Feds cut $300,000 grant for citizenship assistance in Nevada, citing ‘sanctuary cities'
The Asian Community Development Council — based in Las Vegas and Reno — was notified on March 27 that it was among groups that would no longer be receiving federal grant money to fund citizenship education classes and services. (Getty Images)
Hundreds of lawful permanent residents in Nevada will lose access to critical services that help immigrants become U.S. citizens after $300,000 in federal funding was pulled from the state last week.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the agency has cut all grants awarded through its Citizenship and Integration Grant Program in response to a March 21 agency-wide directive by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to 'restrict grant funding to sanctuary cities.'
'It's no secret that many organizations funded by USCIS grants over the years actively undermined the rule of law and integrity of our nation's immigration system by supporting sanctuary cities and open borders,' said a spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in an email Monday.
The term 'sanctuary city' often describes jurisdictions with law enforcement agencies that refuse to some degree to cooperate with ICE. While there is no standard definition, the Center for Immigration Studies, whose research is often cited approvingly by anti-immigrant activists and politicians, does not include any Nevada jurisdictions among its inventory of 'sanctuary cities.'
The Asian Community Development Council — based in Las Vegas and Reno — was notified on March 27 that the USCIS decided to permanently terminate a $300,000 grant awarded to the nonprofit in November. The funding would have provided citizenship education classes and services to more than 200 individuals during the 24-month grant period.
'These classes would have provided rigorous background on U.S. history and government, and the naturalization process. The program was designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge required to successfully navigate the naturalization process and obtain U.S. citizenship,' said Vida Lin, president and founder of the Asian Community Development Council in a statement.
The Asian Community Development Council was one of 43 organizations across 23 states to receive a Citizenship and Integration Grant from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2024, for a total of about $12.6 million in federal funding nationally.
Lin said if the grant is not reinstated it will jeopardize services in Nevada that help lawful permanent residents become U.S. citizens, including application assistance, English language instruction and civics education.
Since the Asian Community Development Council was first established in 2015, it has grown to meet several community needs. The nonprofit has supported immigrant communities in Nevada through food assistance, health insurance enrollment assistance, college readiness boot camps for local youth, and community events like the Asian Night Market, which showcases local Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander -owned businesses.
However, the nonprofit has recently had to reduce its staff members 'due to the uncertainty of funding at all levels,' said Lin.
'This is the harsh reality that many nonprofits across Nevada and our country are facing currently as we try to navigate this new administration. Nevadans will continue to lose access to services and jobs due to decisions like the one DHS made last week,' Lin said.
The Citizenship and Integration Grant Program was first established in 2009 under president Barack Obama's administration as a way to tackle the backlog of U.S. citizenship applications and administrative burdens.
In a letter earlier this month to the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Democratic House members — including Nevada Rep. Dina Titus — said the grant funded vital services that helped reduce the naturalization backlogs in recent years.
According to the letter, the grant program has helped reduce errors and delays for lawful permanent residents seeking U.S. citizenship by equipping eligible applicants with the tools to navigate the naturalization process more effectively.
'Cutting funding for this program will only increase administrative inefficiencies and add to existing case backlogs,' reads the letter.
However, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary characterized the grant program as a 'gravy train' that could potentially support unauthorized immigration.
