizen. We have said it more than once: whie the federa authorities caim that the program heps pubic safety by prioritizing the deportation of criminas, the program's negative baance grows with every anaysis or serious observation of its resuts. The majority of those who have been deported unti now under S-Comm are not criminas convicted of serious crimes, and the program negativey affects the reationship between oca aw enforcement agencies and immigrant communities. Aso, in some cases S-Comm has even been used as a simpe program to identify undocumented immigrants, since some deportees were not stopped because they were suspected of a crime but just for paperwork verification during reguar vehice checkpoints. New Chicago Ordinance Inspired by Case of African Woman Mayor Rahm Emanue, on Tuesday, Juy 10, 2012, introduced the "Safe Famiies Ordinance to prevent poice from asking about the immigration status of those who have not committed a serious offense. "The history of this city is written by immigrants and this ordinance is consistent with our vaues, our economy and persona interests," Emanue said during a press conference in front of a schoo in the city's Mexican neighborhood, Litte Viage. Emanue was joined by Congressman Luis Gutiérrez, (D-I). The Iinois Coaition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights said the ordinance is the direct resut of protests against the detention of an African immigrant 4 woman in February. Rose Tchakounte, 54, a native of Cameroon who had a pending asyum caim, was detained for a minor traffic vioation. When poice discovered that she had a pending deportation order, they turned her over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Tchakounte was detained for two days and then reeased as a resut of negotiations by the mayor, but her case inspired protests by immigrant rights groups who say the poice had vioated the spirit of a 2006 city ordinance and a 1985 executive order by the mayor that prohibit Chicago aw enforcement agents from carrying out immigration duties.

5 IMMIGRANTS CONCERNS Separated from a Detained or Deported Parent, Chidren Te Stories of Anguish BY FERNANDO MINOLA, NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM The simpe phrase, Deportation is bad, and a drawing of a sad itte gir and her mother watching her father wak away is the view of deportation from the eyes of Mica, a 12-yearod gir whose own father was deported in Between 1997 and 2007, more than 100,000 chidren in the U.S., most of whom are American citizens, were separated from a deported parent. On June 28, the Interfaith Immigration Coaition and the American Friends Service Committee presented a briefing, cosponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez (D- NJ) and Reps. Mike Honda (D-CA) and Mario Diaz-Baart (R-FL), at which chidren shared how being separated from a parent who had been detained or deported, affected their ives. Four chidren spoke of a sense of incredibe oss and ack of understanding of why their hard working, oving parents and guardians were treated ike criminas and taken away from them. Bassidi watched his father being arrested and taken away at 3 a.m., whie Fortune took on the responsibiity of caring for his younger brother as we as himsef. Dozens of other chidren stood aongside the speakers, offering support. The profound psychoogica and emotiona impact on these chidren was cear: Parenta detention and deportation eave ong-asting scars in their ives as we as in the ives of their parents. For me, the gathering was a chance to see the other side of such separation. A few months ago I had the opportunity to visit a man detained at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga. He was brought to the U.S. as a todder, abandoned by his mother and raised by another famiy member. For most of my one-hour visit, separated by a thick pane of gass, I istened through an od, cracking phone as he spoke with great ove and affection about his wife and two young daughters (a U.S. citizens). He tod me how he worries about his youngest daughter, who has a heath condition. With the sma amount of money he earns from ceaning tabes in the center, he tries to buy a caing card each week so he can speak with his famiy. He tod me how the ten minutes a week he has to speak with them are never ong enough, and about the incredibe sadness he fees when his daughters te him how much they miss him and ask when he is coming home. My ove for my famiy is what keeps me strong here, he said. I just want to go home so I can tuck my daughters into bed, read them a story, and te them how much I ove them. And then, a comment that sti gives me chis: My parents abandoned me when I was young, so I aways tod mysef that when I have chidren, I wi be a good father to them and aways be there for them. Now I can t even do that. This man wanted nothing more than to be with his famiy so he coud provide them with ove and support, but instead, he was stuck in a detention center a thousand mies away from them, wondering if and when he woud ever see them again. I had ony just met this man, but our hour together seemed much too short. I cannot even imagine the sadness 5 and pain chidren and spouses must fee when they spend, at most, ony one hour a week with oved ones, unabe even to embrace them through that thick pane of gass after being separated for so ong. For a nation that prides itsef on the importance of famiy vaues, our immigration system is greaty acking. The ove, guidance and encouragement a parent or guardian provides, pay a arge roe in the deveoping taents, skis and potentia of a chid. When chidren are separated from a parent or guardian, they ose a vita component of their support system, which can affect them for the rest of their ives. Each day our broken immigration system goes unfixed, ives are shattered and famiies are torn apart. The chidren who suffer the effects of detention and deportation are part of the future of this country, and it is imperative for Congress to create a soution. Unti they do, the ives of thousands of famiies incuding chidren on whom our nation s future success depends are hanging in the baance. Minoa Fernando is a communications intern at the Nationa Immigration Forum. Listen to the NACC Empowerment Hour Saturdays (2pm-3pm) on 620AM WNSR Radio

