Meng law helps migrant families at border
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Congresswoman Grace
Meng introduced last week
a new legislation to help
migrant families and children
at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Announced on July 24,
Meng’s legislation, “Stop
Cruelty to Migrant Children
Act,” would ensure that
migrant families and children
who arrive at the border are
provided with safe, sanitary,
and humane services. The
Congresswoman’s bill is the
companion to the Senate bill
led by Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer and state Sen. Jeff
Merkley to improve protection
for migrant families at
the border.
Meng, who traveled to
the U.S.-Mexico border last
year during the Trump
administration’s family
separation crisis, said the
administration’s lack of
empathy and compassion for
migrant families and children
at the border is heartbreaking
and demands action
by Congress.
“Those who come to our
nation should be treated with
dignity and respect and that is
something the administration
has failed to provide when
Cuomo directs state police to assist in hate crime investigation
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Just days after an attack on
a Hindu priest in Glen Oaks,
Governor Cuomo directed
the state police hate crimes
task force to assist in the
NYPD investigation.
Last week, cops arrested
Sergio Gouveia who allegedly
beat beloved faith leader Swami
Harish Chander Puri blocks
away from the Shiv Shakti
Peeth temple. According to law
enforcement sources, Gouveia
punched Puri and hit him with
an umbrella while screaming
“This is my neighborhood.”
“I am directing the State
Police Hate Crimes Task Force
to assist the NYPD with their
investigation to ensure the
individual behind this vile
attack is held accountable and
prosecuted to the fullest extent of
the law,” said Cuomo. “Violence
of any kind toward others
based on their faith or race is
offensive to all New Yorkers and
treating migrant families,”
Meng said. “We have a crisis
at the southern border, and we
need to ensure our officials
have the resources they need
while respecting the dignity of
those in the U.S. government’s
care. I’m pleased that so many
of my colleagues have joined
and I hope that my bill will
receive consideration soon.”
The legislation seeks
repugnant to our values. These
hate-fueled acts are meant to
incite fear and division within
our communities, and we must
stand together and disavow this
behavior immediately.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers
and community leaders stood
in solidarity against the act of
intolerance and hate in front
of the temple on Tuesday. The
group decried the attack, saying
that it is the antithesis of New
York values.
“It’s simply horrific and
agonizing to think that this
man of peace and spirituality,
our beloved Swami Puri Ji,
could be beaten so viciously in
this wonderful neighborhood,”
said Senator John Liu. “That he
was attacked while wearing his
religious robe, so near his temple,
evokes every fear that this was a
hate crime. Tragically, I’ve seen
too many attacks of this type
to believe this was a random
act of violence. We all stand
together united in our resolve to
Photo credit: Congresswoman Grace Meng
to provide guardrails and
set minimum standards
of treatment for children
and families to ensure
government funds are not
used to traumatize or harm
asylum seekers.
Specifically, Meng’s bill
would end family separations
except in situations where
the child is a trafficking
victim, not the child of the
Swami Harish Chander Puri speaks at press conference on July 23
Photo courtesy of Senator John Liu’s offifi ce
denounce hate and to promote
peace in this community. We are
also reminded of the importance
of legislation passed to protect
against this type of hate, such
as the Religious Attire Bill
explicitly prohibiting workplace
discrimination on the basis of
religious appearance.”
Police charged Gouveira
with assault but he does not face
hate crime charges despite his
accompanying adult, or in
danger of abuse and neglect.
There will also be
minimum health and safety
standards for children and
families in border patrol
stations; require access
to toothbrushes, diapers,
soap and showers and other
hygiene products; regular
nutritional meals; and
ensure a prompt medical
comments.
Puri originally established
the Shiv Shakti Peeth in
Kurukshetra, India and
eventually brought it over to the
United States to serve Hindus in
New York. When QNS spoke to
Puri, the swami said he forgave
Gouveira and prayed that God
would lead him in a positive
direction.
“It is our dharma to
assessment by trained
medical providers.
Other minimum standards
of treatment include:
End for-profit contractors
from operating new Office
of Refugee Resettlement
(ORR) standard shelters
or influx facilities. Such
shelters or facilities must
be state-licensed, meet
Flores Settlement Agreement
standards, and not used to
house children indefinitely.
Expand alternatives to
detention and the successful
Family Case Management
Program (FCMP), which was
a program that was designed
to increase compliance with
immigration obligations
through a comprehensive
case management
strategy supported by
community organizations.
Remove roadblocks to
placing unaccompanied
children with sponsors by
lowering the total number
of cases a manager may
take, mandating lower
staffing ratios, and ending
the information sharing
agreement between ORR
and Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Read more at QNS.com.
denounce the racist, antiimmigrant
and Islamophobic
rhetoric in our country today.
Bigoted rhetoric and policies
are the top result in bigoted
actions in our communities,”
said Aminta Kilawan-Narine,
Esq. Co-founder and Board
Member of Sadhana: Coalition
of Progressive Hindus. “For
Sadhana, our message is
twofold: to denounce violence
and bigotry, because for us,
the same divinity resides
equally and identically in all;
and to embrace Swami Ji’s
compassionate perspective
recognizing that even this
man who attacked Swamiji
is a person who deserves our
compassion. We will build a
platform for truth and justice
and fight hard against forces
that divide. But our platform,
since we are a people of deep
faith, must have room for
compassion and forgiveness
for the misguided ones
among us.”
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