'Taxpayer funded programs that that (sic) support, or have the potential to support, illegal immigration through funding illegal activities or support for illegal aliens are out of step with the President and Secretary Noem's priorities — as well as common sense. The gravy train is over,' said a spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in an email Monday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
State plans to decrease its payments to the needy
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota Department of Social Services has announced its intention to cut by 10% the amount of welfare aid paid to several thousand households receiving public assistance. DSS will hold a public hearing on Friday, June 20, at 11:00 a.m. CT at state government's new One Stop Center at 1501 S. Highline Avenue in Sioux Falls. The number of South Dakota families receiving payments from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program varies month to month, according to DSS statistics. In April, the most recent month for which data was publicly reported, there were 2,487 families. That was down from a 12-month high of 2,567 in October. New Spring Creek owner shares golf course plans The department's proposed TANF cuts come at the same time that the Legislature gave state government employees a 1.25% pay raise that takes effect July 1. State aid to K-12 education and for health-care providers will rise 1.25% as well. DSS officials say the proposed cuts result from the Legislature reducing the department's general funding for the coming year by $5.3 million. Actually, then-Gov. Kristi Noem had recommended in her December budget proposal a $5,168,200 general-fund reduction for the economic assistance division in DSS that oversees TANF payments. The department, in turn, planned to use a similar additional amount of federal funds as an offset, according to page 20 of a presentation made on January 21 to the Legislature's Joint Committee on Appropriations. That presentation referred to the maneuver as 'Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Fund Swap.' The document made no mention of any proposed cut to TANF payments. The department's then-chief financial officer, Jason Simmons, didn't speak about it either. 'This year, in working with the governor's office and BFM (Bureau of Finance and Management), with revenues down and having to fund things like FMAP (federal medical assistance percentage) change and different things, our directive is to spend down some of that carryover. So this would be more of a temporary solution,' Simmons told the committee. He continued, 'This is not something that we're going to be able to do for many, many years, but it's something we can do in a pinch for a few years to get us through, to spend down that carryover and continue to deliver these services.' Five minutes later, DSS Secretary Matt Althoff expanded on those remarks. Responding to a question from Democratic Rep. Erik Muckey, Althoff said, 'We're going to examine our benefits and say, Is there a way we can reduce those as well? So we'll continue to look at that. We've got a preliminary plan that, as recommended, would take effect July first.' One of the panel's co-chairs, Republican Rep. Mike Derby, asked Simmons to go through the mechanics of the TANF fund swap one more time. Simmons explained that money left over from the federal block grant that the department receives each year can be placed in a carryover account. Simmons said the department gets $21.2 million of federal funds each year and state government puts in $8.5 million for a total TANF funding of $29.7 million. At the end of fiscal 2024, the department had $23.4 million of carryover funds available. Simmons said the plan was to tap the federal carryover to offset reductions in state general funds, spending the oldest layer of federal funds first. Noem's $34,665,498 recommendation of general funds for the new budget year that starts July 1 would have returned the division's general funding to roughly the $34,415,895 actually spent in 2024. State lawmakers in March ultimately appropriated $34,517,352 of general funds to the economic assistance division for the 2026 budget year. That was slightly more than the amount actually spent in 2024 and slightly less than the amount Noem had recommended. Asked Monday about the proposed TANF cuts, Republican Sen. Ernie Otten told KELOLAND News that he expects to see the department make reductions in other areas too. Otten and Derby co-chair the Legislature's Joint Committee on Appropriations that assembles state government's budget each year. DSS never came back to the committee with a detailed plan or a change from what they presented, according to information that Derby received from the Legislature's chief fiscal analyst Jeff Mehlhaff and forwarded on Tuesday to KELOLAND News. Mehlhaff told Derby, 'We have reached out to the Secretary of DSS multiple times with no response.' An average of 2,460 households per month received TANF payments during the 2024 budget year, according to the DSS fiscal note that was prepared for the proposed 10% cut. The average monthly amount was $518.06. Altogether, those payments totaled $15,293,131.20 in annual TANF costs, the department said, and a reduction of 10% from the current TANF payment standards equals $1,529,313.12. A statement signed by Secretary Althoff says the proposed financial cuts in TANF payments would have 'no impact' on small businesses. 