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Biden administration guts most of public charge rule, but immigrants still fearful

by Sunita Sohrabji

Ethnic Media Services

 

The Biden Administration last week gutted the signature Trump-era policy known as public charge, which effectively imposed a wealth tax on people seeking to gain permanent residency in the US.

The new rule will go into effect on Dec. 23. It has already undergone a 60-day public comment period, and thus needs no further adjudication before it takes effect.

The rule greatly narrows the definition of public charge to just two criteria: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and institutionalization for long-term care.

The Trump administration had broadened the definition of the seldom-used 1999 rule to include immigrants receiving Medicaid, public housing, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as part of the public charge inadmissibility determination, even if they were applying for those benefits on behalf of their US born children.

The rule — which gave immigration officers the discretion to determine if an individual applying for a green card might become dependent on the government — would also have been imposed on people attempting to permanently enter the US.

Lawsuits and injunctions kept Trump’s policy from ever being imposed, except for a brief window in 2020. The US Supreme Court killed Trump’s rule in 2021, shortly after President Joe Biden took office.

But despite non-implementation, the rule had a chilling effect on immigrant communities. Millions of people disenrolled themselves and family members from federal benefits to which they were entitled, for fear of invoking public charge inadmissibility when they applied for permanent residency.

“This action (today) ensures fair and humane treatment of legal immigrants and their U.S. citizen family members,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in a Sept. 8 press statement. “Consistent with America’s bedrock values, we will not penalize individuals for choosing to access the health benefits and other supplemental government services available to them.”

The public charge test potentially impacts approximately 10 million immigrants and 12 million children, many of whom are US citizens, but born into mixed-status families.

“We welcome this long-awaited change in policy. It will have a beneficial impact on millions of immigrants, primarily women and children,” said Essey Workie, director of the Migration Policy Institute Human Services Initiative.

“But while the rule is moving in the right direction, immigrant communities are still fearful of what might happen in the future. A change in administration might bring back the restrictive rules, impacting immigration status,” said Workie in an interview with Ethnic Media Services.

Lawsuits and injunctions are definitely expected, but those must be based on technical or procedural issues. “I don’t see that applying to this situation,” said Workie.

Zenobia Lai, executive director of the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, said: “The Department of Homeland Security has realized the chilling effects of the public charge rule on immigrant families, especially those with US born children. We must move from that chill to a thaw.”

She noted that benefits received by children or other family members would not count when an immigration officer determines whether an applicant is deemed a public charge. She clarified that only government assistance would count and — under the new rule — would be limited to TANF and long-term medical institutionalization. Lai expressed her hope that those two categories would be removed in the future.

Lai also clarified that benefits received during the Covid-19 pandemic would not be considered for inadmissibility under the public charge rule.

She noted that immigration officers are mandated to weigh in on the totality of an applicant’s financial resources and future income prospects. Almost 60 percent of people applying for adjustment of status will be asked to provide an affidavit of support from a family member or other individual.

“This will be highly considered for the approval of the application to adjust status,” said Lai.

The Trump administration’s rhetoric had a chilling effect on immigrant families. For example, during the Trump administration, more than 240,000 children in Texas were dis-enrolled by their parents from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, noted Anne Dunkelberg, Program Director for the Health and Wellness Team at the non-profit organization Every Texan.

In Texas, one out of every four children has a parent who is not a US citizen. Many of them are undocumented, Dunkelberg noted at a press briefing Sept. 13.

“Parents no longer need to fear enrolling their eligible family members in public benefits. It will not affect their own immigration status,” she said.

There has been so much misinformation about the public charge rule, which has deterred people from enrolling themselves for benefits to which they are entitled, said Jennifer Duarte of Texas-based Project Vida. “Families are still fearful, based on misinformation. The new public charge is a small win in an ongoing battle,” she said.

“Politicians have stoked fear in the immigrant community, and will continue to do so,” said Esther Reyes Martinez, director of immigration policy and advocacy at the Children’s Defense Fund in Texas. She noted that the new rule has been written in a way to make it much more difficult for future administrations to attempt to change it.

Several organizations hailed the new rule. Asian Americans Advancing Justice released a statement, noting that the previous public charge rule was “cruel by design.”

“It was not only meant to favor white and wealthy immigrants applying for admission or a green card, but also aimed to create fear and confusion about the use of critical, life-saving programs within low-income communities of color.”

“Tragically, the issuance of the last rule caused many immigrants of color, including Asian Americans, to withdraw from health care, nutrition programs, housing services, and other benefits,” said the organization, noting that the new rule greatly simplifies the public charge test.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, said in a press statement: “The Biden administration’s public charge rule aligns with longstanding principles in immigration law and provides helpful clarifications to pre-existing guidance.”