6 VISA BULLETIN 6 August Visa Buetin 1. This buetin summarizes the avaiabiity of immigrant numbers during August. Consuar officers are required to report to the Department of State documentariy quaified appicants for numericay imited visas; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeand Security reports appicants for adjustment of status. Aocations were made, to the extent possibe, in chronoogica order of reported priority dates, for demand received by Juy 9th. If not a demand coud be satisfied, 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 cut-off date may be aotted a number. If 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 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, 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. Famiy- Sponsored A Charge-abiity Areas Except Those Listed CHINA- mainand born These provisions appy at present to the foowing oversubscribed chargeabiity areas: CHINA-mainand born, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES. 4. Section 203(a) of the INA prescribes preference casses for aotment of Famiy-sponsored immigrant visas as foows: FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES First: (F1) Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. 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, pus any unused first preference numbers: A. (F2A) Spouses and Chidren of Permanent Residents: 77% of the overa second preference imitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country imit; B. (F2B) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or oder) of Permanent Residents: 23% of the overa second preference imitation. Third: (F3) Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens: 23,400, pus any numbers not required by first and second preferences. Fourth: (F4) Brothers and Sisters of Adut U.S. Citizens: 65,000, pus any numbers not required by first three preferences. 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.) INDIA MEXICO PHILIP- PINES F1 01AUG05 01AUG05 01AUG05 08JUN93 01MAR94 F2A 15MAR10 15MAR10 15MAR10 01MAR10 15MAR10 F2B 22JUN04 22JUN04 22JUN04 22AUG92 01JAN02 F3 01MAY02 01MAY02 01MAY02 22JAN93 22JUL92 F4 15FEB01 08JAN01 15FEB01 15JUN96 01FEB89 Source: U.S. Dept. of State

7 LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS 7 The Marriage Merge: Practica Tips for Combining Your Lives Your wedding is sure to be the happiest day of your ife, but marriage stretches we beyond those 24 hours. Merging your ives as husband and wife starts even before you say your "I do s" and wi require some effort and patience which wi be good practice for your future ife together. The technica side of getting married can be a itte confusing, so seeking advice from friends and famiy is a good idea. However, there wi be some questions that might need professiona advice, so don't be afraid to consut the pros when necessary. As you start your journey through ife together, keep these key tasks in mind to make sure you're we prepared. g Discuss Your Finances. Having an open and honest discussion with your fiancé about finances is very important, and it shoud incude the bad with the good. Because you're getting married, you' be with each other through thick and thin, so having a forthright conversation about money ahead of time is a good idea. If you have debt, discuss how much and how you' pay it off, but you' aso need to tak about things ike creating joint accounts, as we as how and whether you want to divide or share money. Understanding your credit portfoio and status as we as protecting against identity theft shoud aso be part of the discussion and credit monitoring products enabe married coupes to see aerts for each spouse's accounts when changes occur to their credit fies, heping to keep track of potentia impacts to their credit histories whie detecting potentia identity fraud. g Prep for Taxes. Married coupes can fie taxes jointy or separatey, and you' need to consider which approach is the best option for you. Seek the advice of a tax preparer or financia adviser who can hep you understand the advantages and disadvantages and the adjustments you' need to make for your W-2 form. Keep in mind that if you get married before December 31 of the year for which you're fiing taxes, you quaify as having been married for the entire year. g Tak about Bis. As much as you can count on taxes, you can aso count on bis. Whether they're monthy, quartery or annuay issued, you need to figure out who wi take care of which bis and where the money wi come from. Setting up autopay can essen the bipaying chore ist. You shoud aso make sure that both spouses' names are on the appropriate accounts. Even if you use autopay, it's important to check in on your accounts to make sure that nothing is going wrong. g Make Decisions about Moving. If you're iving separatey prior to getting married, you' need to decide which home you' ive in. For some coupes, this might mean seing a house, whie for others it might mean eaving rentas behind and ooking for a home to buy. When you're discussing homes and moving, tak