'TANF is a needs-based program for families with children under age 18 (or under age 19 if the child is in high school) who need financial support because of the death of a parent; a parent is absent from the home; or the physical or mental incapacity or unemployment of a with serious financial needs may qualify for TANF monthly payments,' the statement says. Public comments at the June 20 hearing about the TANF reductions can be made in person at the Sioux Falls One Stop Center or by telephone at 1-605-679-7263 and using conference code 183 579 146 #. Written public comments can be sent through June 30 to Teresa Schulte, Administrative Rules C219, Department of Social Services, 1501 S. Highline Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57110 or can be emailed to DSSAdminRules@ Many lawmakers also were upset during the 2025 legislative session after learning about the Noem administration's decisions to enter long-term leases for new One Stop centers in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Most of state government's local offices including those of DSS in the two communities have since moved to the centers. Noem resigned as governor in January after she received U.S. Senate confirmation as the new federal Homeland Security secretary. After she left, the Legislature unanimously adopted a new law requiring lawmakers' approval of any lease longer than 15 years and costing more than $5 million in total or more than $50,000 per month. Leases for One Stop centers in Sioux Falls and Rapid City are for 30 years and will cost an estimated $200 million more during that time than had state government continued with previous leases for locations scattered throughout the communities. The new law however doesn't apply to any past lease agreements. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Kristi Noem Ripped For Latest 'Dehumanizing' Dig About People In Los Angeles ... And It's Bad
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was slammed online for recent comments she made about the Los Angeles community amid ongoing tensions surrounding protests in the city against mass raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. During a Monday night appearance on Fox News show 'Hannity,' both host Sean Hannity and Noem criticized California's so-called 'sanctuary' policies which, in general, limits cooperation with federal immigration officials. Noem charged that ICE agents have been targeting criminals in Los Angeles who are the 'worst of the worst' — despite data and reporting showing that the mass arreststhat have taken place under President Donald Trump's administration have included people with no criminal records. Noem went on to charge that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) have done 'absolutely nothing' about crime in the city. 'Now she's holding press conferences talking about the fact that people have the right to peacefully protest, and that they're a city of immigrants,' Noem said about Bass on 'Hannity' before she leveled a disparaging dig about Angelenos. 'Well, they're not a city of immigrants; they're a city of criminals,' she continued. 'Because she has protected them for so many years.' People in Los Angeles have taken to the streets to protest the Trump administration's ICE raids in their neighborhoods. Newsom has accused Trump of escalating the situation after he deployed Marines and National Guard troops in California to counter the protests. The president justified his decision to do so — despite objections from Newsom — telling reporters from the Oval Office on Tuesday that he was done playing by the rules. Newsom has accused the president of wanting to fuel chaos in Los Angeles. The last time a president deployed the National Guard without cooperation from a governor was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect civil rights protesters. People on X, formerly Twitter, slammed Noem's comments about Los Angeles, the second largest city in the country, which has rich cultural diversity. Many called her comments 'dehumanizing.' Speaking about Noem's comments on 'Hannity,' Collin Anderson, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, said that it's 'always concerning to hear a high-ranking federal employee paint entire swathes of the country with a broad brush.' He emphasized that it's important to remember that 'federal employees are public servants who are supposed to serve the people.' Anderson said that Noem's comments that Los Angeles is 'a city of criminals' is an attempt to 'paint the situation in LA as quite dire.' He said that if news reports suggest that 'all of LA is burning,' and the city is 'brimming with criminals,' then people 'will be more likely to support harsher measures to bring what they perceive to be as out of control violence' — even though, he said, people participating in the protests 'represent only a fraction of a percentage of the population' of the city, and that the demonstrations are confined to 'a geographic area of a few square miles.' And Anderson said that baselessly describing people as criminals — people who 'for the most part have not gone through due process to determine their criminality or not' is meant to cast them as being in an 'out-group' — a 'group that isn't part of 'proper' society.' 'Dehumanizing language is dangerous, and society must always be vigilant about it, lest we repeat the horrors of the past,' he said. 'The last thing to remember in all of this [is] rights are either for everyone, or they are for no one.' 'If someone else's rights are being violated, your rights can be too,' he continued. Jaime Dominguez, a political scientist and associate professor of Instruction at Northwestern University Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences, said that Noem's comments about Los Angeles reflect an 'overarching theme' within the Trump administration, which is to criminalize immigrants and 'seeing immigrants through just this linear lens.' 'And the lens is, of course, that they're not a citizen, they don't care about the country, they're not invested in the country,' he said. Dominguez said that viewing immigrants this way gives Noem and other members of the Trump administration the 'leverage to basically target immigrants' and to push a narrative that they're 'not invested in our country.' He emphasized that this strategy from the current administration is dangerous. 'Once you dehumanize the immigrant in the eyes of the public, then the public will become immune and desensitized to what we see happening on the street,' he said, before later adding: 'It's out of the playbook of authoritarian figures.' Dominguez also stressed that Trump's decision to send troops to Los Angeles is part of his tactic to create 'chaos' and 'disorder' — and to make it seem as though he's the one fixing it. It's part of Trump's 'DNA,' he said. Kristi Noem Tries To Tell Californians How To Vote BUSTED: Critics Rip 'Hypocrite' Kristi Noem By Using Her Own Words Against Her Kristi Noem Said An Immigrant Threatened To Kill Trump. The Story Quickly Fell Apart.
