Champaign County Data Rep

 

Congratulations to the 2017 Recipients of the Immigrant Welcome Awards

Press Release/PSA

For Immediate Release

September 18, 2017 

For media inquiries, contact: Megan Flowers

[251-209-2615; megan@universityymca.org]

Congratulations to the 2017 Recipients of the Immigrant Welcome Awards! Join us for the ceremony an celebration this Saturday

As co-sponsors of the 4th Annual Immigrant Welcome Award Ceremony, the Cities of Champaign and Urbana, the CU Immigration Forum, the Muslim American Society of Urbana-Champaign, and the Urbana Free Library are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 Immigrant Welcome Awards. This year's award recipients are Nancy M. Ramirez Blancas, Charles Larenas, Samuel Smith, Karyl Wackerlin, The Education Justice Project (EJP), and the Immigration Project. The Immigrant Welcome Awards Selection Committee congratulates this year's award recipients and thanks them for their dedicated work enriching the lives of those not only living in Champaign-Urbana, but around the world.  The public is encouraged to celebrate their achievements during the Immigrant Welcome Award Ceremony and Celebration on Saturday, September 23. This event includes free activities for children and refreshments.  The 4th Annual Immigrant Welcome Awards Saturday, September 23, 2017 from 2pm-4pm  Muslim American Society Center 2011 Brownfield Rd, Urbana The 4th Annual Immigrant Welcome Awards Ceremony and Celebration is part of 2017 Welcoming Week, a national week of events that brings together immigrants and U.S. born residents in a spirit of better understanding and unity. Program of Activities: Reception We Are More Than One Story  Performance Capoeira Angola Center of Mestre João Grande-Illinois Welcoming Remarks  Reading of the Welcoming Week Joint Proclamation Deborah Feinen, Mayor of Champaign Recognition of Partners  Recognition of Welcome Award Recipients  Student leadership Community impact Acknowledgement of the  Champaign International Connection City Human Rights award Community Impact Humanitarian Relief Distinguished Leadership Service The 2017 Recipients of the 4th Annual Immigrant Welcome Awards: Student Leadership Award Nancy M. Ramirez Blancas Nancy Ramirez Blancas has been in the forefront of student testimony and activism around issues such as the Access act and support for DACA students like herself. She effectively recruited people into La Casa Cultural Latina's trainings on how to be an ally for undocumented students at the University of Illinois and continues to be a firm and fearless voice for this cause, for herself and others. She has been consistently active not ONLY in behalf of undocumented students but also in her own disciplinary organizations. Nancy has a deep commitment to using her knowledge to help others who find themselves in situations like her own.  Her activism and testimony is fearless, even while she remains uncertain of the educational she has striven so hard to secure. Humanitarian Relief Award Samuel Smith Sam Smith is recoginzed for leading the projects efforts to build a clean water well in the Koyagbema community of Kenama, Sierra Leone near a school operated by the Sierra Leone YMCA. A simple investment in these wells can unlock the potential of every student by helping them stay healthy and freeing them to remain in classes other than leaving classes to fetch water.  Sam helped coordinate the securing of funding by building a partnership between the University Y,MCA, Urbana Rotary, Sierra Leone YMCA, Akelos, and the Freetown Rotary in Sierra Leone.  Sam's hard work in coordinating all of this the past two years resulted in the construction of the clean water well this past summer.  