about how your feeings regarding moving away from your current home city, in case you're ever offered a job transfer opportunity. g Get Insurance in Order. Meet with your insurance agen(s) to go over your current pans and add your spouse to them. There may be advantages to using one insurer for a of your poicies, so if you are currenty with different insurers, speak to each to see where you' get the best dea. You shoud aso expore your options for heath care one spouse's empoyer might offer a better pan than the other. Taking care of these practica financia tasks might seem ess than exciting compared to the thri of your wedding day, but getting them done right is important. Since finances are a notorious source of stress, having a cear understanding with your spouse wi ensure that you have a good foundation for your marriage. (ARA) A Specia Invitation to a church - and faith-based eaders to empower their congregation and membership from the IJLEF, Inc., a 501(c)(3) approved not-for-profit organization offering FREE IMMIGRATION SEMINARS/PRESENTATIONS & CONSULTATION CARDS ($100 VALUE) ON THE DAY OF THE PRESENTATION Ca to schedue a presentation at your church or faith-based organization My peope are destroyed for ack of knowedge. Hosea 4:6 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 Has your spouse disappeared? We can find your spouse! LAW OFFICES OF FIGEROUX & ASSOCIATES BROOKLYN: 26 Court Street, Suite 701. Te: n 1105 Nostrand Avenue. Te: Matrimonia Investigations ubank & Asset Searches uwire Transfers uaimony Reduction uco-habitation Investigation udivorce/dating/fraud uinternet Dating/Fraud uvideo Surveiance

8 OBAMA ADMINISTRATION Ceebrating Immigrant Men and Women Keeping the American Dream Aive continued from page 1 tution and aws of the United States of America, and reminding each and everyone one of us of the power and promise of the American Dream. At the White House, President Barack Obama joined dozens of inspiring immigrant men and women currenty serving in the U.S. miitary as they became citizens of a country they ve aready staked their ives to protect. Here are just a few of those brave men and women: Terence Njikang Ekabe, born in Cameroon, enisted in the Air Force in June 2011 as a 4N0/med technician. Airman Ekabe aso heped raise money for veterans famiies, airmen in need, and the Air Force Assistance Fund. His charitabe giving extends beyond the United States to his home country where he raised $3,000 worth of toys, cothing, and others items for the viage chidren of Cameroon during Christmas. Sivano Carcamo, born in Honduras, moved to Springfied, OH, in Speciaist Carcamo enisted in the Army in October 2009 and became a medic. His first duty station was Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavary Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division where he served as a ine medic. During his depoyment from March 2011 to March 2012, he earned severa awards, among them an Army Achievement Meda, Combat Medic Badge, and a Navy Achievement Meda. Faye Ubad Ngirchomei, born in Paau, enisted in the Army in In Apri 2009, Nigirchomei was assigned to 511th Miitary Poice Company at Fort Drum, NY, as Automated Logistic Speciaist. She was depoyed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, where she was responsibe for ensuring the maintenance section supported outying patoons, with suppies and other support services. Throughout U.S. history, immigrants have vountariy served in a branches of the U.S. miitary. At ast count, foreign-born service members accounted for approximatey 8% of the 1.4 miion miitary personne on active duty. Experts acknowedge that without the contributions of immigrants, the miitary coud not meet its recruiting goas and coud not fi the need for foreign-anguage transators, interpreters, and cutura experts. As we ceebrated the freedoms we enjoy as Americans, et us aso remember those who have strugged to secure that freedom, and the many immigrants who have and continue to fight to keep the American Dream aive. As President Barack Obama remarked during the ceremony: Immigration makes America stronger. Immigration makes us more prosperous. And immigration positions America to ead in the 21st century. 8...Don t Get Scammed continued from page 1 reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and not every young immigrant wi quaify. Individuas who are found to be ineigibe due to crimina history or because they represent a danger to the community may be subject to remova or other immigration enforcement action. DHS considers many misdemeanor offenses to be "significant misdemeanors," incuding those for which the individua received no jai time. If you have ever been arrested by the poice, tak to a quaified immigration attorney before appying for deferred action. Don t get scammed! The government wi inform the pubic how to appy, within 60 days or by August 13, Unti then, you CANNOT appy for deferred action. You shoud NOT "turn yoursef in" to start the process. However, you CAN begin gathering the documents that you wi need to appy for deferred action: 1. Documents, such as a birth certificate or passport, showing age on June 15, 2012; 2. Financia records, medica records, schoo records, empoyment records, and miitary records that demonstrate an individua came to the U.S. before the age of 16, AND resided in the U.S. for at east five years preceding June 15, 2012 AND was physicay present in the U.S. as of June 15, 2012; 3. Schoo records, incuding dipomas, GED certificates, report cards, schoo transcripts and other evidence of enroment, or documentation as an honoraby discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or Coast Guard.

