DACA Program Reinstated On December 4, 2020, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to fully reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, allowing eligible immigrants to file new applications for protection from deportation under the program. Read more about the DACA program, who is eligible, how to apply, and resources in multiple languages at https://homeishere.us/. View this post on Instagram A post shared by United We Dream (@unitedwedream)
Calling for AAPI Representation in Biden-Harris Administration With record breaking-numbers of AAPI voter turnout in the 2020 election, it is evident that AAPI communities are an increasingly powerful electorate and our unique needs must be heard and addressed in the upcoming administration. With calls for inclusion of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in all levels of government and advocating for community policy priorities, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans has released statements raising questions over why there have been no Asian American, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander nominees for Cabinet Secretary positions and calling for inclusion of the AAPI community in the Biden-Harris policy agenda. NCAPA: “AAPI communities this year have faced a two-fold pandemic of COVID-19 and racism—both scapegoated for the spread of the virus and disproportionately vulnerable to its economic and health impacts. This dual pandemic has exposed and exacerbated inequities that have impacted our communities for decades and that will likely continue to impact us even after the public health crisis ends. This moment requires bold leadership and decisive action. The Biden-Harris Administration has promised to be—and has the mandate to be—the leaders for this moment, and the Administration has committed to making racial equity a day one priority.” In a letter addressed to the Biden-Harris Administration, NCAPA and their coalition members detailed top policy priorities for the AAPI community and urge the incoming administration to adopt the suggested policy priorities in order to support and uplift Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Read NCAPA’s Full Statement Here
Protecting the LGBTQ Community in Michigan A campaign to protect the LGBTQ community in Michigan from discrimination with an amendment to a state law is one step closer to the ballot. Fair and Equal Michigan submitted 483,461 signatures to the state on October 13, 2020 in its initiative to amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. As the act currently prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, sex and other factors when it comes to employment, housing and public accommodations, the proposed amendment would add “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to the list of protected classes. Read a news story about the campaign here or visit https://www.fairandequalmichigan.com/why-now for information on the campaign, how to get involved and stay informed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fair and Equal Michigan (@fairandequalmi) on Jan 7, 2020 at 8:53am PST
Challenging the Primary Ballot Initiative in Florida A proposed constitutional amendment on Florida’s Nov. 3 ballot would create an open-primaries system of voting. Amendment 3 would change Florida’s primary elections for state legislators, the governor and lieutenant governor, and elected cabinet members from a closed election to a top-two open primary. This system would create a disadvantage for certain communities of the electorate. Having drawn opposition from both Democrats and Republicans, the Florida Legislative Black Caucus and a non-profit group drew attention to how the amendment would diminish the impact of Black voters and minority representation in the Florida House and Senate as it, “would give a disproportionate amount of power to primary voters and special interests while diminishing the ability of political parties to put forward candidates.” On October 13, 2020, the amendment faced a legal challenge with a petition filed with the Florida Supreme Court urging the Florida Secretary of State to not to certify the votes on Amendment 3. Read more about the proposed constitutional amendment and why it’s being challenged in court here
Expand Opportunity and Equity with Prop 16 in California In California, voters have an opportunity this November to remove the state ban on affirmative action which has contributed to employment and education discrimination. Proposition 16 would permit government policies to consider race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, and contracting decisions in order to address diversity and systemic racism. If passed, this proposition would expand opportunity for all by repealing California’s Proposition 209 which banned affirmative action initiatives in 1996 and led to disproportionately harmful outcomes for black people and people of color. Click here to view NCAPA’s infographics and fact checks on affirmative action. Affirmative action helps to ensure that our universities, especially highly selective elite universities, remain accessible to students of all backgrounds. Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Southeast Asian American students have the most to gain directly from these policies. By voting YES on Proposition 16, you can help create and open more educational, career and employment opportunities for women and people of color. Read more about Proposition 16 and the AAPI community, the history of affirmative action, and the impacts of an affirmative action ban on education, employment, and contracting from resources shared by our network partners down below! Read more about Prop 16 on the Vote Yes On Prop 16 website View this post on Instagram A post shared by Filipino Advocates for Justice (@fils4justice) on Aug 11, 2020 at 12:45pm PDT View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yes on Prop 16 (@yesonprop16) on Oct 27, 2020 at 9:58am PDT
