Growing up in the Moscow region of Russia in the late 1980s and the 1990s, I don’t quite remember the Soviet times—but I do remember perestroika (“rebuilding”) and the aftermath of the Soviet Union collapsing. I remember standing in long lines to buy bread and bringing a milk can to be filled from a truck that came to my town on certain days of the week from a nearby farm.
Read moreThe Hill: “Trump to establish National Vetting Center for immigrants, visitors”
President Trump signed a national security presidential memorandum last week that will establish a “National Vetting Center” to “identify potential threats to national security, border security, homeland security, and public safety.” The National Vetting Center will be run by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), together with the Justice Department, the State Department, and other intelligence agencies. These agencies must establish the center in six months, with no additional funding.
Read morePeople Are Dying
Identity
Left to Right: Roman Flowers, Glory, and The Reminders by Krystle Collins
In honor of Black History Month, Identity features works in fiber by nine artists that explore imagery of people of the African Diaspora. The exhibit, curated by Michelle Bishop of Harlem Needle Arts and presented with the NYC Parks Ebony Society, which has helped organize the annual Black History Month exhibition at the Arsenal Gallery since 1991, presents pieces in a variety of media including embroidery, soft sculpture, quilt, and mixed media. I especially loved the inventive embroidery pieces by Krystle Collins. Located at the Arsenal building at 5th Avenue and 64th Street, the pieces have "elements of swag, spirituality, icons, music, and social justice" and "the works illustrate self-awareness, identify, motivation, and varying backgrounds and traditions that govern the artists’ lives." The exhibit is on display through February 23, 2018.
OPINION: Those in Immigration Court Should Be Provided Legal Assistance Regardless of Ability to Pay
It’s a common scene in any episode of Law & Order: the detective puts the suspect’s wrists in handcuffs while reciting: “You have the right to remain silent, anything you do or say can be used against you in a court of law; you have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you.” (Emphasis mine.) The recognizable “DUN DUN” then gongs as the show goes to a commercial break. It’d be natural to assume, then, that people in all kinds of legal proceedings should have an attorney provided to them, regardless of their ability to pay. In immigration court, however, this is not always the case, as a recent ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals made clear.
Read moreAP: “Immigration authorities detail plan for courthouse arrests”
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) formalized a policy last month that allows ICE officers to make arrests in state, local, and federal courthouses, despite complaints from judges and immigration advocacy groups that this tactic creates fear among victims of crime, witnesses, and family members. The ICE memo, signed off by Acting ICE Director Thomas D. Homan, says courthouse enforcement only targets immigrants with criminal convictions, gang members, threats to national or public safety, those who have been ordered removed but did not leave the US, and those who have re-entered illegally after being removed.
Read moreDo It Yourself
David Hockney at the Met
Joseph gazing longingly at the southern California pool in A Bigger Splash by David Hockney.
Coinciding perfectly with wintertime, the Metropolitan Museum is hosting a major retrospective of the famed British artist David Hockney. The exhibition presents iconic works (including the one above) and key moments of his career from 1960 to the present in a wide range of media including painting, drawing, photography, and digital media. Hockney first visited Los Angeles in 1963, and moved there permanently in 1976, drawn to the relaxed pace of life. He said that "the climate is sunny, the people are less tense than in New York...When I arrived I had no idea if there was any kind of artistic life there and that was the least of my worries." Drawn to California's many outdoor pools, A Bigger Splash was painted between April and June 1967 during the period that Hockney taught at the University of California at Berkeley. The exhibit closes February 25, so get there soon. You'll need a nice memory of a sunny Southern California pool to get you through this winter, trust me.
5 Quick Things to Know About NOIDs!
What’s a NOID? No, we’re not talking about the 1980s Domino’s pizza character that was created to advertise the Domino’s promise to deliver in thirty minutes or less. A Notice of Intent to Deny, commonly referred to as a NOID, is issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after a preliminary decision to deny the applicant’s case (e.g., visa petition, work permit, adjustment of status, etc.) due to a perceived ineligibility.
Read moreVulture: “Why You Could Be Seeing a Lot of Immigrant Stories on TV This Fall”
As immigration topics inspire heated debate across the country, Americans may see more storylines about the immigrant experience on television this upcoming fall. While some shows—including One Day at a Time, Jane the Virgin, and Ugly Betty—have all dealt with various aspects of the immigrant experience at one time or another, seven upcoming projects for the pilot season feature immigrants as lead characters dealing head-on with deportation, the DACA program, access to health care for immigrants, and the refugee experience. While these projects are still in the development stages and not guaranteed to be picked up for a full series by the networks, they demonstrate that the entertainment industry is realizing how important, powerful, and compelling these stories are.
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