9 IMMIGRATION 9 The Batte Against Secure Communities In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in Arizona v. United States, dozens of ocaities across the country are standing up against damaging immigration programs that connect oca authorities with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Specificay, an increasing number of cities and states are pushing back against the Secure Communities program, and promoting programs that restore trust between aw enforcement and immigrant communities. In New York, where the Secure Communities program took effect on May 15th, immigrant eaders, advocates, and eected officias joined together to denounce its damaging effects. Together, they pedged to continue to work to end the program, and to send a message to eected officias across the country in November about the community's opposition to immigration poicies that hurt our famiies. State Senator Gustavo Rivera said, "When Governor Cuomo suspended 'Secure Communities' in New York, poice and oca eaders hoped that our communities' safety coud begin to be restored. If individuas are afraid to approach aw enforcement, our communities become ess safe and we a suffer. This dangerous program once again threatens to vioate the rights of a immigrants and threatens the abiity of aw enforcement to keep us safe. 'Secure Communities' has no pace in New York State and shoud be seen as a threat to the safety of a New Yorkers." "The federa Secure Communities poicy represents a threat to human rights and pubic safety," said City Counci Member Meissa Mark-Viverito. Every ocaity needs to stand up against this poicy, which encourages the deportation of immigrants who may have committed ony minor offenses, or who may have been iegay stopped and frisked. This poicy wi turn our oca poice stations into federa detention centers and wi insti fear of oca aw enforcement in immigrant communities. Whie poice are kept busy chasing phantom threats, serious crime may go unreported." Cesar Paomeque, eader of Make the Road New York and a registered voter said, "Governor Cuomo did the right thing when he suspended SCOMM ast year, and we continue to think that this program shoud not be in operation in New York State. This program can ead to racia profiing from our communities. After the Supreme Court's decision it is even more important for immigrant voters ike me to go to the pos in November to show our opposition, and to vote for poicies that restore the trust between immigrants and oca authorities." "Caifornia's TRUST Act shows what communities can achieve when we work together," said Héctor Figueroa, secretarytreasurer of 32BJ SEIU. Here in New York, we wi continue to demand the end of Secure Communities, a misconceived, costy and defective program that simpy doesn't work for most states and cities. But we aso know that voters need to send a message about these poicies. Voters need to turn out in the federa eections in November to push back on the nationa GOP, a party that has been taken hostage by extremists who promote racia profiing practices that aw enforcement authorities say shoud have no pace in our ega system. "Given the sheer number of arrests in the Bronx and the immigrant makeup of the community, our cients and their famiies are especiay hard-hit by Secure Communities. Unti the program is suspended, The Bronx Defenders remains committed to fiercey fighting for a of our cients' rights, incuding their abiity to remain in the country with their famiies," said Robin Steinberg, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders. "Secure Communities damages the trust that my community has in aw enforcement, and threatens famiies across New York City. I pray that together we might find a soution that ends this program and respects the dignity that each person has," said Rev. Ramon Amonte of the Centra Baptist Church and Make the Road New York. "The mass deportation program known as 'Secure Communities' prevents our country from iving up to its vaues of fairness and second chances by funneing immigrants into a deportation system we a know to be fundamentay unjust," said Michee Fei, Executive Director of the Immigrant Defense Project. "Obama must terminate this program immediatey." "Pending further chaenges, the Supreme Court has, for the time being, et stand the Arizona provision that basicay institutionaizes the practice of racia and ethnic profiing. And the Department of Homeand Securities S-Comm enforcement program further faciitates such profiing," said Jacki Esposito, director of Immigration Advocacy at the New York Immigration Coaition. "It's time for DHS to end this program, which undermines poice-community reations, instis fear in immigrant communities, and compromises pubic safety. And in the meantime, we're ooking to our oca and state officias who here in New York have opposed S-Comm to deveop poicies and practices that imit its harmfu impact." "S-Comm is a deepy fawed program that undermines the vaues that are the wespring of Americas greatness," said Diane Steinman, director of the NYS Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform. "S-Comm vioates the mora obigation to treat the immigrant as we woud those born among us. It shatters the ives of immigrants and famiies through deportations that do not increase pubic safety and security. It resuts in raciay discriminatory poicing. And the fear of aw enforcement it causes in immigrant communities makes a of us ess safe rather than more. There is ony one soution: The Obama Administration must put an end to S-Comm." "Faith eaders and congregations in NYC are totay opposed to S-Comm which has proven to tear apart our famiies. Our scriptures urge us to ove, trust and take care of each other and this program destroys these vaues. It is moray and spirituay wrong and we ask for its termination so that our communities can fee safe once again." said Father Fabian Arias chair of the New Sanctuary Coaition of NYC. 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 BROOKLYN: 26 Court Street, Suite 701. Te: n 1105 Nostrand Avenue. Te:

10 LEGISLATURE 10 Deferred Action for DREAMers: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is deferred action? Deferred action is a discretionary determination to defer remova action of an individua as an act of prosecutoria discretion. Deferred action does not confer awfu status upon an individua. In addition, athough an aien granted deferred action wi not be considered to be accruing unawfu presence in the United States during the period deferred action is in effect, deferred action does not absove individuas of any previous or subsequent periods of unawfu presence. Under existing reguations, an individua who has been granted deferred action is eigibe to receive empoyment authorization for the period of deferred action, provided he or she can demonstrate an economic necessity for empoyment. Deferred action can be terminated at any time at the agency s discretion or renewed by the agency. Who is eigibe to receive Deferred Action under the Department s New Directive? Pursuant to the Secretary s June 15, 2012 memorandum, in order to be eigibe for deferred action, individuas must: 1. Have come to the United States under the age of sixteen; 2. Have continuousy resided in the United States for at east five years preceding the date of this memorandum and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum; 3. Currenty be in schoo, have graduated from high schoo, have obtained a genera education deveopment certificate, or are honoraby discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; 4. Have not been convicted of a feony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, mutipe misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to nationa security or pubic safety; 5. Not be above the age of thirty. Individuas must aso compete a background check and, for those individuas who make a request to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and are not subject to a fina order of remova, must be 15 years od or oder. How wi the new directive be impemented? Individuas who are not in remova proceedings or who are subject to a fina order of remova wi need to submit a request for a review of their case and supporting evidence to USCIS. Individuas may request deferred action if they meet the eigibiity criteria. In the coming weeks, USCIS wi outine and announce the procedures by which individuas can engage in this process. This process is not yet in effect and requests shoud not be submitted at this time. For individuas who are in remova proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review, ICE wi, in the coming weeks, announce the process by which quaified individuas may request a review of their case. For individuas who are in remova proceedings and have aready been identified as meeting the eigibiity criteria as part of ICE s case-bycase review, ICE wi immediatey begin to offer deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewa. Are individuas who receive deferred action pursuant to the new directive eigibe for empoyment authorization? Yes. Pursuant to existing reguations, individuas who receive deferred action may appy for and may obtain empoyment authorization from USCIS provided they can demonstrate an economic necessity for their empoyment. Does the process resut in permanent awfu status for beneficiaries? No. The grant of deferred action under this new directive does not provide an individua with permanent awfu status or a pathway to obtaining permanent awfu status. Ony Congress, acting through its egisative authority, can confer the right to permanent awfu status. Why wi deferred actions ony be granted for two years? Grants of deferred action wi be issued in increments of two years. At the expiration of the two year period, the grant of deferred action can be renewed, pending a review of the individua case. If an individua s period of deferred action is extended, wi individuas need to re-appy for an extension of their empoyment authorization? Yes. If an individua appies for and receives an extension of the period for which he or she was granted deferred action, he or she must aso request an extension of his or her empoyment authorization. Does this poicy appy to those who are subject to a fina order of remova? Yes. An individua subject to a fina order of remova who can demonstrate that he or she meets the eigibiity criteria can request a review of his or her case and receive deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewa. A cases wi be considered on an individuaized basis. This process is not yet in effect and requests shoud not be submitted at this time. In the coming weeks, USCIS wi outine and announce the procedures by which individuas can engage in this process. If an individua who is about to be removed by ICE beieves he or she satisfies the eigibiity criteria for the new process, what steps shoud he or she take to ensure his or her case is reviewed before remova? Individuas who beieve they can demonstrate that they satisfy the eigibiity criteria and are about to be removed shoud immediatey contact either the Law Enforcement Support Center s hotine at (staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or the ICE Office of the Pubic Advocate through the Office s hotine at (staffed 9am 5pm, Monday Friday) or by e-mai at EROPubicAdvocate@ice.dhs.gov. If an individua who satisfies the eigibiity criteria is encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or ICE, wi he or she be paced into remova proceedings? This poicy is intended to aow ICE and CBP to focus on priority cases. Pursuant to the direction of the Secretary of Homeand Security, for individuas who satisfy the eigibiity criteria, CBP or ICE shoud exercise their discretion to prevent them from being apprehended, paced into remova proceedings, or removed. If individuas, incuding individuas in detention, beieve they were paced into remova proceedings in vioation of this poicy, they shoud contact either the Law Enforcement Support Center s hotine at (staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or the ICE Office of the Pubic Advocate through the Office s hotine at (staffed 9am 5pm, Monday Friday) or by emai at EROPubicAdvocate@ice.dhs.gov. If an individua accepted an offer of administrative cosure under the caseby-case review process or if his or her case was terminated as part of the caseby-case review process, can he or she receive deferred action under the new process? Yes. Individuas who can demonstrate that they meet the eigibiity criteria wi be eigibe for deferred action even if they had accepted an offer of administrative cosure or termination under the caseby-case review process. For individuas who are in remova proceedings and have aready been identified as meeting the eigibiity criteria as part of ICE s case-bycase review, ICE wi immediatey begin to offer deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewa. If an individua decined an offer of administrative cosure under the caseby-case review process, can he or she receive deferred action under the new process? Yes. Individuas who can demonstrate that they meet the eigibiity criteria wi be eigibe for deferred action even if they decined an offer of administrative cosure under the case-by-case review process. If an individua s case