December Immigrant Affairs Update
LOCAL UPDATES
Saturday, December 4 @ 11am-8pm CST
Donation Drive for Afghan Arrivals hosted by the North Austin Muslim Community Center
 
NAMCC is running another donation drive to support our new community members from Afghanistan. They are collecting new or gently used clothing, shoes, and toiletries. 
 
Please note that all donations needs to be packed in complete sets and placed in clear bags. Items need to be labeled. Label must include gender, size, and bag contents. Please RSVP here if you plan on donating any items.
Needed: Winter Preparedness Kits for Caritas of Austin
 
Winter Preparedness Kits will help Caritas of Austin clients currently in housing or in the process of getting housed be prepared for another winter storm.
 
To prepare a kit, fill a backpack with a combination of the following items (NEW ONLY):
Blanket or sleeping bag (wool blankets preferred since they're lightweight, waterproof & warm); Flashlight; Batteries; Radio; Bottled water; Snacks; Socks; Handwarmers; Bungee cords
 
ICYMI: New Report - Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Diverse Populations
 
The New American Economy has released the findings of a five-city COVID-19 Community Impact Survey designed to gather insights directly from Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant residents about the impact of COVID-19 on their economic and social well-being and sense of belonging. The survey effort, funded by the Walmart Foundation, reached more than 2,100 residents across the cities of Atlanta, Austin, Denver, Louisville, and Tulsa.
 
A huge thank you to our community partners who supported our survey efforts - Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs, Caritas, El Buen Samaritano, and Refugee Services of Texas. Read the report here and stay tuned for a separate forthcoming report that will detail findings that are specific to Austin.
STATE & NATIONAL UPDATES
UPCOMING VIRTUAL EVENTS
 
Wednesday, December 8 @ 1pm CST
Access to Housing, Disaster Relief, and Homelessness Assistance Programs for Immigrants
 
The law related to immigrant eligibility for certain public assistance can often be a confusing area and one that is often in flux as administrations change. Join the Welcoming America Network for an important conversation about access to housing, disaster relief, and homelessness assistance programs for immigrants. Register here.
[Image description: A digital flyer. The background is an aerial photo of a neighborhood. There is a semi-transparent grey rectangle with a turquoise outline in the middle. At the top left corner is the word "webinar." On the top right corner is the Welcoming America logo, which contains "Welcoming America" and an outline of the U.S. map. In the middle of the rectangle, it reads "Access to Housing, Disaster Relief, and Homelessness Assistance Programs for Immigrants, December 8, 2pm ET."] 
Wednesday, December 8 @ 3pm CST
The Digital Deportation Machine: How Surveillance Technology Undermines Chicago's Welcoming City Policy
 
This webinar is part of the Take Back Tech series. It is a collaboration with partner orgs to produce reports that highlight how technology companies, in collaboration with local police, are building ICE's growing mass surveillance and deportation machine. Learn more about the series and register here.
[Image description: A cover for a report. In the middle is a photograph of various security cameras installed on a building, monitoring the public. At the top, it reads "The Digital Deportation Machine: How Surveillance Technology Undermines Chicago's Welcoming City Policy." At the bottom, it has the logos for the organizations involved in the report, including Just Futures Law, Mijente, OCAD, and the University of Chicago Law School."]
Thursday, December 9 @ 12pm CST
The Modern Anti-Immigrant Movement: The Scope of the Threat and What We Can Do About It
 
This webinar will expose how this movement is manifested in an entire ecosystem of influential think tanks, litigating organizations, front groups purportedly representing progressive causes, a powerful media machine, and allied elected officials to undermine support for immigration reform while advancing anti-immigrant policies and inaccurate negative narratives about newcomers. Participants will learn about the origins and sources of support for this movement, as well as steps pro-immigrant advocates can take to diminish its effectiveness and reach. Register here.
[Image Description: A series of logos of the organizations presenting the webinar. At the top, it reads "presented by" and beneath that includes the logos of the following: Unidos US, Stronger Communities, Stronger America; MIRR Migrant Immigrant & Refugee Rights Alliance; National Immigrant Integration Conference; NPNA National Partnership for New Americans."]
Monday, December 13 @ 1pm CST
Girasol Mondays
 
Join Girasol's program coordinator Ana Hernández to learn about Girasol's vision of creating a global community that prioritizes the health and wellbeing of all immigrant families.