“This policy is an important step in advancing the Biden administration’s priority of addressing socioeconomic and racial inequities that have been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

“Colonial presence”: Argentina rejects the visit of British Princess Anne to the Malvinas Islands

The Foreign Ministry questioned that the sister of King Carlos III arrived “without warning” to the island territory in dispute of sovereignty

 

by the cable services of El Reportero

 

The Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected this Tuesday the “unannounced” arrival of British Crown Princess Anne to the Falkland Islands to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1982 war, which was considered by the country’s government South America as a “colonial” act.

During her visit to the insular territory in conflict of sovereignty, the sister of King Carlos III visited the Mount Pleasant base of the British forces, in Puerto Argentino.

“Argentina rejects the official activities of Princess Anne, of the British royal house, in the Malvinas Islands. The activity occurs in exercise of the illegal British occupation of the Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime spaces “, denounced the Foreign Ministry after the news was published on the social networks of the royal family.

“Our country once again calls on the United Kingdom to resume bilateral negotiations in compliance with resolution 2065 and other resolutions of the General Assembly and its Special Committee on Decolonization,” the statement said.

Likewise, the secretary of the Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic, Guillermo Carmona, pointed against the British Crown and recalled the calls of the United Nations Organization (UN) to resume diplomatic negotiations to resolve the conflict.

“Princess Anne, of the British royal house, arrived in Argentina without warning. Her country violates international law with its colonial presence in the South Atlantic against UN resolutions and world outcry. Perhaps that explains the impoliteness,” the official said.

The UN Special Committee on Decolonization urged the governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom to resume negotiations on sovereignty.

Last October, the Argentine request obtained broad international support at the first session of the joint general debate on decolonization issues of the United Nations General Assembly Commission on Special Policy and Decolonization.

The journalist who told the story of Pancho Villa’s revolution, one interview at a time

John Reed’s eyewitness accounts of traveling with Pancho Villa’s army are still available today online

 

by John Pint

 

In 1913, leftist American journalist and poet John Reed spent four months traveling with Pancho Villa’s army, sending regular dispatches to Metropolitan Magazine in New York City, which were collected and published the following year as “Insurgent Mexico,” still available as a free ebook from Project Gutenberg.

Reed’s preconceived notions about Mexicans changed radically during his time as a war correspondent here, and he later described his days in Mexico as the “most satisfactory period” in his life.

It’s easy to find books describing the Mexican Revolution in terms of battles and dates, but Reed excels at showing us the aspirations, frustrations and quirks of the generals, soldiers and “peons” (as he likes to call them) caught up in the conflict.

An example is Reed’s conversation with Torribio Ortega, one of the first generals to revolt against Porfirio Díaz, who had become a de facto dictator after decades in power.

Says Reed: “At dawn next morning, General Ortega came to the [train] car for breakfast — a lean, dark Mexican who is called ‘The Honorable’ and ‘The Most Brave’ by the soldiers. He is by far the most simple-hearted and disinterested soldier in Mexico.”

“He never kills his prisoners,” Reed continues. “He has refused to take a cent from the Revolution beyond his meager salary. Villa respects and trusts him perhaps beyond all his generals. Ortega was a poor man, a cowboy. He sat there, with his elbows on the table, forgetting his breakfast.”

“‘You in the United States,’ said Ortega, smiling, his eyes flashing, ‘do not know what we have seen, we Mexicans! We have looked on at the robbing of our people, the simple, poor people, for 35 years, eh? We have seen the rurales [country police] and the soldiers of Porfirio Díaz shoot down our brothers and our fathers, and justice denied to them. We have seen our little fields taken away from us and all of us sold into slavery, eh? We have longed for our homes and for schools to teach us, and they have laughed at us. All we have ever wanted was to be let alone to live and to work and make our country great, and we are tired — tired and sick of being cheated…’”

Reed introduces Francisco “Pancho” Villa — born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula and a key figure in the revolution — like this:

“Villa lived in El Paso, Texas, and it was from there that he set out, in April, 1913, to conquer Mexico with four companions, three led horses, two pounds of sugar and coffee and a pound of salt.”

Reed greatly admired Villa’s original and imaginative approach to warfare, which he was forced to invent for himself because he never had an opportunity to learn accepted military strategy.

