A State Department policy effective May 31, 2019, now requires visa applicants to the United States to submit information about social media accounts they have used in the past five years. The account information requested would give the government access to photos, locations, dates of birth, dates of milestones, and other personal data commonly shared on social media.
Read moreWhat Parts of Themselves Did They Leave Behind?
Brick House
Brick House by Simone Leigh is the inaugural commission for the High Line’s new series of a rotating selection of new monumental, contemporary art at the recently opened Plinth section of the park. Located off 30th Street and 10th Avenue, the sixteen-foot-tall bronze sculpture depicts a woman whose skirt is reminiscent of the clay house architecture of the Mousgoum people of Chad and Cameroon and the sculpture draws from the Batammaliba architect culture of the people of Benin and Togo. As to its placement on the High Line, Leigh tells the New York Times: “I thought: ‘What better place to put a Black female figure?’ Not in defiance of the space, exactly, but to have a different idea of beauty there.”
USCIS Will Reject I-129 Petitions Without Petitioner’s or Applicant’s Primary US Office Address
Effective August 5, 2019, USCIS will begin rejecting Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, petitions that do not include the petitioner’s or applicant’s name and primary US office address in Part 1 of Form I-129. Currently, USCIS rejects Form I-129 for several reasons which may include lack of signature, incorrect fees, or unauthorized third party signing on behalf of the petitioner. USCIS notes: “DHS regulations require every form to be submitted in accordance with the form instructions, and allow USCIS to reject any benefit request that is not filed in compliance with the regulations governing the specific benefit request.”
Read moreMother Jones: "Trump Gets Rid of His Most Effective Immigration Enforcer"
Lee Francis Cissna resigned as the director of the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) effective June 1, 2019, after President Trump asked him to step down. President Trump’s removal of Cissna has confused anti-immigration hardliners, since during Cissna’s tenure at the agency he has led efforts to make legal immigration more difficult.
Read moreOur Own Way
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe is, of course, one of the most famous and recognizable monuments in Paris. Commissioned by Napoleon I in 1806 after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz to celebrate the military achievements of the French armies, the arch stands at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, at the juncture formed by twelve radiating avenues. With the lovely sunny weather, this is the perfect time of the year to go on a stroll to view the arch. But I can’t take too long. I have tennis to watch!
USCIS: “New Technology Approach to Enable Expansion of Online Filing”
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced last week a “new strategy known as eProcessing” in order to “accelerate USCIS’ transition to a digital business model.” L. Francis Cissna, the current USCIS director who just announced he is resigning effective June 1, 2019, says in the press release: “eProcessing modernizes USCIS’ work to create a paperless solution that is more effective for applicants, our officers, and our partner agencies.” According to USCIS, eProcessing will be a “complete digital experience” that will include everything from applying for a benefit to communicating with USCIS to obtaining a decision on a case.
Read moreMerit
Silent Agitator
Silent Agitator by Scottish artist Ruth Ewan is a clock sculpture located off 24th street on the High Line. The “monumental” sculpture is based on an illustration originally produced by labor activist Ralph Chaplin for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) labor union. The illustration, a reference to the union’s round-the-clock organizing work and importance of the clock in labor negotiations including the fight for eight hour workdays, was one of many images that appeared on “stickerettes” (known as “silent agitators”) and distributed by union members. Ewan’s intention with the piece is to “provide a gathering space on the High Line, evoking the private vs. public separation of space and time we experience in capitalism, and a possible future where people gather together for their reclamation.”