Latest news with #migrantSupport
CBC
27-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Health-care workers who treat refugees plan message to Trump administration
Adeb Arianson fled his home in Kabul just days before the capital of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021, as Western nations were evacuating their citizens and panic seized the city. He crossed the border to Tajikistan, where he had to spend a few weeks in a hospital recovering from physical and mental shock. "The panic attacks, the thoughts that were coming on and all the pressure of what's going to happen? What am I going to do?" Arianson recalled in a recent interview. "It was constant panic attacks. It was fear, it was just shock." Arianson, now 23, eventually arrived in Canada as a government-assisted refugee in 2022. He will be a guest speaker at an international conference in Halifax this weekend, where hundreds of health-care workers are gathering to discuss refugee and migrant health. Last year the conference had more than 1,000 attendees, and about 75 per cent of them were from the United States. This year attendance has dropped to about 500. Many attendees didn't attend because they were afraid of having trouble re-entering the United States—particularly if they were not born there—in the wake of the Trump administration's immigration policies. As well, many agencies had their federal funding cut, said conference organizer Dr. Annalee Coakley. She said the conference attendees are planning to send a message about protection of vulnerable migrants by drafting a statement they are calling the "Halifax Declaration," which they will submit to a major medical journal. "Patients are very, very fearful if they come from a migrant background," said Coakley, a family doctor who works in Inverness, N.S. She is also the co-director of a research program on refugee health in Calgary. "Together we have a shared voice, and we share values and so we're hoping to put together a statement in support of refugee and migrant rights, and their right to health," she said. In January 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order saying it would suspend the United States Refugee Admission Program for an indefinite period of time. President Donald Trump called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out mass deportations, and ended programs that allowed some migrants to live and work in the United States. Refugees go through a different process, which usually involves being referred for resettlement by the United Nations. In the days following the suspension of the refugee admission program, thousands of refugees who were cleared to travel to the U.S. had their plans halted, including Afghan refugees who helped American armed forces when they were based in that country. Arianson has been following the news from his home in Halifax, and felt it was important to speak out at the conference. "As a refugee myself, as someone who went through this journey, I have seen the gaps and the struggles that refugees go through," he said. "I saw the opportunity and I thought I have the chance to raise my voice." Arianson was 18 years old when he left Afghanistan, and fled alone because his immediate family was killed when he was a toddler after the family car struck an explosive device. As a queer person and proud member of Halifax's LGBTQ community, Arianson knew living in Afghanistan under the Taliban would be dangerous for him. "Refugees are people that are just looking for a spot, a place to just be able to be themselves and be alive," he said, adding that he thinks it is "inhumane" for the United States to close its doors to refugees. Dr. Katherine McKenzie is the director of the Yale Center for Asylum Medicine, and came to the Halifax conference from New Haven, Conn. "I am very worried and concerned, and really sad as well," said McKenzie, who cares for many resettled refugee families. "I am always concerned that the families will be split up, that maybe a mom or dad will be deported," she said. "What will happen with the children in that case?" McKenzie said she is seeing families come to her clinic filled with stress and anxiety. "Obviously I'm a doctor, I want people who I see as patients to be healthy—mentally healthy and physically healthy. And this scenario .... is absolutely interfering and having an effect on mental and physical health," she said. Coakley said in her first conference meeting, one attendee shared a story of a family who delayed bringing their child to an emergency department out of fear of being deported. "When they finally did present to the emergency department they had a ruptured appendix, and that's potentially life-threatening," she said. "That's a very precarious place to be, and it's unconscionable in a country with plenty," she said.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Kimmel' Guest Host Diego Luna Rails Against Trump's 'Hate Speech' In Scathing Opener
'Jimmy Kimmel Live' guest host Diego Luna on Monday called out President Donald Trump's policies on immigration as he delivered an impassioned defense of undocumented workers. 'I have never been able to fully understand how it is that someone like Donald Trump is able to acquire this level of power,' said Luna, who is from Mexico. 'I always struggle to understand how his hate speech can take root in a country whose nature has always been a welcoming one.' Now, he said, too many are living in fear ― and are afraid to show up at work or take their kids to school. 'This is very unfair and let me tell you why,' the 'Andor' star said. 'The multiple times that this country has had to rebuild itself, immigrants were always there to pick up the slack.' He said immigrant workers risked their lives to fight the fires in Los Angeles earlier this year. 'They are the ones who build this country. They feed it. They nurture and teach its children. They care for the elderly,' he said. 'They work in construction, hospitality. They run kitchens. They're technicians, merchants, athletes, drivers, farmers.' He said undocumented workers pay almost $100 billion a year in taxes, too. 'The only solution is clear now, and it's been clear for decades: Give them a path to legal certainty,' he said. 'This is what your neighbors really deserve to be fully welcome in this country where they already belong.' He offered viewers some ways they can support the migrant community, drawing a standing ovation from the studio audience. Luna is filling in this week for Kimmel, who is off through Labor Day. A rotation of guest hosts will take his place over the summer. Check out the full Monday night monologue below:
CBS News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Baltimore passes $4.6 billion 2026 budget with funding for migrant communities, vacant housing and traffic projects