“His method of fighting,” says Reed, “is astonishingly like Napoleon’s. Secrecy, quickness of movement, the adaptation of his plans to the character of the country and of his soldiers — the value of intimate relations with the rank and file, and of building up a tradition among the enemy that his army is invincible and that he himself bears a charmed life — these are his characteristics.

“And where the fighting is fiercest — when a ragged mob of fierce brown men with hand bombs and rifles rush the bullet-swept streets of an ambushed town — Villa is among them, like any common soldier.”

Reed gives us an example of Villa’s humor in this exchange with locals in Durango watching the passing of his army from atop a little mound.

“‘Oyez!’ said Villa. ‘Have any troops passed through here lately?’

‘Si, señor!” answered several men at once. ‘Some of Don Carlo Argumedo’s gente [people] went by yesterday pretty fast.’

‘Hum,’ Villa meditated. ‘Have you seen that bandit Pancho Villa around here?’

‘No, señor!’ they chorused.

‘Well, he’s the fellow I’m looking for. If I catch that diablo, it will go hard with him!’

‘We wish you all success!’ cried the pacificos [noncombatants] politely.

‘You never saw him, did you?’

‘No, God forbid!’ they said fervently.

‘Well!’ grinned Villa, ‘in the future when people ask if you know him, you will have to admit the shameful fact! I am Pancho Villa!’ And with that, he spurred away, and all the army followed.…”

Finally, Reed gives us a few insights on the futility of war from “an old peon, stooped with age and dressed in rags, crouched in the low shrub, gathering mesquite twigs.”

Reed, anxious to see action after crossing a dusty plain outside Torreón, Coahuila — where a fierce battle was raging — asked the old man how he could get close to where the fighting was taking place.

The aged campesino (farmer) straightened up and stared at his inquisitor. “‘If you had been here as long as I have,’ said he, ‘you wouldn’t care about seeing the fighting.

‘Carramba! I have seen them take Torreón seven times in three years. Sometimes they attack from Gómez Palacio and sometimes from the mountains. But it is always the same — war. There is something interesting in it for the young, but for us old people, we are tired of war.’ He paused and stared out over the plain. ‘Do you see this dry ditch? Well, if you will get down in it and follow along, it will lead you into the town.’ And then, as an afterthought, he added incuriously, ‘What party do you belong to?’

‘The Constitutionalists.’

‘So, first it was the maderistas [followers of revolutionary leader Francisco I. Madero], and then the orozquistas [followers of leader Pascual Orozco] and now the — what did you call them? I am very old, and I have not long to live; but this war — it seems to me that all it accomplishes is to let us go hungry. Go with God, señores.’”

“Insurgent Mexico” offers us a chance to look into the very souls of those caught up in the Mexican Revolution. This remarkable book is well worth reading.

The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, since 1985. His most recent book is Outdoors in Western Mexico, Volume Three. More of his writing can be found on his blog.

“Colonial presence”: Argentina rejects the visit of British Princess Anne to the Malvinas Islands

The Foreign Ministry questioned that the sister of King Carlos III arrived “without warning” to the island territory in dispute of sovereignty

 

by the cable services of El Reportero

 

The Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected this Tuesday the “unannounced” arrival of British Crown Princess Anne to the Falkland Islands to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1982 war, which was considered by the country’s government South America as a “colonial” act.

During her visit to the insular territory in conflict of sovereignty, the sister of King Carlos III visited the Mount Pleasant base of the British forces, in Puerto Argentino.

“Argentina rejects the official activities of Princess Anne, of the British royal house, in the Malvinas Islands. The activity occurs in exercise of the illegal British occupation of the Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime spaces “, denounced the Foreign Ministry after the news was published on the social networks of the royal family.

“Our country once again calls on the United Kingdom to resume bilateral negotiations in compliance with resolution 2065 and other resolutions of the General Assembly and its Special Committee on Decolonization,” the statement said.

Likewise, the secretary of the Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic, Guillermo Carmona, pointed against the British Crown and recalled the calls of the United Nations Organization (UN) to resume diplomatic negotiations to resolve the conflict.

“Princess Anne, of the British royal house, arrived in Argentina without warning. Her country violates international law with its colonial presence in the South Atlantic against UN resolutions and world outcry. Perhaps that explains the impoliteness,” the official said.

The UN Special Committee on Decolonization urged the governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom to resume negotiations on sovereignty.

Last October, the Argentine request obtained broad international support at the first session of the joint general debate on decolonization issues of the United Nations General Assembly Commission on Special Policy and Decolonization.

How to take control of your credit

Sponsored content from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

 

Improving your credit score starts with understanding how all of the pieces work together and continues with building a plan to improve your credit.