Condemning Anti-Asian Discrimination #HRes908 The Condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID–19 House Resolution 908 was introduced by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng on March 25, 2020 and calls on all public officials to denounce anti-Asian racism related to the coronavirus. This resolution calls on all public officials to condemn and denounce anti-Asian sentiment, racism, discrimination, and religious intolerance related to COVID-19 and calls on Federal law enforcement officials to work with local and state agencies to investigate and document all credible reports of hate crimes and incidents against the Asian American community. It also calls on United States leadership to build a more inclusive and tolerant society by advocating for language access and combating misinformation and discrimination against Asian Americans. This simple resolution was agreed to on September 17, 2020. BREAKING: #HRes908 passed the House on a 243 -164 with one present vote. Next up: the bill will move onto the Senate! pic.twitter.com/whwglibZcB — NCAPA #AAPI2020 (@NCAPAtweets) September 17, 2020
Public Charge Update Public Charge: The Trump administration’s proposed Public Charge rule would make it easier for the federal government to deny legal status to immigrants who might apply for public assistance, an exclusionary regulation intended to create a defacto legal wall to keep immigrants out and rig the system against children, elders, people who are lower income, limited English and those who have medical conditions or with disabilities. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southern District of New York (SDNY) just ruled for a temporary nationwide injunction halting the enforcement of Public Charge as, “actions taken by the federal government were not enough to ensure that immigrants, wary of federal immigration actions, would not be dissuaded from seeking medical care” (read more about the injunction here). Learn more about how to get involved here: https://www.onenationaapi.com/about-the-campaign. Read Chinese for Affirmative Action’s Press Release on Federal Judge George B. Daniels’s decision to halt the implementation of expanded Public Charge rules. Annette Wong, Director of Programs at CAA reflected, “Trump’s public charge policies are inhumane and indecent, relegating immigrants into the shadows and fearful of immigration consequences when accessing public benefits. Rather than addressing the health crisis, the Trump administration has continued to use the pandemic as an opportunity to scapegoat and exclude immigrants.” Community members who have questions about how you might be impacted by public charge are encouraged to contact CAA’s Immigrant Rights program at 415.761.3222 for general inquiry and legal referrals. For more information on what is Public Charge, how it is determined, and key points you should know, please refer to Chinese for Affirmative Action’s document here: http://ow.ly/YS9m50yfTUB https://www.facebook.com/AdvancingJusticeAtlanta/posts/3087694287909762 https://www.facebook.com/caasf/posts/10158013347758007
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) DACA: Despite the recent Supreme Court decision that found that the Trump administration’s 2017 rescission of DACA was done in an arbitrary and capricious way that violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), DACA continues to be at risk of being scaled back further or terminated completely by the Trump administration. A memorandum issued on July 28, 2020 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) scales back the availability of the DACA program while the administration determines whether to fully rescind DACA. Read more about the DHS memorandum issued here. If this issue is important to your community, find out more about these impacts and what you can do at https://homeishere.us/. https://www.facebook.com/ElevateYourVoice/posts/1157783037928698?__tn__=-R View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adhikaar (@adhikaar_ny) on Jun 4, 2020 at 4:45pm PDT
George Floyd Justice in Policing Act George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020: As communities continue to speak up about law enforcement misconduct and demand change and greater accountability, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 addresses policing practices and law enforcement accountability, changing the culture of law enforcement and re-imagining public safety. This bill includes measures to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct in court and improve transparency through data collection. With a framework to prohibit racial profiling and discriminatory policing practices, the bill also establishes new requirements for law enforcement officers and agencies such as wearing body cameras and training on implicit bias and racial profiling. Read more about the sweeping police reform bill that was passed in the House on June 25 here. The bill passed the House on 06/25/2020.
HEROES Act for COVID-19 Relief HEROES Act: The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act) responds to the current COVID-19 outbreak and its continual financial and public health impacts on our communities, individuals and businesses across the country. Passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on May 15th, 2020, this bill would supplement the previous CARES Act stimulus package by providing $3 trillion of emergency funding to support families, essential workers, and small businesses. The HEROES Act would provide another round of stimulus checks to eligible Americans, continue expanded unemployment benefits, extend and expand the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and provides funding and establishes requirements for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing among other things. This act also includes a proposal to fund states to provide equal access to the ballot box by giving every eligible voter the opportunity to participate in safe and accessible elections. As of August 31, 2020, this bill has not been passed by the U.S. Senate or signed into law. However, given the scope of this legislation, NCAPA has outlined some of the most important parts to note for the AAPI community. Email your Senators & tell them #HEALSNo and #PassHEROESAct already passed by the House, which provides relief for the unemployed, renters, frontline workers & doesn’t leave out immigrants! The pandemic has disproportionately impacted low-income communities and communities of color. We need COVID-19 relief and we need it NOW. Tell the Senate to #PassHEROESAct Email your Senators & tell them #HEALSNo and #PassHEROESAct already passed by the House, which provides relief for the unemployed, renters, frontline workers & doesn’t leave out immigrants! pic.twitter.com/PFLTtS3JPu — National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (@NCAPAtweets) August 6, 2020