This past year, ISP staff saw an uptick in the number of non-citizens relocating to Tompkins County who were seeking services. We helped over 75 clients who were recent arrivals from various countries including Ukraine, Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, Venezuela, and El Salvador. Similar to other non-profit programs serving immigrants in their communities, we found ourselves in unchartered grounds on how to best serve clients who were being paroled into the country with little to no extra funding to assist them and many not qualifying for public benefits. While ISP has served immigrants with varying immigration statuses for over a decade, this was the first time we served this many of people in relatively a short amount of time with very complex needs.
These ‘churches” are frauds.
The management are evil.
Cloward-Piven....
That webpage you linked is informative, and frightening. Here's the whole thing, for those who (like me) are willing to chew into a wall of text to find out what the heck is going on in my town.
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This past year, ISP staff saw an uptick in the number of non-citizens relocating to Tompkins County who were seeking services. We helped over 75 clients who were recent arrivals from various countries including Ukraine, Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, Venezuela, and El Salvador. Similar to other non-profit programs serving immigrants in their communities, we found ourselves in unchartered grounds on how to best serve clients who were being paroled into the country with little to no extra funding to assist them and many not qualifying for public benefits. While ISP has served immigrants with varying immigration statuses for over a decade, this was the first time we served this many of people in relatively a short amount of time with very complex needs.
Each immigrant group or immigration status is unique, so we are continually faced with a learning curve on how to best serve our clients. For example, several Cubans crossed the southern border this past summer and were admitted through humanitarian parole. Through word of mouth, they knew they would be eligible for public benefits that included Medicaid, SNAP and public assistance. However, this was news to us, as well as to Tompkins County DSS, health navigators and the immigration attorneys who were assisting our clients. Therefore, our staff had to do a deep dive into learning the ins and outs of immigrants with "Cuban/Haitian entrant" status and then assist our Fidelis Rep, and DSS SNAP/PA supervisor what law made them eligible and what documents the migrants were admitted with that proved this so they could receive benefits. We also had clients with ankle monitors, orders to report to ICE, unaccompanied minors who needed to check in with social workers in Texas, clients who had run out of prescription meds and needed medical attention, and clients whose passports and other identity documents were seized at the border and never returned. One by one, we addressed these things and now court dates are scheduled, monitoring devices have been removed, and the unaccompanied minors finished their first semester in Ithaca high school.
Because of our services, most of the migrants who sought our assistance are now studying English, have either Medicaid or emergency Medicaid, have medical care (either with primary care physicians or through the Ithaca Health Alliance), have food security (either through local pantries or with SNAP), have had a consultation with an immigration attorney, and even have warm clothes. All of them also received gift cards to pick up items at Walmart and many of them have bus passes who needed to take the bus to get to their ESL class or to work.
Assisting the Ukrainian and Afghan clients has also required a learning curve. Staff participate in bi-weekly meetings with the NYS Bureau of Refugee Services to stay on top of the changes to the law affecting Ukrainians and Afghan arrivals. Both groups are now considered refugees and can receive all the services and benefits that refugees receive. Last summer we started assisting Ukrainians who crossed the southern border, were briefly detained, and then flew to upstate New York to live with family sponsors. Late summer the United for Ukraine program was launched and since then we have assisted over 70 Ukrainians with various services, like the services described above, depending on their needs.
Staff also continue to meet the needs of the immigrant community by providing job development services, case management and low-cost immigration legal services. For example, 60 clients became US citizens who utilized our services and 75 clients were assisted in applying or renewing work permits, social security numbers or green cards. We also continue to have a steady flow of clients who have language barriers seeking help with understanding bills, notices, and statements they receive. Oftentimes our case management also includes accompanying clients to their health care appointments, trips to the bank, parent/teachers conferences, in-person job interviews, apartment showings and lease signing appointments. We also continue to help clients who are experiencing difficult situations that are exacerbated by living paycheck to paycheck. For example, May was a long-time client who resettled as a refugee 10 years ago and lived many years in the IHA apartments that were recently torn down. She and her husband bought a mobile home and soon after the move, she was diagnosed with cancer. Being unable to work, her husband became the sole income provider for their family of four. After 9 months in their mobile home, their heater broke and there was an estimate of $4500 to repair it. They used space heaters for 2 months to stay warm. They turned to ISP and we tried to find a local program to assist with this but they did not meet the eligibility requirements. But they were referred to Cortland HEAP and with our assistance were able to complete the application. All repairs were made to their heating system. May is debilitated by her on-going battle with cancer but at least she has a warm home now. .
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