Simply, a credit score is an indicator of how responsibly you handle your credit. Several factors impact your credit score, and you might be surprised what financial behaviors and information actually make a difference.

First, it’s important to know the difference between your credit score and your credit report. Your credit score is based on the items found on your credit report, similar to how grades are based on homework and class assignments.

Here are four things that you might think matter – but don’t – and five that really do.

What traditionally doesn’t matter

– Employment history: Credit agencies might track your employment, but that information does not affect your credit score. Whether or not you have a job may affect your ability to obtain credit (such as a loan or credit card), but it’s not part of what determines the number.

– Savings account balance: Your credit score is based solely on your credit history. Your bank account balance is not a part of your credit history.

– Age: Your date of birth might be on your credit report, but it does not factor into the calculation of your credit score.

– Where you live: Your location doesn’t affect your credit score. Your payment history does.

What traditionally matters

– Paying on time: “Pay all your bills on time. Every time.” This is the golden rule of credit. Unfortunately, one late payment can significantly impact your score. Even high-income people struggle with this one!

– Your credit utilization: The balance of your accounts relative to your credit limits makes a difference in your credit report. The closer you are to maxing out, the worse the effect. Ideally, you’d keep this ratio to 30% or less, so if you have a $1,000 credit limit, a balance higher than $300 will start to drag your score down.

– How long you’ve had credit: It’s called a credit history for a reason. The further back you can demonstrate that you regularly pay your debts back, the better your score. The advice about keeping a zero-balance card open comes into play here – just to show how long you’ve had it. Ideally, you’d have at least one account that is at least ten years old.

– New accounts and credit checks: Opening a slew of new accounts (or attempting to) in a short period is a red flag to a lender. It can indicate that you’re planning a spending spree or expecting to lose your job. If you’re planning to apply for a mortgage or other loan where your credit score determines your interest rate, try to avoid applying for any new credit cards within 3-6 months.

– The number and type of accounts: There are such things as “good debts” and “bad debts.” Having a mortgage, student loan, or car loan looks better (as long as you don’t have late payments on your record) because it implies that you’re responsible enough to maintain a home, go to school, and take care of a car. Plus, the things that credit bought tend to last longer than the loan, making it good debt. Credit card debt isn’t as flattering – especially a bunch of maxed out store cards.

Becoming creditworthy takes diligence and dedication. And, whether you’re a Chase customer or not, you can use Chase Credit Journey to monitor your credit score for free as often as you like without impacting it. Simply sign up online at no cost and start receiving alerts when there are changes to your credit report, or when your personal information is exposed in a data breach.

For more information about taking control of your credit, enter: https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/build-credit

  Husband and wife working in home office

 

 

Biden administration guts most of public charge rule, but immigrants still fearful

by Sunita Sohrabji

Ethnic Media Services

 

The Biden Administration last week gutted the signature Trump-era policy known as public charge, which effectively imposed a wealth tax on people seeking to gain permanent residency in the US.

The new rule will go into effect on Dec. 23. It has already undergone a 60-day public comment period, and thus needs no further adjudication before it takes effect.

The rule greatly narrows the definition of public charge to just two criteria: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and institutionalization for long-term care.

The Trump administration had broadened the definition of the seldom-used 1999 rule to include immigrants receiving Medicaid, public housing, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as part of the public charge inadmissibility determination, even if they were applying for those benefits on behalf of their US born children.

The rule — which gave immigration officers the discretion to determine if an individual applying for a green card might become dependent on the government — would also have been imposed on people attempting to permanently enter the US.

Lawsuits and injunctions kept Trump’s policy from ever being imposed, except for a brief window in 2020. The US Supreme Court killed Trump’s rule in 2021, shortly after President Joe Biden took office.

But despite non-implementation, the rule had a chilling effect on immigrant communities. Millions of people disenrolled themselves and family members from federal benefits to which they were entitled, for fear of invoking public charge inadmissibility when they applied for permanent residency.

“This action (today) ensures fair and humane treatment of legal immigrants and their U.S. citizen family members,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in a Sept. 8 press statement. “Consistent with America’s bedrock values, we will not penalize individuals for choosing to access the health benefits and other supplemental government services available to them.”

The public charge test potentially impacts approximately 10 million immigrants and 12 million children, many of whom are US citizens, but born into mixed-status families.

“We welcome this long-awaited change in policy. It will have a beneficial impact on millions of immigrants, primarily women and children,” said Essey Workie, director of the Migration Policy Institute Human Services Initiative.