He was fortunate to travel to Sierra Leone this summer for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Distinguished Leadership Service Award Charles Larenas For the last 11 years Charles Larenas has been directing the Summer Migrant Education Program in Champaign County. Parkland College has been hosting the program for the last 9 years. This summer of 2017 Charles just finished his 22nd year with the Illinois State Migrant Education Program which provides high-quality and comprehensive educational programs for migrant children. Charles began his first Migrant Education Program with six employees who served about 60 students in 5 different cities. This year, the program had 86 employees and served over 250 students/families, while recruiting close to 350. Through this program he has been providing unique experiences to local youth. Every year he hires local Latino college students to work at the program and  provides the encouragement, and the empowerment these students need to participate. He is truly developing leaders. Community Impact Award The Education Justice Project (EJP)  EJP is a college-in-prison program. In recent years, EJP has reached out to family members of incarcerated people, providing a monthly forum for them to support one another while writing letters to loved ones in prison. Recognizing the similarities between incarceration and deportation, they extended letter writing sessions, known as the Ripple Effect, to include those facing immigration threats including undocumented U of I students, undocumented local families, and newly resettled refugees.  An additonal service that EJP provides is to assist students who get deported to Mexico through developing a deportee reentry guide. The guide is to assist people who are sent back to Mexico in orienting themselves and learning about services available to them in that country. EJP is recognized for addressing the increasing threats facing immigrants today under the new administration of the United States. Community Impact Award Immigration Project  The Immigration Project (IP) is a nonprofit organization providing immigration legal assistance to the 100,000 immigrants residing in Central and Southern Illinois. It provides access to quality legal services in Central and Southern Illinois. Due to the complexity of immigration law, quality legal services is essential to keeping families united, building strong communities, and protecting victims of crime. Immigration attorneys and immigration specialists travel to meet with clients in seven regional locations. Without these programs, low-income immigrants in the region would struggle to obtain access to professional immigration assistance. Staff is committed to helping immigrants, knowing that immigrants are members of our community, and that helping all members of a community strengthens the entire community. Human Rights Award Karyl Wackerlin Karyl a professional photographer now uses her camera to find and spread joy across the globe during mission trips. As part of That's What She Said Project, Karyl created and organized She Said: Soul Journey mission trips to God's Littlest Angels (GLA) orphanage in Haiti. Through this program, she has inspired women in the Champaign-Urbana community to experience this life-changing trip. Karyl has also worked on documenting the caregivers' stories both through written word and film and has hired translators while in Haiti to work with her on this project. Karyl's dedicated efforts have resulted in millions of dollars being donated to GLA over the past four years. The project has also introduced women from our community to Haiti and to foster in them the same love for the people and country that Karyl has, creating a connection and bond between CU and Kenscoff, Haiti. Follow the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/277601329389639/

