Jul222021

Time is of the Essence: Bipartisanship in the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) process

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Time is of the essence! Bipartisan calls from Congress are putting pressure on the State Department and the Biden administration to accelerate SIV processing. “These people have a bull’s eye and a target on their back from the moment we leave the country,” Rep. Michael McCaul, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, warned this month. “And if we abandon them, we are signing their death warrants.”

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Jul152021

What is the Discussion about Critical Race Theory

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Many Americans believe racism is the product of intentionally bad and biased individuals, but critical race theory alleges that racism is systemic and is inherent in much of the American way of life from health care to housing, economics to education, clean water to the criminal justice system and more. It is argued that those systems have been “constructed and protected over generations in ways that give white people advantages – sometimes in ways that are not obvious or deliberately insidious but nonetheless result in compounding disadvantages for Black people and other racial and ethnic minorities.”

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Jun232021

Crisis at the Border – A PEG Exclusive

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The situation at our country’s southern border continues to present immense challenges. Although the Biden administration has taken steps to reverse former President Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy, thousands of people are still struggling with food insecurity, unsanitary conditions, and the threat of violence in camps along the border. Additional problems are caused by recent policy and personnel changes that have created confusion and uncertainty at the border.
  The Biden administration is facing ongoing political pressure to decrease or halt the number of migrants at the US’s southern border, which hit a two-decade high for a single month in April, according to US Customs and Border Protection’s latest figures. Nearly half of the 178,622 migrants encountered at the US-Mexico border came from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras that month.

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Jun172021

Every Day is Gun Violence Awareness Day – A PEG Exclusive

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Starting in 2015, the first Friday of June and the following weekend has become an annual opportunity to honor the victims and survivors of gun violence, a public health crisis that kills nearly 40,000 individuals yearly and injures many more. Orange is the symbol of this somber occasion as it was the favorite color of Hadiya Pendleton, an accomplished Chicago teen who was shot to death in 2013 just days after she performed at President Barack Obama’s second inaugural celebration.

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Jun102021

Eli Savit masked while holding vaccination card

A Full COVID-19 Recovery Requires Investment in People by PEG Guest Contributor Eli Savit

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Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, government entities, community leaders, and schools in Washtenaw County worked together to slow the spread of the virus and distribute the vaccine. More than 60% of Washtenaw County residents over 16 years of age have now received at least one dose of the vaccine. This public health achievement is in no small part due to the efforts of these groups to expand access and locate pop-up clinics in schools, churches, and community centers. Cross-sector collaboration allowed the county to overcome traditional barriers in serving the hardest-to-reach communities.

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Jun102021

June is pride month

Pride Month and actions you can take beyond shopping the rainbow

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June is Pride Month. In part due to this national declaration, awareness and information on acceptance and equality has increased. However, Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in America continue to face discrimination in their daily lives. Check this June blog regularly to see what all of us can do to support this community beyond buying pretty rainbow decor.

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Jun32021

Legal entry into the United States

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Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a refugee is an alien who, generally, has experienced past persecution or has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.  Individuals who meet this definition may be considered for either refugee status under Section 207 of the INA if they are outside the United States, or asylum status under Section 208 of the INA, if they are already in the United States.

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May272021

100 year anniversary of Tulsa, Oklahoma Greenwood Massacre

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May 31, 2021, marks the 100 year anniversary of the Tulsa, Oklahoma Greenwood massacre. Listen to survivors of the Tulsa race massacre share their memories of Greenwood before a White mob attacked the affluent community 100 years ago in “Tulsa 1921: An American Tragedy.” The special airs Monday, May 31, at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.
Tulsa is currently taking action to find and identify victims who were buried in mass graves. MSN describes some of this activity. Both the New York Times and Atlantic articles provide an outstanding overview of this tragic event.

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