“But while the rule is moving in the right direction, immigrant communities are still fearful of what might happen in the future. A change in administration might bring back the restrictive rules, impacting immigration status,” said Workie in an interview with Ethnic Media Services.

Lawsuits and injunctions are definitely expected, but those must be based on technical or procedural issues. “I don’t see that applying to this situation,” said Workie.

Zenobia Lai, executive director of the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, said: “The Department of Homeland Security has realized the chilling effects of the public charge rule on immigrant families, especially those with US born children. We must move from that chill to a thaw.”

She noted that benefits received by children or other family members would not count when an immigration officer determines whether an applicant is deemed a public charge. She clarified that only government assistance would count and — under the new rule — would be limited to TANF and long-term medical institutionalization. Lai expressed her hope that those two categories would be removed in the future.

Lai also clarified that benefits received during the Covid-19 pandemic would not be considered for inadmissibility under the public charge rule.

She noted that immigration officers are mandated to weigh in on the totality of an applicant’s financial resources and future income prospects. Almost 60 percent of people applying for adjustment of status will be asked to provide an affidavit of support from a family member or other individual.

“This will be highly considered for the approval of the application to adjust status,” said Lai.

The Trump administration’s rhetoric had a chilling effect on immigrant families. For example, during the Trump administration, more than 240,000 children in Texas were dis-enrolled by their parents from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, noted Anne Dunkelberg, Program Director for the Health and Wellness Team at the non-profit organization Every Texan.

In Texas, one out of every four children has a parent who is not a US citizen. Many of them are undocumented, Dunkelberg noted at a press briefing Sept. 13.

“Parents no longer need to fear enrolling their eligible family members in public benefits. It will not affect their own immigration status,” she said.

There has been so much misinformation about the public charge rule, which has deterred people from enrolling themselves for benefits to which they are entitled, said Jennifer Duarte of Texas-based Project Vida. “Families are still fearful, based on misinformation. The new public charge is a small win in an ongoing battle,” she said.

“Politicians have stoked fear in the immigrant community, and will continue to do so,” said Esther Reyes Martinez, director of immigration policy and advocacy at the Children’s Defense Fund in Texas. She noted that the new rule has been written in a way to make it much more difficult for future administrations to attempt to change it.

Several organizations hailed the new rule. Asian Americans Advancing Justice released a statement, noting that the previous public charge rule was “cruel by design.”

“It was not only meant to favor white and wealthy immigrants applying for admission or a green card, but also aimed to create fear and confusion about the use of critical, life-saving programs within low-income communities of color.”

“Tragically, the issuance of the last rule caused many immigrants of color, including Asian Americans, to withdraw from health care, nutrition programs, housing services, and other benefits,” said the organization, noting that the new rule greatly simplifies the public charge test.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, said in a press statement: “The Biden administration’s public charge rule aligns with longstanding principles in immigration law and provides helpful clarifications to pre-existing guidance.”

“This policy is an important step in advancing the Biden administration’s priority of addressing socioeconomic and racial inequities that have been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

A workers’ guide to wage theft: what to do if your boss steals your wages

by Lil Kalish

CalMatters

 

Nov. 2, 2022 – Wage theft is common in low-wage industries in California.

Tens of thousands of workers — in restaurants, nail salons, warehouses, farms, car washes and other industries – lose out on millions of dollars in stolen wages each year.

Wage theft happens when employers deliberately pay workers below the minimum wage, deny them meal or rest breaks, fail to pay overtime premiums, or engage in other practices to cheat them out of pay.

Last year more than 19,000 workers filed claims with the state alleging wage theft totaling more than $338 million. It takes the state an average of 505 days to decide these individual wage claims, according to Labor Commissioner data, so workers can wait years to be paid.

Besides this, many workers — especially immigrants, persons of color or women — find speaking out about wage theft intimidating and risky.

So what should you do if you find yourself in this situation?

Some advocates and community organizers shared their best practices and advice. Here are their answers to your questions and some advice for workers:

Are the hours you worked and your paychecks not adding up? Does your employer take the tips you earned on the job? Are you wondering why your boss is paying you with personal checks, instead of using a payroll system with the usual paycheck deductions?

Your boss could be stealing your wages.

If your paychecks don’t reflect your work hours or there are other issues with your check, worker advocates recommend asking your boss about it.

But first, says Andrea Gonzalez, a worker advocate, workers should do a little research. Look online for news clippings about your employer. Or search the employer’s name on the Labor Commissioner’s website.