was reviewed as part of the case-by-case review process but he or she was not offered administrative cosure, can he or she receive deferred action under the new process? Yes. Individuas who can demonstrate that they meet the eigibiity criteria wi be eigibe for deferred action even if they were not offered administrative cosure foowing review of their case as part of the caseby-case review process. Wi DHS personne responsibe for reviewing requests for an exercise of prosecutoria discretion under this process receive specia training? Yes. ICE and USCIS personne responsibe for considering requests for an exercise of prosecutoria discretion under the Secretary s directive wi receive specia training. Wi individuas be subject to background checks before they can receive an exercise of prosecutoria discretion? Yes. A individuas wi undergo biographic and biometric background checks prior to receiving an exercise of prosecutoria discretion. Individuas who have been convicted of any feony, a significant misdemeanor offense, three or more misdemeanor offenses not occurring on the same date and not arising out of the same act, omission, or scheme of misconduct, or otherwise pose a threat to nationa security or pubic safety are not eigibe to be considered for deferred action under the new process. What do background checks invove? Background checks invove checking biographic and biometric information provided by the individuas against a variety of databases maintained by DHS and other federa government agencies. What documentation wi be sufficient to demonstrate that an individua came to the United States before the age of 16? Documentation sufficient for an individua to demonstrate that he or she came to the United States before the age of 16 incudes, but is not imited to: financia records, medica records, schoo records, empoyment records, and miitary records. What documentation wi be sufficient to demonstrate that an individua has resided in the United States for a east five years preceding June 15, 2012? Documentation sufficient for an individua to demonstrate that he or she has resided in the United States for at five years immediatey preceding June 15, 2012 incudes, but is not imited to: financia records, medica records, schoo records, empoyment records, and miitary records. What documentation wi be sufficient to demonstrate that an individua was physicay present in the United States as of June 15, 2012? Documentation incudes, but is not imited to: financia records, medica records, schoo records, empoyment records, and miitary records. What documentation wi be sufficient to demonstrate that an individua is currenty in schoo, has graduated from high schoo, or has obtained a genera education deveopment certificate (GED)? Documentation sufficient for an individua to demonstrate that he or she is currenty in schoo, has graduated from high schoo, or has obtained a GED certificate incudes, but is not imited to: dipomas, GED certificates, report cards, and schoo transcripts. What steps wi USCIS and ICE take to prevent fraud in the new processes? An individua who knowingy makes a misrepresentation to USCIS or ICE, or knowingy fais to discose facts to USCIS or ICE, in an effort to receive deferred action or work authorization in this new process wi be treated as an immigration enforcement priority to the fuest extent permitted by aw, subjecting the individua to crimina prosecution and/or remova from the United States. Are individuas with a conviction for a feony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, or mutipe misdemeanors eigibe for an exercise of prosecutoria discretion under this new continued on the next page

11 LEGISLATURE 11 Deferred Action for DREAMers: FAQs continued from the previous page process? No. Individuas who have been convicted of a feony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, or three or more other misdemeanor offenses not occurring on the same date and not arising out of the same act, omission, or scheme of misconduct, are not eigibe to be considered for deferred action under the new process. What offenses quaify as a feony? A feony is a federa, state, or oca crimina offense punishabe by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. What offenses quaify as a significant misdemeanor? A significant misdemeanor is a federa, state, or oca crimina offense punishabe by no more than one year of imprisonment or even no imprisonment that invoves: vioence, threats, or assaut, incuding domestic vioence; sexua abuse or expoitation; burgary, arceny, or fraud; driving under the infuence of acoho or drugs; obstruction of justice or bribery; unawfu fight from arrest, prosecution, or the scene of an accident; unawfu possession or use of a firearm; drug distribution or trafficking; or unawfu possession of drugs. How many non-significant misdemeanors constitute mutipe misdemeanors making an individua ineigibe for an exercise of prosecutoria discretion under this new process? An individua who is not convicted of a significant misdemeanor but is convicted of three or more other misdemeanors not occurring on the same day and not arising out of the same act, omission, or scheme of misconduct, is not eigibe to be considered for deferred action under this new process. How wi ICE and USCIS hande cases invoving individuas who do not satisfy the eigibiity criteria under this new process but may be eigibe for an exercise of prosecutoria discretion under the June 2011 Prosecutoria Discretion Memoranda? If an individua has a fina order of remova and USCIS determines that he or she does not satisfy the eigibiity criteria, then it wi reject the individua s request for deferred action. That individua may then request an exercise of prosecutoria discretion under the ICE June 2011 Prosecutoria Discretion Memoranda through any of the estabished channes at ICE, incuding through a request to the ICE Office of the Pubic Advocate or to the oca Fied Office Director. USCIS wi not consider requests for review under the ICE June 2011 Prosecutoria Discretion Memoranda. If an individua is currenty in remova proceedings and ICE determines that he or she does not satisfy the eigibiity criteria for deferred action under this process, it wi then consider whether the individua is otherwise eigibe for an exercise of prosecutoria discretion under its current practices for assessing eigibiity under the June 2011 Prosecutoria Discretion Memoranda. Can individuas appea a denia by ICE or USCIS of their request for an exercise of prosecutoria discretion under the new process? No. Individuas may not appea a denia by ICE or USCIS of their request for an exercise of prosecutoria