At each session, Girasol will share a brief virtual tour of their program and offer plenty of time for questions and getting to know one another. Register here.
[Image Description: A digital logo. At the top, it reads "Girasol" with the "o" replaced by the image of a sunflower. Beneath that, it reads "Apoyo para el bienestar de los inmigrantes / Supporting the wellbeing of immigrants."]
Friday, December 17 @ 10:30am CST
Immigrant Services Network of Austin monthly meeting
 
Sign up for ISNA membership here in order to receive access to the Zoom meeting information. ISNA is a working group of diverse community stakeholders and immigrant service providers operating together to coordinate efforts, increase public awareness, and inform policy, in order to better serve our immigrant communities.
[Image Description: The logo for Immigrant Services Network of Austin. On the left, there is a blue circle with generic outlines of people holding hands around a circle. To the right, it reads "Immigrant Services Network of Austin."]
COVID RESOURCES
The City of Austin has dropped down to Stage 3 of COVID-19 risk-based guidelines. Find resources here. All adults 18+ are able to receive a third shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine through APH. 
[Image Description: A digital flyer for vaccination options in Austin. Online appointment scheduling: covid19.austintexas.gov / Phone Scheduling: Call 3-1-1 or (512)974-2000 and leave your name and phone number. APH will call you back to schedule an appointment. / Walk-Up (no appointment) clinics: Little Walnut Creek Library (Moderna & Pfizer): 835 W Rundberg Lane, Southeast Library (Moderna & Pfizer): 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd, Delco Activity Center (Moderna & Pfizer): 4601 Pecan Brook Dr, Pflugerville Library (Moderna & Pfizer): 1008 W Pfluger St, Pflugerville, Sims Elementary Gym (Moderna & Pfizer): 1203 Springdale Rd. For walk-up (no appointment) clinic days and hours, see the upcoming events on austintexas.gov/COVID-19 or call 3-1-1 or (512)974-2000. / Mobile Vaccination Program: If you are homebound, call 3-1-1 or (512)974-2000, leave your name and phone number, and APH will schedule a visit for you, your caregivers and household. / Other Providers: visit vaccines.gov for other vaccine providers and availability near you.]
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
 
 
OTHER RESOURCES
CWS Call Center
 
The CWS Call Center, launched in January 2019, is a free national service connecting immigrants, regardless of their legal status, to free or low-cost resources in their area.
 
Resource referrals include food, housing, medical care, legal support, court date information, school enrollment, and more.
 
Callers are not required to provide names or other identifying information.
 
The Call Center is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST, Monday through Friday.
 
Call Center Specialists are bilingual in English and Spanish and have access to a language line with over 200 languages.
New Report: The Deadly Digital Border Wall
 
Just Futures Law and Rio Grande Valley No Border Wall Coalition recently released this report detailing the virtual wall steadily built along the Southwestern border for the last four presidential administrations. The report highlights the harms of surveillance tower networks, facial recognition, location tracking, phone hacking tools, and other invasive surveillance technologies available to a wide array of federal agencies operating in the borderlands, with further reach to communities in the US interior. Read the report here.
[Image Description: A cover for a report. The background for the report has outlines of people and splashes of the colors purple, yellow, and orange. On the cover, it reads "The Deadly Digital Border Wall: A Report by Mijente, Just Futures Law, and No Border Wall Coalition."]
Immigrant-Inclusive Food Assistance and the COVID-19 Pandemic
 

Cities for Action put this resource together to guide additional locality actions to support immigrant-inclusive food assistance and address food insecurity in immigrant communities in the COVID-19 pandemic. It first provides background information about what we now know: that while local and other programs helped stave off a sharp increase in food insecurity since the onset of the pandemic, people in immigrant communities still face greater hardships. It then includes program ideas for cities and counties and examples of local programs. Access the guide here.
Recommended Reading from Austin Public Library for Welcoming Week
 
Welcoming Week is an opportunity to celebrate communities and the people that make them places where everyone belongs.
 
Austin Public Library is proud to welcome all those who call Austin home, whether they are long-time residents or recent arrivals. Check out these fiction and nonfiction titles for readers of all ages that celebrate and examine the experiences of immigrants.
 
Find the list of recommended reading here. Let us know what titles you're excited to read!
[Image Description: A digital flyer. In the background is an assortment of various book covers. In the middle, there is a white rectangle with a banner at the top that reads "Belonging Begins With Us." Below that, it says, "Welcoming Week is an opportunity to celebrate communities and the people that make them places where everyone belongs. APL is proud to welcome all who call Austin home. Check out these fiction and nonfiction titles for readers of all ages that celebrate and examine the experience of immigrants."]
The Asian American Foundation Rapid Response Toolkit
 
This toolkit was created as a landing place for our Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and allies to mobilize at scale across nonprofits, media outlets, and advocacy and public safety groups, to protect AANHPI everywhere. A better future is a multi-faceted effort. View the toolkit here.
[Image Description: There's an orange rectangle with the words "Rapid Response Toolkit" in white written inside of the rectangle.]
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