Adhikaar’s Newsletter: November-December 2022
Adhikaar’s major program highlights from November to December 2022:
Immigration/TPS Campaign
After months of joint organizing by Adhikaar, African Communities Together, TPS Alliance / Alianza TPS, ACLU of Southern California, and other partner organizations, on November 10, 2022, we won an automatic 18-month extension of TPS for El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Nicaragua, Nepal, and Sudan through June 30, 2024. This wouldn’t have been possible without the Ramos/Bhattarai legal team that has been fighting a class action lawsuit to stop the unlawful termination of TPS for over 100,000 TPS holders from Honduras and Nepal.
Once the updated Federal Registry Notice (FRN) was out, we held an informal TPS information session at our community and worker center to address TPS-related questions and provide hard copies of the FRN to members who had limited digital and literacy access.
Attention Nepali TPS holders! Download the latest updated Federal Registry Notice in order to apply for travel documents, health insurance, and a State ID HERE.
USCIS published an official updated FRN
Domestic Worker Program
Thanks to the advocacy of our Domestic Worker member leaders & New Jersey Domestic Worker Coalition partners, on December 1, 2022, the New Jersey Senate’s Labor Committee passed the NJ Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights! Currently, the bill is at the Assembly Appropriations Committee and we are hopeful it will pass.
If passed, this historic bill will ensure that Domestic Workers are protected from exploitation, wage theft, and retaliation by employers, and advances privacy and anti-trafficking protections in New Jersey.
Staff and members at the NJ Senate house in Trenton, NJ
Nail Salon Program
In December, Nail Salon member leaders from our New York Healthy Nail Salon Coalition base-building organizations convened at the People’s Forum for the first post-pandemic worker convening. Together they shared stories and brainstormed campaign strategies for the passage of the Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council Act as part of our #AllHandsIn campaign.
If passed, the Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council Act would create a state-level council of workers, employers, and government officials that would recommend ways to improve the nail salon industry across New York. It also would create a price minimum committee that would propose a new pricing model to raise standards so that both workers and employers can benefit. To learn more about All Hands In, click here.
NY Healthy Nail Salon Coalition members at the convening
Youth Program
Last month, we had an end-of-the-year “Youth Holiday Party” at our community and worker center, rounding out the year to celebrate their growth and reflect on the year. A youth member shared: “It is wonderful to have a space like Adhikaar for Nepali-speaking youths like us to come and celebrate our diverse identities together – I am proud of my Mustang heritage.”
As we continue our youth programming in 2023, reach out to us on social media or email youthfellow@adhikaar.org to join if you are interested.
Youths during the end-of-the-year holiday party
Healthcare Program and English for Empowerment Class
Last year, we resumed our in-person English for Empowerment (EFE) classes to our members at basic, intermediate, and advanced levels along with an industry-focused curriculum. This was an exciting moment for our members as after two long years of the pandemic, they were able to connect at our community and worker center, meet their peers, and engage in our other Adhikaar programs.
In December, after the EFE exams, our students came together for an end-of-the-year luncheon where they celebrated their achievements, registered to participate in our workforce development training, and join campaigns at Adhikaar.
EFE members celebrating the completion of their final exam
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