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The 2017 Immigrant Welcome Award Recipients Announced

Congratulations to the 2017 Recipients of the Immigrant Welcome Awards! Join us for the ceremony an celebration this Saturday

	As co-sponsors of the 4th Annual Immigrant Welcome Award Ceremony, the Cities of Champaign and Urbana, the CU Immigration Forum, the Muslim American Society of Urbana-Champaign, and the Urbana Free Library are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 Immigrant Welcome Awards. This year's award recipients are Nancy M. Ramirez Blancas, Charles Larenas, Samuel Smith, Karyl Wackerlin, The Education Justice Project (EJP), and the Immigration Project. The Immigrant Welcome Awards Selection Committee congratulates this year’s award recipients and thanks them for their dedicated work enriching the lives of those not only living in Champaign-Urbana, but around the world.  The public is encouraged to celebrate their achievements during the Immigrant Welcome Award Ceremony and Celebration on Saturday, September 23. This event includes free activities for children and refreshments.  The 4th Annual Immigrant Welcome Awards Saturday, September 23, 2017 from 2pm-4pm  Muslim American Society Center 2011 Brownfield Rd, Urbana The 4th Annual Immigrant Welcome Awards Ceremony and Celebration is part of 2017 Welcoming Week, a national week of events that brings together immigrants and U.S. born residents in a spirit of better understanding and unity. Program of Activities: Reception We Are More Than One Story  Performance Capoeira Angola Center of Mestre João Grande-Illinois Welcoming Remarks  Reading of the Welcoming Week Joint Proclamation Deborah Feinen, Mayor of Champaign Recognition of Partners  Recognition of Welcome Award Recipients  Student leadership Community impact Acknowledgement of the  Champaign International Connection City Human Rights award Community Impact Humanitarian Relief Distinguished Leadership Service The 2017 Recipients of the 4th Annual Immigrant Welcome Awards: Student Leadership Award Nancy M. Ramirez Blancas Nancy Ramirez Blancas has been in the forefront of student testimony and activism around issues such as the Access act and support for DACA students like herself. She effectively recruited people into La Casa Cultural Latina’s trainings on how to be an ally for undocumented students at the University of Illinois and continues to be a firm and fearless voice for this cause, for herself and others. She has been consistently active not ONLY in behalf of undocumented students but also in her own disciplinary organizations. Nancy has a deep commitment to using her knowledge to help others who find themselves in situations like her own.  Her activism and testimony is fearless, even while she remains uncertain of the educational she has striven so hard to secure. Humanitarian Relief Award Samuel Smith Sam Smith is recoginzed for leading the projects efforts to build a clean water well in the Koyagbema community of Kenama, Sierra Leone near a school operated by the Sierra Leone YMCA. A simple investment in these wells can unlock the potential of every student by helping them stay healthy and freeing them to remain in classes other than leaving classes to fetch water.  Sam helped coordinate the securing of funding by building a partnership between the University Y,MCA, Urbana Rotary, Sierra Leone YMCA, Akelos, and the Freetown Rotary in Sierra Leone.  Sam’s hard work in coordinating all of this the past two years resulted in the construction of the clean water well this past summer.  He was fortunate to travel to Sierra Leone this summer for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Distinguished Leadership Service Award Charles Larenas For the last 11 years Charles Larenas has been directing the Summer Migrant Education Program in Champaign County. Parkland College has been hosting the program for the last 9 years. This summer of 2017 Charles just finished his 22nd year with the Illinois State Migrant Education Program which provides high-quality and comprehensive educational programs for migrant children. Charles began his first Migrant Education Program with six employees who served about 60 students in 5 different cities. This year, the program had 86 employees and served over 250 students/families, while recruiting close to 350. Through this program he has been providing unique experiences to local youth. Every year he hires local Latino college students to work at the program and  provides the encouragement, and the empowerment these students need to participate. He is truly developing leaders. Community Impact Award The Education Justice Project (EJP)  EJP is a college-in-prison program. In recent years, EJP has reached out to family members of incarcerated people, providing a monthly forum for them to support one another while writing letters to loved ones in prison. Recognizing the similarities between incarceration and deportation, they extended letter writing sessions, known as the Ripple Effect, to include those facing immigration threats including undocumented U of I students, undocumented local families, and newly resettled refugees.  An additonal service that EJP provides is to assist students who get deported to Mexico through developing a deportee reentry guide. The guide is to assist people who are sent back to Mexico in orienting themselves and learning about services available to them in that country. EJP is recognized for addressing the increasing threats facing immigrants today under the new administration of the United States. Community Impact Award Immigration Project  The Immigration Project (IP) is a nonprofit organization providing immigration legal assistance to the 100,000 immigrants residing in Central and Southern Illinois. It provides access to quality legal services in Central and Southern Illinois. Due to the complexity of immigration law, quality legal services is essential to keeping families united, building strong communities, and protecting victims of crime. Immigration attorneys and immigration specialists travel to meet with clients in seven regional locations. Without these programs, low-income immigrants in the region would struggle to obtain access to professional immigration assistance. Staff is committed to helping immigrants, knowing that immigrants are members of our community, and that helping all members of a community strengthens the entire community. Human Rights Award Karyl Wackerlin Karyl a professional photographer now uses her camera to find and spread joy across the globe during mission trips. As part of That’s What She Said Project, Karyl created and organized She Said: Soul Journey mission trips to God’s Littlest Angels (GLA) orphanage in Haiti. Through this program, she has inspired women in the Champaign-Urbana community to experience this life-changing trip. Karyl has also worked on documenting the caregivers’ stories both through written word and film and has hired translators while in Haiti to work with her on this project. Karyl’s dedicated efforts have resulted in millions of dollars being donated to GLA over the past four years. The project has also introduced women from our community to Haiti and to foster in them the same love for the people and country that Karyl has, creating a connection and bond between CU and Kenscoff, Haiti. Follow the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/277601329389639/

