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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 2019)
A8 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THuRSDAY, JANuARY 3, 2019 Young immigrants seeking refuge face denials benefits they are eligible for.” By AMY TAXIN and DEEPTI HAJELA Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Some immigrant youth looking to start over in the United States after fleeing abusive homes are seeing their applications for green cards rejected because the Trump administration says they’re too old. A U.S. government pro- gram in place since 1990 has let young immigrants subject to abuse, abandon- ment or neglect by a par- ent seek a court-appointed guardian and a green card to stay in the country. While applicants must file paperwork before age 21, the Trump administra- tion has said some are too old to qualify once they turn 18, prompting a flurry of denial notices over the past year in New York, Texas and California and addi- tional questions of appli- cants in New Jersey. Immigrant advocates have filed lawsuits in New York and California and said hundreds of young peo- ple could be affected by the change. “This administration is literally going after some of the most vulnerable peo- ple trying to seek relief,” said Mary Tanagho Ross, an appellate staff attorney at Los Angeles-based Public Counsel’s immigrant rights project. The Trump adminis- tration has been push- ing to harden the U.S. bor- der and slash immigration with a series of steps tar- geting Central American children who arrive on the border alone or with rela- tives. Former Attorney Gen- eral Jeff Sessions sought to make it tougher for young immigrants fleeing gangs or domestic violence to win asylum — though some guidance he issued on such cases was recently blocked by a federal judge. And the U.S. government has been slower to release immigrant children caught on the bor- ‘Arbitrary and capricious’ AP Photo/Brynn Anderson Immigrant children walk in a line outside the Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children, a former Job Corps site that now houses them in Homestead, Fla. der to family in the country. The program is the best chance for many of the thousands of young immi- grants arriving on the border to be allowed to stay in the U.S. Under U.S. law, they can apply for green cards once a designated court in the U.S. state where they live assigns them a guardian and declares they are eligi- ble to apply. Fled parents A now-22-year-old woman in Northern Cali- fornia, who requested ano- nymity out of fear the U.S. government will retali- ate against her for speak- ing out, fled her Mexican immigrant parents’ home in high school after her father repeatedly beat her. She was taken in by a teacher, who helped her get started in college and took care of her when she was diagnosed with can- cer. When a judge formally named the teacher her legal guardian it was a huge relief, she said. But she later learned the U.S. gov- ernment wouldn’t accept the court’s order for her green card application. She dropped to the floor and sobbed, she said. “I just couldn’t believe I was going to have to try to defend myself again,” she said. “I don’t refer to her by her name or that she’s my guardian — I just call her mom.” More than 50,000 young immigrants have obtained green cards by qualifying for special immigrant juve- nile status since 2010. The overwhelming majority of applications have been approved by U.S. Citizen- ship and Immigration Ser- vices, making the program a safer bet for many immi- grant children seeking ref- uge in the United States than pleading a case before an immigration officer or judge for asylum. Applications to the pro- gram have surged in recent years, rising more than threefold between the 2014 and 2017 fiscal years, fed- eral data shows. During that time, the number of denials also increased, with 2,000 applications rejected over the past two fiscal years — more than all of the previ- ous seven years combined. The change was most notable in the nine months ending in June, when 1 in 5 applications that were decided were denied, the data shows. About 7 per- cent of application deci- sions in the 2017 fiscal year and 4 percent of decisions in the 2016 fiscal year were denials. The U.S. government started reviewing applica- tions at a centralized loca- tion in late 2016 to improve efficiency. The follow- ing year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services sought legal guidance from the agency’s Office of Chief Counsel for cases involv- ing immigrant children who turned 18 before their paper- work had been completed and determined that a state court order is only valid if that court has the author- ity to reunite children with their parents, which many don’t, according to agency officials. As a result, 260 cases were denied, they said, add- ing that the agency may have previously approved some cases that it should not have. Immigration officials said they could not com- ment on pending litigation, but said the agency “con- tinues to ensure that chil- dren who have been abused, abandoned or neglected receive the humanitarian Beth Krause, supervis- ing attorney of the immi- grant youth project at Legal Aid in New York, said the federal immigration agency doesn’t have the authority to question state law, which in New York expressly allows courts to issue guardian- ship orders to cover this age group. “USCIS changed their policy and they changed their policy in a way that is arbitrary and capricious because it doesn’t comport with the federal statute” that says young people have until age 21, said Krause, who is representing young immigrants in the New York filing. “They’re getting it wrong.” In California, a federal judge has blocked the U.S. government from deny- ing the young immigrants’ cases for now. The state enacted a law several years ago expressly allowing pro- bate courts to issue orders for immigrants who are between 18 and 21 so they can apply to participate in the federal program. In response to the Trump administration’s changes, immigrant advocates said they are also changing how they try to help these young applicants. Often, attorneys are looking into alternative ways to get these youth on stable legal footing in the United States, for example, applying for asylum in addi- tion to special immigrant juvenile status, said Priya Konings, deputy director of legal services at Kids in Need of Defense. “It is just creating extra work for us — which is fine —but overburdening an already almost broken sys- tem,” Konings said. “It’s incredibly obvious that the administration is targeting immigrants at large, par- ticularly unaccompanied minors, and they’re doing it on every front.” CLASSIFIEDINDEX CLASSIFIEDS NOTICES MARINE Special Notices ............................. 