Type the company’s name into their search tool at the top to see if the company has a history of labor violations and complaints from workers. Also you can use the Wage Claims Search and Judgment Search options in the menu on the side of the page. Research could help minimize your risk of employer retaliation.

Gonzalez, who is organizing director of CLEAN, a Los Angeles car wash worker center, advises that if you confront your employer, initiate the conversation with a “curious tone” rather than an accusatory one. Mention that you’ve noticed your hours aren’t matching up with your payment. Or ask to take your legally mandated rest breaks, if that’s the issue, she said.

Any time you meet with your employer, advocates recommend you document the date and time and write down how they respond to your questions.

If your employer does have a history of labor violations, it might be best to first connect with a worker center — a community or nonprofit organization that provides support for low-income workers. There are at least 47 worker centers across the state, and California’s labor offices have partnered with 17 of them for certain industries.

Advocates recommend each worker keep their own updated records of the hours they  work, perhaps in a calendar, a notebook or on a cellphone. If a state or federal agency or a district attorney contacts your employer, a clear timeline of your hours worked as well as a record of any retaliatory actions against you or your coworkers can help move an investigation forward.

Note as many details about your job as possible. For example, log what time you started work, what time you left and what days you get paid. Write down the names of the person who hired you, your supervisor, and the person who sets your schedule, any information relevant to your pay and schedule.

Advocates also recommend documenting any time your boss denies you legally-required meal or rest breaks, or whenever your boss makes you work for more than eight hours, and whether you are paid overtime pay. Generally, for hourly workers, state law requires your employer to pay time-and-a-half for work beyond eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. It’s more if you work beyond 12 hours a day or for seven days straight.

Don’t throw out these records, says Ana Aldama, senior investigator at the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, a statewide janitorial industry watchdog group. Workers should hang onto these records for at least three years, in case the company comes under investigation in the future.

Similarly advocates recommend collecting any documentation of payment such as your paystubs, contracts, agreements for piece rates.

By state law, your employer is required to give you an itemized wage statement. It should include your name; the dates of the pay period; how much you earned; your employer’s name, address, and contact information; federal and state tax deductions, any paid sick leave you accrued; Social Security, Medicare, and any other deductions. This information will help you figure out if you are paid properly and could be useful if you pursue a wage claim.

If your employer pays you in cash, be sure to note how much it is in each pay period. If they pay you in personal checks, take a photo or scan the check. Some employers pay workers with personal checks as a way to avoid paying overtime premiums or workers’ compensation insurance.

You are legally entitled to see a copy of your wage statements, even if your employer doesn’t automatically provide them.

You do not have to confront your employer alone, advocates say. If you believe your employer stole your wages, you have several avenues for help.

You can connect with a worker center in your industry. There, organizers will help you understand your rights and options and support you if you file a wage claim.

You can file a claim with the California Labor Commissioner on your computer, tablet or cell phone. It would be useful to have your notes about your paychecks and hours worked on hand. The state agency also runs an informational website explaining workers’ rights in English and Spanish.

Similarly, you can take federal action and file a complaint online with the U.S. Department of Labor or reach out to one of its nine regional offices.

The state and federal agencies advise workers to keep copies of pay stubs and records of hours worked. Neither agency will ask about your immigration status. Their services are free and confidential.

Some workers choose to hire their own lawyers and pursue private legal action. Gonzalez says that can be costly. She recommends connecting with worker centers or labor organizations whose legal partners do pro bono work.

Worker centers vary across the state. Some, like the California Domestic Workers Coalition or the Garment Workers Center, are industry specific.

Others, like the Los Angeles Black Worker Center or the Pilipino Workers Center in Los Angeles, organize low-wage workers in specific ethnic groups.

Gonzalez says in your first meeting at a worker center, generally a worker advocate will conduct an intake interview to get to know the worker and their situation. They’ll explain your rights to everything from minimum wage to sick leave.

Often when multiple workers from a single employer come forward, the worker center may refer the cases to the Labor Commissioner’s Office. Its Bureau of Field Enforcement investigates employers for possible financial penalties and citations.

To find a worker center in your area, Gonzalez recommends using social media to connect with unions or other labor organizations near you. Or you can start with this sample list.

Chase takes nationwide action to expand credit access for small businesses through Special Purpose Credit Program in historically underserved areas  

As part of JPMorgan Chase’s $30 billion commitment, Chase has developed a Special Purpose Credit Program to expand credit access to businesses in majority Black, Hispanic and Latino communities

 

Produced by JPMorgan Chase

 

NEW YORK – Nov. 18, 2022 – Chase has announced the national launch of a Special Purpose Credit Program (SPCP) to improve access to credit for small business owners in historically underserved areas. The program is the first of its kind to be offered for small business owners nationally and one of many initiatives Chase has introduced to expand small business relationships, drive inclusive economic growth and increase access to credit for minority small business owners in a sustainable way.