Eliminating DACA program is the wrong way to go

www.cuimmigrationforum.org

September 5, 2017. Earlier today, the Trump Administration announced that it was ending the DACA (Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals) program. The C-U Immigration Forum is strongly opposed to this action and stands with the 800,000 young adults across our nation, and in our community, who were protected from deportation under this program.  Although this action by the President was not a surprise, we believe it is both cruel to those affected and unproductive for our country.  

In June of 2012, President Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act, or DACA, in order to allow undocumented persons who had been brought to the US as children — and who were in school, had no serious criminal record, and who posed no threat to national security — to qualify for a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation, and be eligible for a work permit.

Under the guise of a ‘respect for the rule of law’, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump administration would be rescinding this vital program. Those already enrolled in DACA will be able to continue working until their permits expire, and those whose permits expire by March 5 will be permitted to apply for two-year renewals so long as they do so by Oct. 5. But only one in 10 DACA recipients will be eligible under these strict guidelines. This announcement affects several hundred families in Champaign County and tens of thousands in Illinois.

DACA was merely an administrative directive for a policy change to be implemented by the Department of Homeland Security as an exercise of its well established and preexisting authority; it made no one a citizen or a permanent resident.  DACA did not pretend to be a law nor was it a usurpation of Congressional authority as it has often been mischaracterized by its critics. DACA did collect the biographical information, money, and biometrics of almost a million people that had previously not been on the records.

Unlike the DREAM Act, which was its inspiration, DACA offered no path to citizenship and was intended merely as an intermediate step for young people. By definition, they were primarily raised in the United States and the US is their home; they signed up  to pursue their educational and career potential while they waited for Congress to craft a more permanent legislative fix which specifically addressed their situation. To date there are nearly 800,000 people who participate in this program.

Without immediate Congressional action, the limited security that DACA has provided its beneficiaries will disappear, and with it their ability to provide for themselves and their loved ones. This  casts entire futures into doubt. Along with those crippling economic hardships, these vulnerable persons will now also face the very real possibility of forced repatriation to countries that are for the most part only distant memories to them. For DACA recipients, the US is their home. They share our hopes and dreams — which is why they have long been known as ‘Dreamers’ — and their futures are inextricably bound with ours. In truth we stand or fall together.

The current administration’s attitude towards immigrants disguises bigotry as policy, and with this step the Trump administrations advances violence against immigrants, attacking persons who are fellow citizens in every possible way but name only.

CU Immigration Forum joins its many regional and national partners — and the overwhelming majority of the American people — in demanding that Congress create permanent protections for these vulnerable members of our society and their families. The DREAM Act is only a partial solution and it is time for comprehensive immigration reform to be fully considered transparently by all political and economic parties. Only then can immigrants be assured of their own personal security and be given a renewed hope in the country we collectively call home.

Other supporters

The University of Illinois System and its national counterparts vow to protect students

The Illinois Business Immigration Coalition says Illinois will lose $2.3 billion

Barack Obama calls it cruel and wrong

NY and Washington states suing the president over rescinding DACA

Participate here:

I-CAUSE Rally on Sept 6.

Visit to congressional Rep. Davis on Sept 20.

Local coverage

WCIA Sept 2 2017
The 21st Sept 6, 2017
News-Gazette Sept 7, 2017
Fox Illinois Sept 5 2017 and UofI related and politician soundoff

Fox Illinois Sept 5 2017

Submit your nominations today for the 4th Annual Welcome Awards!

Now Accepting Your Nominations  for the 4th Annual Welcome Awards!

