Immigration

Mexican Independence Day Celebrated in The Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson joined the Consul General of Mexico in New York and community partners to host a celebration outside Bronx Borough Hall on Friday, Sept. 15, in recognition of Mexican independence. On the sunny September day, the mood was cheery, amid music, laughs, and the raising of the Mexican flag.

Gillibrand Calls for Humanitarian Aid to Address Emergency Needs in Gaza

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Democratic U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the U.S. senate armed services committee and of the U.S. senate committee on intelligence, is calling on the Biden administration to contribute to the United Nations’ emergency appeal of $294 million to address the immediate humanitarian needs in the West Bank and Gaza in Palestine, in the wake of an escalation of violence in the region following the Hamas attacks on Israel on Saturday, Oct. 7. Gillibrand is joined by 33 of her colleagues in the push, which is led by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut.  

Rivera & Colleagues Introduce Bill to Fund Safe Evacuation of New Yorkers from Israel & Palestine

By SÍLE MOLONEY
State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), Brooklyn-based State Sen. Julia Salazar (S.D. 18), and Brooklyn-based Assembly Member Emily Gallagher (A.D. 50) introduced Bill S7716 on Wednesday, Oct. 18, to allow New York State to financially reimburse New Yorkers who are trying to evacuate from Israel and the Palestinian territories during the ongoing crisis in the Middle East since tensions escalated on Saturday, Oct. 7, following an attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which prompted a bombing of the Gaza Strip by the Israel Defense Authority. 

Mayor to Embark on 4-Day Trip to Central & South America in efforts to Deal with Asylum Seeker Influx

By SÍLE MOLONEY
City Hall officials announced on Monday, Oct. 2, that New York City Mayor Eric Adams will embark on a four-day trip to Central and South America to foster relationships, learn more about the path asylum seekers take to get to the United States, and meet with local and national leaders about the situations on the ground leading to the influx of asylum seekers arriving in the U.S.

City Announces Opening of New Humanitarian Emergency Response & Relief Center in Long Island City

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Wednesday, Sept. 6, the transition of an emergency respite site into a new humanitarian emergency response and relief center at Austell Place in Long Island City. The news comes as, according to City officials, the number of asylum seekers currently in the city’s care approaches 60,000, and following the arrival of more than 110,000 asylum seekers in New York City since last spring.

CM Dinowitz Breaks Down Highlights of $107 Billion City Budget & $30 Million for C.D. 11

By SÍLE MOLONEY
City Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11) gave a budget presentation to district residents on Wednesday, Aug. 2, highlighting some of the local initiatives that will benefit from funding, following the adoption of the City’s $107 billion budget for the 2024 fiscal year. The councilman went over the city budget process, discussed the major highlights from the latest adopted city budget, and broke down some of the $30 million plus in discretionary funding for capital projects and other funding secured for C.D. 11, in conjunction with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.

Allerton Coops Art Exhibit Shows African American Histories of Early Bronx Interracial Housing Complex

By SÍLE MOLONEY
In celebration of “Black August,” and as the first offering of a multi-year, research project at The Bronx County Historical Society, the Museum of Bronx History opened “The Allerton Coops, In Living Color” exhibit on Saturday, Aug. 12. According to representatives of the museum, the exhibit recovers the histories of African American and multiracial residents of the Allerton Coops, located at 2700 Bronx Park East, one of the earliest interracial housing complexes in The Bronx.