Politico
3 hours ago
- Politico
Why the U.S. government is touting tourism in Afghanistan
Presented by Housing For US HAPPY TRAILS — If you haven't made summer plans yet, here's an idea: Have you considered Afghanistan? The State Department strongly advises against travel for Americans but the Department of Homeland Security has determined that conditions are on the upswing in the perennially war-torn country — and that even tourism is starting to come back. 'Tourists are sharing their experiences on social media, highlighting the peaceful countryside, welcoming locals, and the cultural heritage, according to some reports,' DHS said. The rosy observation appears in a recent DHS notification in the Federal Register, announcing the revocation of Temporary Protected Status for about 12,000 Afghans who have taken refuge in the U.S., part of the Trump administration's larger effort to dismantle refugee programs and remove non-citizens from the country. In a finding that has confounded experts and advocates, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem determined that there have been 'notable improvements' in the security and economy of Afghanistan such that refugees would not be in imminent danger upon their return. Afghanistan used to be a popular draw for foreign backpackers, part of the famed 'Hippy Trail.' That ended with the Soviet invasion in 1979, which ushered in nearly 40 years of conflict. By some measures, the country is indeed experiencing a period of relative calm compared to more recent years. That's because the U.S. is no longer at war with the Taliban thanks to a peace deal signed during President Donald Trump's first term and a chaotic American withdrawal completed under President Joe Biden. The White House still has a hostile view of the Taliban government, including Afghanistan on a list of 19 countries whose citizens are now banned or restricted from entering the U.S. under an executive order that took effect Monday. But in the federal register, DHS notes that attacks involving improvised explosive devices have declined by 72 percent over the past year; the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has fallen to 23.7 million, down from 29 million a year earlier; and GDP rose 2.7 percent. DHS notes approvingly that tourism has increased a whopping 913 percent, reportedly with the encouragement of the ultraconservative Taliban, since the U.S. withdrawal – with about 7,000 people, primarily from China, visiting Afghanistan in 2023. DHS, however, seems to have been selective with its statistics. In the footnotes of its Federal Register notice, the agency three times cites a report from last year by the United States Institute of Peace – an independent organization that the Trump administration and DOGE moved to shut down (a judge has halted the effort but the organization still faces an uncertain future). USIP's report on the state of the country three years into Taliban rule is much less sanguine, concluding that Afghanistan has 'only a façade of domestic stability' and that humanitarian and human rights conditions are 'dire.' Since taking power, the Taliban has issued over 100 decrees restricting the rights of women and girls to education, employment, healthcare and mobility — even declaring that female voices cannot be heard outside the home, according to USIP. Hundreds of men and women have been subjected to public floggings. Authorities have carried out disappearances and extrajudicial killings. In any case, the report was not produced to make a case, one way or the other, for Afghan TPS, said Scott Worden, USIP's director of Afghanistan and Central Asia Programs. 'It's validating to see the US government crediting the quality of USIP's research enough to cite it in an important administrative determination,' Worden said. 'However, the information that is cited in the USIP report does not speak to the specific risks that Afghans who have received TPS face if they go back to a Taliban-run Afghanistan.' The fact that Chinese tourists find the country safe, he said, is not really relevant since their government supported the Taliban. 'That is a totally different circumstance from an Afghan who helped America, who worked closely with Americans will face if they return to Taliban rule and will be subject to persecution or even worse.' As for American tourists, it may be best to stick with the State Department advisory, which flatly recommends 'do not travel.' Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@ Or contact tonight's author at bfox@ or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @ben_foxed. What'd I Miss? — California asks judge to 'immediately' block military from joining ICE raids: Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking a federal judge for a restraining order that blocks Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from ordering National Guard troops and Marines to support immigration raids in Los Angeles. 'They must be stopped, immediately,' attorneys for the state wrote in a filing today. The request, submitted around 11 a.m. local time today, urged U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer to act within two hours. The urgent plea came as Newsom and other California officials continued to assail Trump's order to 'federalize' 4,000 members of the state's National Guard for a mission to protect federal immigration facilities and personnel amid street protests. The state sued Monday to block that effort as well as Hegseth's subsequent deployment of 700 Marines to assist the National Guard effort. The restraining order request, however, is focused explicitly on a growing expectation among California officials that those troops will soon be sent on arrest missions alongside agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement — raising the likelihood of direct confrontations with L.A. residents. — Troops deployed to LA will cost $134M, Pentagon official says: President Donald Trump's decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles amid mass deportation protests will likely cost $134 million, the Pentagon's