10 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARCH 2, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Bill aims to protect Queens undocumented victims of a crime BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com @AngelaMatua At a time when the federal government is cracking down on undocumented immigrants, those who are victims of crimes may not come forward for fear of deportation. Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas hopes to help change that — she wants to make it illegal for suspects to use someone’s immigration status as a threat. New York State Penal Law Section 215.15 makes it a class E felony to intimidate a victim or witness to a crime in the third degree. Intimidation tactics include instilling fear of violence or intentionally damaging the property of a person to dissuade them from speaking to a court, grand jury, prosecutor, police offi cer or peace offi cer. Simotas wants to add an amendment that would punish those who report the immigration status of a victim or someone who is seeking protective order in family court as an intimidation tactic. “Th e president’s recent executive orders and Homeland Security directives have caused so much fear and confusion, that the Federal government has handed abusers and other criminals a weapon to harass, intimidate and silence fearful victims,” Simotas said. “If predatory criminals can turn in their victims to immigration authorities, our communities become less safe because undocumented victims and witnesses Photo courtesy of Wikipedia/Samdarche Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas wants to protect undocumented crime victims with amended legislation. will simply not report crimes.” In El Paso, Texas, a woman who had just received protective order at El Paso County Courthouse aft er alleging that she was the victim of domestic violence, was arrested by ICE agents. Th e victim’s attorney said she thinks her abuser tipped the agents off to the victim’s immigration status while he was in jail. Simotas told the Daily News that she has not found a co-sponsor for the bill and it might be diffi cult to get it passed with the Republicancontrolled senate. “Th ose brave enough to report abuse must not be silenced by the threat of deportation,” she added. Meng re-elected as DNC vice chair BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com @smont76 Congresswoman Grace Meng will be playing a major role in the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) eff orts to retake Congress and the White House. A Queens congresswoman has been re-elected as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Meng, who represents areas of Bayside, Forest Hills and Middle Village, was re-elected as an at-large vice chair during the DNC’s winter meeting Feb. 23 to Feb. 25 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. Meng was fi rst elected to the post last July. Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez was elected DNC chair; Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota was elected deputy chair. “I am extremely honored and humbled to have once again been selected as vice chair and I thank DNC members for their support,” Meng said. “As we all know, these are challenging times for our party. Th ere is much work that needs to be done. But I am ready to help lead Democrats forward, and Photo courtesy of Congresswoman Grace Meng’s offi ce. Congresswoman Grace Meng (at right) stands with new DNC Chair Tom Perez put our party on the path to victory. We must reach out to emerging and immigrant communities, millennials, the grassroots and help build up our state and local parties. I am excited to get down to work. I also congratulate Chairman Perez and Deputy Chair Ellison.” Meng is currently serving her third term in Congress and is the fi rst Asian-American member of Congress from the state of New York. 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