“Access to capital has historically been disproportionally challenging for small business owners who live and work in communities of color,” said Ben Walter, CEO, Chase Business Banking. “We want to do our part to create more parity by saying yes to more business owners in these areas so they can grow and thrive, and their communities can benefit in turn.”

The program is geography-based, allowing the bank to target capital to the areas that need it most. The goal of the program is to extend credit to small business owners who might not otherwise be approved or receive it on less favorable terms. Customers do not need to do anything special to qualify. If the business is located in an eligible area, then the application will be evaluated under the program.

Chase began piloting the program in Dallas, Detroit, Houston, and Miami earlier this year and expanded it to 21 cities in July. It is now available for businesses in majority Black, Hispanic and Latino neighborhoods across the U.S.

Small Businesses are the Engine of the American Economy

“Small businesses are critical drivers of economic growth and job creation, and credit is key to helping them survive and thrive,” Walter said. “They are also important anchors for their neighborhoods, and when they are better able to invest and grow they create more vibrant and resilient communities.”

As part of the firm’s $30 billion commitment, its Business Banking arm has been increasingly focused on supporting the growth of Black, Hispanic and Latino entrepreneurs.

“Minority entrepreneurs are rapidly becoming the customer of the future,” said Mikal Quarles, head of Chase Business Banking Racial Equity Strategies. “We want to help more minority-owned businesses create and sustain wealth long-term. We are accomplishing this by building the infrastructure, strengthening relationships, and bringing owners into the mainstream financial system. Growing and thriving small business customers are an important driver of our long-term business goals.”

Other Initiatives Under way to Support Minority Business Owners

Special Purpose Credit Programs are just one way Chase is driving sustainable, inclusive economic growth with a focus on greater access to credit.  Chase recently:

– Improved the application process for smaller-dollar loans (generally up to $500,000) to make the process easier, faster and less intimidating.

– Launched a digital loan application so customers can apply for a business line of credit online – no need to call or visit a branch. It’s being rolled out in phases and is expected to be widely available in 2023.

– Expanded its free one-on-one coaching program to more than 40 trained senior business consultants in 21 U.S. cities to provide mentoring and advice to minority business owners on everything from boosting creditworthiness to managing cash flow to effective marketing.

– Since the program’s inception in 2020, Chase has mentored more than 2,600 minority business owners, helping them improve their operations, plan for growth, and network with others in the local business community.

– Launched a new resource center at Chase.com/businessconsultant that provides free educational content, resources, and advice to help early-stage and established entrepreneurs achieve their goals.

“Creating a more equitable economy is a business and social imperative,” said Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “I applaud Chase for helping minority business owners pursue their dreams.”

Research Supports the Need for Special Efforts to Expand Access to Credit

When looking at liquid wealth among U.S. small business owners, the JPMorgan Chase Institute found that:

– Black and Hispanic small business owners have a lower level of starting wealth, which may mean these founders are less able to invest in their businesses.

– Existing wealth inequities could influence the ability of Black or Hispanic founders to invest in their businesses and generate meaningful wealth.

– Programs targeting low-income or majority-minority neighborhoods could be particularly helpful for Black and Hispanic business owners, who typically start firms with less cash, which may limit their opportunities for wealth creation.

 

TX governor Greg Abbott declares ‘invasion’ of migrants at US-Mexico border

SRE says the Republican governor has no jurisdiction to implement the announced measures

 

by the El Reportero‘s wire services

 

The federal government has rejected measures announced by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to stem illegal immigration into the Lone Star state.

The Republican Party governor said on Twitter on Tuesday that he had “invoked the invasion clauses of the U.S. and Texas constitutions to fully authorize Texas to take unprecedented measures to defend our state against an invasion” of migrants.

Abbott said he would deploy the National Guard “to safeguard our border and to repel and turn back immigrants trying to cross the border illegally.”

Among a range of other measures, the government said he would build a border wall in multiple counties on the border; deploy gun boats to secure the border; and enter into a compact with other states to secure the border.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Office of the Texas Governor said that Abbott had sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden “highlighting the record-breaking level of illegal immigration at America’s southern border caused by the president’s sustained dereliction of duty enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.”