budget chief told lawmakers. Acting Pentagon comptroller Bryn MacDonnell, testifying at a House budget hearing today alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, said the estimate covers costs such as travel, housing and food. — Trump administration weighs pulling education grants for California: The Trump administration is considering cutting federal education funds to California, according to people familiar with the administration's thinking. The discussion comes as Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump feud over the president's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles to stop immigration protests. A Trump administration employee, who was not permitted to speak publicly about the administration's plans, told POLITICO the Education Department may stop the disbursement of 'formula funds,' which are awards based on a predetermined formula created by Congress. The administration has not yet reached a final decision, according to a separate person familiar with the discussions. But there is some uncertainty over the department's ability to pull funding that is not directly connected to California's state department of education. — Trump: Protests in DC will be met with 'very heavy force': President Donald Trump warned that any protests during this weekend's major military parade in Washington will be met with 'very heavy force.' 'If there's any protester who wants to come out, they will be met with very big force,' the president said today during an impromptu Oval Office press conference. 'I haven't even heard about a protest, but [there are] people that hate our country.' The comments come as the White House and Washington law enforcement officials are preparing for a military parade on Saturday, which coincides with the Army's 250th — and Trump's 79th — birthday. — Former Biden aides agree to testify on his mental acuity to House Oversight: Four senior Biden White House aides agreed to testify to the House Oversight Committee as part of its probe into former President Joe Biden's ailing health while in office, according to a committee aide. Chair James Comer had requested the aides' cooperation with his investigation in May, amid renewed scrutiny in Washington of the former president's mental acuity. Last week, the Kentucky Republican sent a subpoena to Biden's physician Kevin O'Connor, calling him to appear on June 27 after O'Connor rejected Comer's invitation to testify. Even after Biden largely retreated from public view, congressional Republicans have focused extensively on concerns around the octogenarian former president's health. The Senate will hold a hearing on the matter next week. AROUND THE WORLD BRITISH SANCTIONS — Britain will formally sanction two far-right Israeli ministers for their comments over Gaza, the U.K. confirmed today. The assets of Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich will be frozen and the pair will also face travel bans, the Times first reported. No financial institutions will be allowed to deal with them. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the ministers had 'incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.' He added: 'These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now — to hold those responsible to account.' In response, Israel said: 'It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures.' Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the Cabinet would meet next week to respond to what he called the 'unacceptable decision.' While the U.S. has continued to stand resolutely behind Israel as it wages war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, other longtime allies — including the EU, Britain and Canada — have grown increasingly critical of Israel and its military tactics. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have consistently been the most hard-line ministers in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and are crucial allies keeping him in power. 'A DANGER TO US ALL' — The European Commission announced today its latest salvo of sanctions on Russia, taking aim at the Kremlin's energy exports, infrastructure and financial institutions. The measures, which are intended to pile pressure on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, include proposals to lower the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel and ban the use of the Nord Stream pipelines to funnel gas between Russia and Germany. A further 22 Russian banks will also be cut off from the SWIFT international banking system, with the current, partial prohibition on Russian financial institutions broadened to a 'full transaction ban,' Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Calling the sanctions 'robust' and 'hard-biting,' von der Leyen said the Russian economy was already buckling under the pressure of the EU's past measures and the new package would pummel it further. 'Russia continues to bring death and destruction to Ukraine,' she said at a joint press conference with the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas. 'Our message is clear: This war must end.' Kallas said it was 'clear that Russia does not want peace' and needed to pay the price for its 'outright illegal' war. 'Russia is cruel, aggressive and a danger to us all,' she added. Nightly Number RADAR SWEEP SPEED WINS — New research suggests that the speed at which you walk can reveal how your brain is functioning. And a precipitous decline in walking speed can predict other underlying health problems. It's normal to slow down your walking pace as you age. But people who can keep up a quick pace into their later years are more likely to have a brain that's functioning like that of a younger person than those whose average gait is much slower. The research can even predict survival — a study showed that men with the slowest walking speeds at age 75 had a 19% chance of living for 10 years, compared to men with the fastest walking speeds who had an 87% chance of survival. Jasmin Fox-Skelly reports for the BBC. Parting Image Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.