discretion. However, ICE and USCIS wi deveop protocos for supervisory review as part of their impementation of the new process. Athough there is no right for appea, individuas in remova proceedings who beieve their cases were not correcty handed, may contact the ICE Office of the Pubic Advocate either by phone at or by e-mai at EROPubicAdvocate@ice.dhs.gov. If an individua s request to USCIS for deferred action is denied, wi he or she be paced in remova proceedings? For individuas whose requests for deferred action are denied by USCIS, USCIS wi appy its existing Notice to Appear guidance governing USCIS s referra of cases to ICE and issuance of notices to appear. Under this guidance, individuas whose requests are denied under this process wi be referred to ICE if they have a crimina conviction or if there is a finding of fraud in their request. Shoud individuas who are not in remova proceedings but beieve themseves to be eigibe for an exercise of deferred action under this process seek to pace themseves into remova proceedings through encounters with ICE or CBP? No. Individuas who are not in remova proceedings but beieve that they satisfy the eigibiity criteria shoud submit their request for review of their case to USCIS under the procedures that USCIS wi impement. Does deferred action provide individuas with a path to citizenship or permanent ega status? No. A grant of deferred action is a form of prosecutoria discretion that does not confer a path to citizenship or awfu permanent resident status. Ony Congress, acting through its egisative authority, can confer these rights. Does this Administration remain committed to comprehensive immigration reform? Yes. The Administration has consistenty pressed for passage of comprehensive immigration reform, incuding the DREAM Act, because the President beieves these steps are critica to buiding a 21st-century immigration system that meets our nation s economic and security needs. Is passage of the DREAM Act sti necessary in ight of the new process? Yes. As the President has stated, individuas who woud quaify for the DREAM Act deserve certainty about their status, and this new process does not provide that certainty. Ony Congress, acting through its egisative authority, can confer the certainty that comes with a pathway to permanent awfu status. How can I get more information on the new process? Visit OR OR

12 HEALTH MATTERS 12 Jon Secada Shares Famiy's Message: Don't Stay Sient with a Sient Disease In the United States, chronic hepatitis C is the most common bood-borne vira disease. In spite of this, many peope may not be aware that they have it; an estimated 70 to 80 percent of peope newy infected with chronic hep C do not have symptoms. Of the approximatey 3.2 miion Americans iving with the disease, an estimated 1 miion are Hispanic. Three-time Grammy winner Jon Secada knows the importance of taking action when it comes to heath. In 2011, the popuar Cuban-American artist and songwriter ost his father due to compications associated with a chronic hep C infection that went untreated. Like other Hispanic-Americans, Jon's famiy had aways been cose, but they didn't speak openy about their persona heath, something Secada woud now change if he coud. "Chronic hepatitis C is often caed a sient disease because, ike my father, peope can ive with the virus for years without showing any symptoms," says Secada. "I don't know how my father contracted chronic hepatitis C, and I'm not sure if he knew either," Secada says. "The truth is, it doesn't matter. If I had reay understood how serious chronic hep C coud be, I woud have urged him to tak to his doctor and to seek hep. That's why I'm now encouraging others to earn more about the disease; nobody shoud fee aone if they think they may have the disease." When Secada's father was diagnosed many years ago, there was itte information about chronic hep C, and options were imited. Today, Secada is aiming to change that. He is now part of the biingua educationa campaign, Tune In to Hep C, - Hepatitis C-Toca E Tema in Spanish - which was founded by Merck in coaboration with the American Liver Foundation. Through Engish - and Spanish-anguage websites, the campaign provides information about the disease and what to consider if you or someone you ove has been diagnosed. The websites aso feature biingua interactive patient resource guides for those who know they have the disease or suspect they might. Secada joins feow Grammy winners Gregg Aman and Nataie Coe on the Tune In to Hep C campaign in hopes that sharing his famiy's persona experience wi motivate other Hispanic-Americans with chronic hep C to take action by seeking out information and speaking to their doctors about their options. Secada is aso using his passion for music to honor his ate father and to te others about his famiy's experience. In March 2012, he wrote an officia song for the Tune In to Hep C campaign. The song, reeased in both Engish and Spanish is caed, "Your Voice Inside," or "Tu Voz Te Dira." In the song, Jon's message is cear: Don't wait to take action and tak to your doctor. Doing nothing is not an option. "Before my father died, I taked with him about joining this pubic awareness campaign, and he wanted me to share our famiy's story to hep others. I want others to understand that you can't be sient with a sient disease. You have to power to do something about it," says Secada. For more information about chronic hep C and the Tune In to Hep C campaign, visit Resources in the Spanish-anguage can aso be accessed through the website. (ARA) Listen to the Beauty, Heath & Weness Radio Show on 620AM WNSR Radio 6pm to 7pm

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14 BUSINESS & FINANCE 14 Our Economy Depends on a New Immigration Consensus BY JEB BUSH JR. For the sake of our economy here in Forida and nationwide, we must forge a new consensus on immigrants and America. This wi require Repubicans and Democrats aike to stop the grandstanding and gather around a tabe to deveop rationa immigration poicy that serves the interests of every American and their famiies. In that spirit, I am proud to be part of the Nationa Immigration Forum, which recenty co-hosted the "Southeast Summit: Forging a New Consensus on Immigrants and America" in Atanta. There and in the days since, business, aw enforcement, faith and poitica eaders from across the Southeast have exchanged ideas and are seeking this common ground. The summit comes not a moment too soon. The faiure of the federa government to take the ead, mixed with a heaping heping of heated immigration rhetoric, has ed states to enact their own aws that target immigrants. We