	The Champaign-Urbana Immigration Forum is hosting the 4th Annual Welcome Awards! This year we are excited to announce a new collaboration with the cities of Champaign and Urbana. As part of this new partnership, the Champaign-Urbana International Humanitarian Awards (CUIHA) will now be included in the Immigrant Welcome Award Ceremony.  The CU Immigration Forum is now accepting your nominations in consideration of the individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions, taken risks, and have provided leadership for the well-being and success of immigrants in Champaign County. To view the award categories and to nominate, please fill this short form using the following link: https://goo.gl/forms/j5elJmKSXFiVsN4z2. The CU Immigration Forum will accept your nominations through September 1, 2017. The award recipients will be officially recognized at the 4th Annual Welcome Awards Ceremony and Celebration from 2pm-4pm on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at the Muslim American Society Center. Event goers can expect food and fun for the whole family as we recognize and celebrate the individuals and organizations that have created a welcoming atmosphere for immigrants in Champaign County, Illinois.  For more information about the event including past award recipients, visit: www.cuimmigrationforum.org. This event is part of Welcoming Week (September 15-24), a national week of events that works to bring communities bring together, immigrants and U.S.-born residents in a spirit of unity and to raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone. For more information about Welcoming Week, visit Welcoming America's website at: welcomingamerica.org/programs/welcoming-week/

Join us in support of immigrants at the July 4 parade

In an effort to demonstrate local support for immigrants in our community, the C-U Immigration Forum is organizing a huge participation in the July 4th Freedom Parade.  Our goal is to have 500 people march with us in the parade.  If you are free to join us, please do so but also help spread the word among family, friends, co-workers and other organizations or faith communities you are active with.  We are encouraging people to sign up so we can track how many folks are participating and also to send out updates about details of the event. Sign up here:  https://tinyurl.com/JoinUsOnJuly4 Show up, speak out in your own unique way for the support of local immigrants and the progress of human rights. You can also join us in raising your voice and showing support in other ways:  Join us for a sign-making party on Saturday, July 1st from 2pm-4pm at the University YMCA, 1001 S. Wright Street. This is a kid-friendly event with food and plenty of crafty supplies. Immigration Forum t-shirts are also available for purchase to be visible with us at the parade and support our work. You may order your t-shirt here: http://tinyurl.com/IFt-shirts. (Please order your shirt by June 20th to pick up before or at the parade.) Attached here is the flyer for more details.  Thanks for your help and support.

2017 Begins

It's the end of a hard year for immigrants but an even worse year is starting soon. Several people have asked me how they can help to make it better; the truth is, I am not sure if there is any one answer. I do know that the greatest growth is when we all stand together, one person with another, in solidarity.

This means that we each put in gifts and talents in a different way and volunteering in direct help is never to be underestimated. 

Still, the situation is such that we will require more translators, more lawyers, more organizing, more answering phones, more legislative actions. 

If you are able to make a monetary contribution, today is a good day to bolster the organizations that will lead those efforts in the Urbana-Rantoul-Champaign area:

+The CU Immigration Forum fills the niche for advocacy, coalescing, and stands with immigrants of all sorts.   Make the check to Attn: CU Immigration Forum, The University YMCA, 1001 S. Wright St. , Champaign, IL 61820

 

+The University Y is a meeting point, and they answer the lines for those in distress through the La Linea in various languages and they serve as the 211 in Spanish for the county

+The Refugee Center, ECIRMAC,  is the oldest direct assistance agency; great staff, small place, great asset. Send checks to 302 S. Birch, Urbana, IL 61801

+The Immigration Project is our go-to for non private immigration lawyers; the recent opening of an office in Champaign makes it easier for minors and those in physical danger.

   You can send a check to P.O. Box 1503, Bloomington, Illinois 61702-1503.

+Some graduate students have recently formed The Three Spinners to help settle refugees in the area.

Sincerely, Ricardo Diaz