The Black Institute’s Bertha Lewis
[Immigration News]
The Black Institute (TBI) and a coalition of New York City clergy will hold an Immigration Town Hall tonight to discuss the failures of current immigration laws and engage community members to push for state driver’s licenses and municipal ID cards for New York City’s undocumented immigrants.
Here, Black clergy, elected officials, advocates and community members will discuss the need for proper identification for undocumented immigrants. Participants will also discuss immigration as a civil rights issue and the impact of current immigration laws on Black immigrants. This event is done in partnership with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI). The event is at 7PM at Bethesda Healing Center (167 East 98th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11216).
Participants and supporters include: Bishop Orlando Findlayter, Churches United to Save and Heal (CUSH); Apostle Lawrence Dorsey, St. John’s Global Ministries of the Kingdom; Rev. Alfred Cockfield, God’s Battalion of Prayer Church; Brother William Seaton, Churches United to Save and Heal; Bishop Annette Lazarus, Bethesda Healing Center; Sheikh Moussa Drammeh, Masjid Al-Iman; Roberto Brown, Park Slope Christian Fellowship; Abdul Hafeez Muhammed, Nation of Islam; Assembly member Karim Camara, AD 43; Councilmember Carlos Menchaca, District 38; Councilmember Mathieu Eugene, District 40; Councilmember Robert Cornegy, District 36; Councilmember Jumaane Williams, District 45; Opal Tometi, Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI); and Abraham Paulos, Families for Freedom.
Undocumented immigrants are negatively affected by the restriction of state driver’s licenses and municipal ID cards. Furnishing proper identification will prevent some harassment of Black immigrants during encounters with law enforcement and increase employment flexibility. This is especially important for black immigrants who are disproportionately targeted by NYC cops and have high unemployment numbers.