104 Boats for Sale................................. 251 Public Notices ............................... 107 Boating Parts & Accessories ..... 254 Announcements .......................... 110 Boats Wanted ................................ 257 Boat Trailers ................................... 260 PERSONALS Marine Supplies & Equip. .......... 266 Lost & Found ................................. 181 Boat/RV Storage ........................... 269 Personals ........................................ 184 Fund-raisers ................................... 188 RVs & Trailers RVs & Travel Trailers ............ 301-307 AUTOMOTIVE Campers, Utility Trailers .... 310-313 Antiques/Classic Vehicles ......... 201 Automobiles .................................. 204 REAL ESTATE SUVs/Trucks .......................... 207-210 Open Houses ................................. 501 4WD .................................................. 213 For Sale ................................... 504-513 Vans .................................................. 216 Lots & Acreage .............................. 516 ATVs/Motorcycles ........................ 219 Income Property .......................... 519 Truck/Auto Parts .......................... 222 Manufactured Homes ................ 522 Detailing ......................................... 225 Commercial Property ................. 525 Tires & Wheels ............................... 228 Real Estate Wanted ..................... 531 107 Public Notices Occasionally other companies make telemarketing calls off classified ads. These companies are not affiliated with The Daily Astorian and customers are under no obligation to participate. If you would like to contact the attorney general or be put on the do not call list, here are the links to both of them Complaint form link: http://www.doj.state.or.us/ finfraud/ 181 Lost & Found FOUND AT PETER PAN MARKET CASH IN ENVELOPE COME IN PERSON TO IDENTIFY. ERROR AND CANCELLATIONS Please read your ad on the first day. If you see an error, The Daily Astorian will gladly re-run your ad correctly. We accept responsibility for the first incorrect insertion, and then only to the extent of a corrected insertion or refund of the price paid. To cancel or correct an ad, call 503-325-3211 or 1-800-781-3211 504 Homes for Sale RENTALS Properties for Rent ............. 601-613 Rooms & Roommates................. 616 Commercial Rental ...................... 619 Vacation Rentals .......................... 622 Storage Space ............................... 628 Wanted to Rent ............................ 634 RV/Mobile Home Space ............ 637 PETS/LIVESTOCK Animal Boarding .......................... 701 Feed-Hay-Grain ............................ 704 Pets & Supplies ............................. 710 Horses & Tack ................................ 713 WE GETRESULTS MISCELLANEOUS CALL TODAY TO PLACE YOUR AD Fuel, Heating & Firewood ......... 807 Furniture & HH Goods ................ 810 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TV & Electronics ........................... 811 Business Opportunities ............. 643 Antiques & Collectibles ............. 813 Business for Sale .......................... 644 Jewelry ............................................ 814 Arts & Crafts ................................... 816 HELP WANTED Help Wanted .................................. 651 APPLIANCES & EQUIP. Work Wanted ................................. 652 Tools & Heavy Equipment ........ 851 Lawn & Garden Equipment ...... 854 SERVICES Appliances ..................................... 860 Childcare/Adult Care .................. 661 Medical Equip. & Supply ........... 866 Services ........................................... 664 Farm Equipment .......................... 923 622 Vacation Rentals 651 Help Wanted 5033253211 or 800-781-3211 Email: classifieds@dailyastorian.com Web: www.dailyastorian.com THE DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED ADS is 1 p.m. the day before your ad is scheduled to run All classifieds require pre-payment 651 Help Wanted 651 Help Wanted Seaside Ocean Cottage PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “Any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians; pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD at 1(800)669-9777. The toll free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1(800)927-9275. 2 bedrooms. Washer/dryer, stove, fridge, off street parking. Utilities paid. Close to Downtown. $2,200 p/month Month-to-month contract. 612-300-0420 Go. Do. coastweekend.com SPECIALTY SERVICES W E URGE YOU TO PATRONIZE THE LOCAL PROFESSIONALS ADVERTISING IN T HE D AILY A STORIAN S PECIALTY S ERVICES . T O PLACE YOUR S PECIALTY S ERVICES AD , CALL 325-3211. Jolly Roger Oysters Looking for Seed Bag Loaders. $16 p/hr 40hrs p/week 7am -3:30pm Contact office for questions. 360-665-4111 Apply in person. SEASIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking candidates for: Assistant Cook Great work environment and EXCELLENT benefits! Visit our employment page for a complete list and to apply: www.seaside.k12.or.us/ employment or (503)738-5591 The District is an EOE. SHOP LOCAL! Check the Business Directory daily to utilize the local professionals advertising in The Daily Astorian. To place an ad in our Business Directory, call 503-325-3211. www.DailyAstorian.com Peace Learning Center has openings for Teachers and assistant Teachers! If you love children and are passionate about supporting families, please stop by and talk to Kim. Call 503-325-4041 or email: dirplc@yahoo.com. FOR IMMEDIATE HIRE CHURCH SEXTON POSITION 14 Hours per week (Saturday&Sunday) For the full job description contact: First Lutheran Church of Astoria 725 33rd Street, Astoria, Oregon 97103 503-325-6252 (flcastoria@gmail.com) www.astoriafirstlutheran.com Please submit your resume by Monday, January 21, 2019. This position is for immediate hire and will be filled as soon as a qualified candidate is found. Craft3 is searching for a talented Commercial Loan Processor to join our team in Astoria, OR! The ideal candidate is responsible for customer loan documentation and loan servicing functions. View the full job description; www.Craft3.org/Careers/Jobs. Application deadline is January 11, 2019. Craft3 is an equal opportunity employer; women and minorities are encouraged to apply. WE DELIVER! Please leave a light on or install motion detector lights to make your carrier’s job easier. Thanks! THE DAILY ASTORIAN Classified Ads work hard for you!