need ook no farther than Aabama and Georgia to see the costs. Farmers cut back on panting after crops rotted in their fieds ast year. According to a University of Georgia study, that state's immigration aw aready has cost the state neary $391 miion. Both states considered using prison abor to fi the gap on the farm when immigrants, many of them ega, fed cutures of fear and threats of famiy separation. A simiar aw woud cause probems we beyond agricuture in Forida. Imagine a Sunshine State handicapped by a sudden drop in tourism and investment revenue because we pued the wecome mat out from under visitors to our state. The oss in direct spending, tax revenues, economic output and earnings woud cost us hundreds of miions of doars. If that sounds far-fetched, remember that Forida amost did foow that path, just a year ago. (Senate Bi 2040 and House Bi 7098 woud have empowered poice to corroborate the immigration status of arrestees, and compeed empoyers to verify job seekers immigration status through E-verify.) Fortunatey, state egisators recognized the precipice on which they stood, and anti-immigrant bis did not become aw. The Supreme Court weighed on state aws such as these. The court's ruing on Arizona's immigration aw dims the future of simiar aws in other states. That's good news. Such aws do not move our country forward into the highy competitive goba economy of the 21st century. Our diverse state is far better off for having recognized that. Immigrants are vita to our economy they make up about a quarter of our state's workforce and pay biions in Forida taxes. They open new businesses, pick our crops and hep wecome the egions of visitors who come from esewhere to soak up everything we have to offer. Now it is time for our nationa poitica eaders to foow suit. They must set aside poitica staemates and accept their responsibiity to move forward with responsibe reform reform that ensures our security and respects the rue of aw, but aso acknowedges the importance of immigrants to our economy and our communities. Representing a broad poitica spectrum, the diverse participants in the Southeast Summit have deivered this message oud and cear. We wi continue to reinforce to our state representatives that overreaching immigration aws hurt state economies and communities, and that hard-working immigrants our neighbors provide essentia abor, open new businesses, and strengthen the economy in Forida and throughout the Southeast. From its founding, the United States has been a wecoming and of opportunity. We shoud honor that by coming together in a new regiona and nationa consensus on the vaue of immigrants and immigration to America after a, this is the American secret sauce. Immigration reform that meets our economic needs, keeps famiies together and uphods the rue of aw is not ony possibe; it is essentia. Jeb Bush Jr. is the chief operating officer at Jeb Bush & Associates and sits on the board of the Nationa Immigration Forum. This Op- Ed was originay printed in the Orando Sentine.

15 OUR LEADERS 15 Frederick Dougas: I Woud Unite with Anybody to Do Right and with Nobody to Do Wrong Frederick Dougass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Baiey, c. February 1818 February 20, 1895) was an American socia reformer, orator, writer and statesman. After escaping from savery, he became a eader of the aboitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzing orator and incisive antisavery writing. He stood as a iving counterexampe to savehoders' arguments that saves did not have the inteectua capacity to function as independent American citizens. Many Northerners aso found it hard to beieve that such a great orator had been a save. Dougass wrote severa autobiographies, eoquenty describing his experiences in savery in his 1845 autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Dougass, an American Save, which became infuentia in its support for aboition. He wrote two more autobiographies, with his ast, Life and Times of Frederick Dougass, pubished in 1881 and covering events through and after the Civi War. After the Civi War, Dougass remained active in the United States' strugge to reach its potentia as a "and of the free." He activey supported women's suffrage. Without his approva he became the first African American nominated for vice president of the United States as the running mate of Victoria Woodhu on the impracticabe and sma Equa Rights Party ticket. Dougass hed mutipe pubic offices. Legacy and honors In 1921, members of the Apha Phi Apha fraternity (the first African- American intercoegiate fraternity) designated Frederick Dougass as an honorary member. And so, Dougass is the ony man to receive an honorary membership posthumousy. The Frederick Dougass Memoria Bridge, sometimes referred to as the South Capito Street Bridge, just south of the U.S. Capito in Washington, DC, was buit in 1950 and named in his honor. In 1962, his home in Anacostia (Washington, DC) became part of the Nationa Park System, and in 1988 was designated the Frederick Dougass Nationa Historic Site. In 1965, the U.S. Posta Service honored Dougass with a stamp in the Prominent Americans series. In 1999, Yae University estabished the Frederick Dougass Book Prize for works in the history of savery and aboition, in his honor. The annua $25,000 prize is administered by the Gider Lehrman Institute for American History and the Gider Lehrman Center for the Study of Savery, Resistance, and Aboition at Yae. In 2002, schoar Moefi Kete Asante named Dougass to his ist of 100 Greatest African Americans. In 2003, Dougass Pace, the renta housing units that Dougass buit in Batimore in 1892 for backs, was isted on the Nationa Register of Historic Paces. Dougass is honored with a feast day on the iturgica caendar of the Episcopa Church (USA) on February 20. In 2007, the former Troup Howe bridge which carried Interstate 490 over the Genesee River was redesigned and renamed the Frederick Dougass Susan B. Anthony Memoria Bridge. In 2010, a statue (by Gabrie Koren) and memoria (designed by Agernon Mier) of Dougass were unveied at Frederick Dougass Circe at the northwest corner of Centra Park in New York City. On June 12, 2011, Tabot County, Maryand, honored Dougass by instaing a seven-foot bronze statue of him on the awn of the county courthouse in Easton, Maryand. Many pubic schoos have been named in his honor. Dougass was a firm beiever in the equaity of a peope, whether back, femae, Native American, or recent immigrant, famousy quoted as saying, "I woud unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong." For more information visit

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