In his letter to Biden, Abbott wrote: “You must reinstate the policies that you eliminated, or craft and implement new policies, in order to fulfill your constitutional duty to enforce federal immigration laws and protect the states against invasion. … Two years of inaction on your part now leave Texas with no choice but to escalate our efforts to secure our state.”

Mexico made it clear that it doesn’t agree with the anti-immigration measures announced by Abbott on Tuesday, and appeared to question his authority to implement them.

“The government of Mexico rejects the measures announced today by Texas Governor Greg Abbott,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) said in a statement Tuesday.

“… In the United States, the application of migration laws, border control and the negotiation of international agreements are exclusive powers of the federal government, so bilateral dialogue between our countries on those matters will only be carried out at that level. In any case, the measures announced by the government can be understood as measures of a political nature,” the SRE said.

“The government of Mexico reiterates its commitment to protect Mexicans abroad, so the network of consulates in the state of Texas will be alert to any violation of their rights by any authority. Mexico will also continue working permanently to achieve more orderly, safer and more humane migration,” the ministry said.

A record high of almost 2.4 million migrants were intercepted after crossing into the United States between official ports of entry in U.S. fiscal year 2022, which ended Sep. 30. In the same period, a record high of 853 migrants perished in the Río Grande or on U.S. soil after entering that country illegally, according to internal U.S. government data obtained by CBS News.

Here’s what to ask when saving for the unexpected

Sponsored content from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

 

Finances are different for everyone, and so are the life events we all go through. An emergency fund is your financial line of defense against life’s lemons. Although there are many financial rules of thumb, there is no “normal” way to handle your emergency fund.

The bottom line: saving money is the first line of defense to financial wellness, especially when the unexpected happens. While nobody can predict the future, everyone can prepare for it.

What is the reason for my emergency fund?

Your emergency fund is a safety net that can help you avoid getting into a difficult financial situation due to a loss of income or unexpected, one-time expenses. Having one in place can reduce stress, anxiety, and other emotions that could make handling the non-financial aspects of an emergency much more difficult.

It may seem a little obvious that an emergency fund is for emergencies. However, one of the challenging aspects of an emergency fund is knowing what expenses qualify as an emergency. This fund’s sole purpose is to prepare you for costs that you cannot or would not typically plan out. For example, oil changes and new tires are predictable vehicle expenses you should plan for in your regular savings. However, you wouldn’t typically plan for costs that you could incur on the off chance that you need to make emergency home repairs or pay for emergency medical expenses. You would cover these from your emergency fund.

How much do I need?

 How much would a new furnace cost? If you could not work, how much would you need to cover essential expenses until you could? Asking yourself these kinds of questions will help you set a goal amount for your emergency fund.

The general rule of thumb is three to six months of essential expenses. However, you can always start with a goal you find achievable. Say, $1,000. Once you reach that goal, aim for three months of rent, then three months of essential expenses, and so on.

Tracking your spending can help you estimate monthly expenses. Completing this exercise can also help you figure out how much you can afford to save toward your emergency fund each month.

 How do I save that much?

 – Start small: If you haven’t started, consider putting $25 from every paycheck into a savings account. Even a few dollars can make a big impact in the long run. Check your budget or spending plan to see how much you can save after you’ve paid essential expenses and before budgeting for discretionary spending.

– Keep it separate: Open a separate savings account to help you resist the temptation to dip into it. Remember, this account is for emergencies, so keep it away from your daily spending accounts and separate it from vacation and holiday savings. This method will help you stay organized, visualize your progress, and provide peace of mind.

– Automate your savings: One way to automate is via direct deposit. You may be able to instruct your employer to deposit a portion of your paycheck directly into your emergency savings account every pay period. Alternatively, you can set up an automatic transfer from your primary checking account to your emergency savings account on payday. Both methods save you from adding a manual transfer to your to-do list that may be overlooked if things get busy!

 Will I ever need to change the amount?

 As your life changes, the amount you need in your emergency fund will change as well. It’s a good idea to revisit your emergency fund plan every six months or any time you experience a life event that impacts your income. Marriage, starting or adding to your family, buying a home, and divorce are just a few examples of when you may need to increase your emergency fund. A good savings plan can roll with the punches right alongside you!

How do I prioritize emergency savings against debt and other goals?

Deciding whether you should pay down debt, save for other goals, or grow your emergency fund is all about the big picture. Everyone has different financials, so that picture will vary person-to-person. What will  impact you the most financially? Paying down debt and saving money long term or having a plan B that allows you to keep making minimum payments if you lose income? There is no right or wrong answer.

Your emergency fund is there to help you expense the unexpected. So, make a plan and be ready for whatever comes your way!

 

 

 

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