The Baltimore City Council passed a $4.6 billion budget on Monday, allocating funding for migrant communities, vacant housing efforts and traffic projects. The council approved the budget in a 13-2 vote, according to our partners at The Baltimore Banner. The approved budget includes nearly $7 million in amendments that authorize fine and fee increases. "We were able to produce a budget that invests in Baltimoreans of every background and age, from youth programs to critical support for older Americans through the HUBS program," Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen said in a statement. "We also secured critical commitments that will fund parks, playgrounds and pools in neighborhoods throughout the city, empowering our residents to build community while enjoying the best that our city has to offer." Baltimore budget addresses federal funding cuts According to Mayor Scott, the city's budget addresses federal funding cuts that have been carried out at the direction of the Trump administration. The cuts, which aimed to lower government spending, have impacted universities, medical and research facilities and community resources. "In recent weeks, we've worked together to make sure this final budget reflects the current and future needs of our residents, and takes into account the harmful and haphazard funding cuts we're facing from this federal administration," Scott said in a statement. Mayor Scott still needs to sign the 2026 budget into law. Funding for public safety According to The Baltimore Banner, the 2026 budget also includes $400,000 for Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates' Office. The funding allows his office to review police body camera footage. The money comes after Bates requested more funding following the expiration of state grants. Ultimately, the council voted to move $112,000 from the State's Attorney's Office to the Inspector General's Office to pay for a probe into the Department of Public Works (DPW). Bates praised the 2026 budget for its commitment to fostering a safe community, but noted that the proposal to strip a position from his office should have been discussed. "This action neither reflects the spirit of true collaboration nor acknowledges the urgent needs we face as a city," Bates said in a statement. "As we make strides in reducing violent crime and rebuilding trust in our justice system, efforts to undermine that work for political reasons are both short-sighted and counterproductive." The $112,000 will fund a new position with the Office of the Inspector General, allowing the office to address a backlog of 27 cases, along with 33 that are currently under investigation, Councilwoman Odette Ramos said. The budget also cuts $1.2 million from the Baltimore Police Department that was allocated to vacant civilian positions. Funding for migrants, vacant housing and new projects The nearly $2 million allocated to the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs will be used to provide legal support and other resources for migrant communities in the city. An additional $1 million will be used to expand the Department of Housing and Community Development to bolster the city's vacant housing reduction strategy. The funding will allow the department to increase staffing and file more cases that will lead to the rehabilitation of vacant properties, according to Councilwoman Ramos. The budget also includes nearly $1 million for traffic control projects, $750,000 to launch a curbside composting program in the city and additional funding to create a Department of Consumer Protection and Business Licensing to streamline the city's licensing process. Under the budget, the city's sanitation workers will receive long-awaited pay raises.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-racism rally in Belfast after days of violence
Demonstrators gathered in Belfast city centre to show support for Northern Ireland's migrant community following a week of disorder. People in the crowd held signs with slogans such as "racists go home", "refugees are welcome" and "diversity makes us stronger". Violence started on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena, County Antrim, and later spread to other areas. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said "bigots and racists" were behind the rioting. Speaking at the anti-racism rally at Belfast City Hall, Nathalie Donnelly from trade union Unison said she had colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds who were terrified and "basically hiding at home". "They get to work in taxis, come home and hide in their own houses," she told BBC News NI. "We've got a small English class every week - half of the students didn't even dare to come out for the English class." Ms Donnelly said even people who had lived in Northern Ireland for a long time had an "overwhelming sense of sadness and disgust at what is happening and are really questioning staying here". Ms Donnelly, who is originally from France, said she had "made Ireland [her] home" but she felt it was "no longer the Ireland that [she is] proud of". "We should make Ireland the island of a hundred thousand welcomes again," she said. Friday night saw a fifth night of violence when police in Portadown, County Armagh, used water cannon to tackle rioters who were attacking them. Officers were targeted with petrol bombs, fireworks, masonry, bricks and bottles. Police in Londonderry also dealt with disorder in the Tullyally area from Friday night into Saturday morning. Damage was caused to playing fields and property in Killeavey Road in Newry in County Down when a large group of people set a pitch and bins on fire. Stones were thrown at the windows of a hotel in Newtownabbey and a car was set on fire in Hesketh Gardens Belfast, which police are treating a racially motivated hate crime. At the demo at City Hall, Belfast's deputy lord mayor said he wanted to show solidarity to people who had been targeted in the unrest. Representatives of other political parties and trade unions joined Paul Doherty at the event and there was a small police presence. Doherty said the demonstration was about standing up to "racist thugs who have been on our streets intimidating and threatening families and driving them from their homes". "We're speaking to people right across this city, indeed right across the north, who are afraid to walk down the street, who are afraid to bring their children to school, who are afraid to say hello to someone as they pass them on the street," he said. Doherty added that one parent told him their children were asking: "Daddy why do people hate us out there?" "Imagine children - five, six, seven years of age - asking their parents 'why do people hate us?' That's not the type of society we want in Belfast or across the north," he said. "We need to bring a stop to this." Doherty said the police and Northern Ireland Executive "need to step up" and "a better response" was needed from the PSNI. The force has said it will do all it can to bring people to justice and on Friday it issued images of people it wants to speak to in connection with the violence. More PSNI officers were injured in Portadown on Friday night, with more than 60 physically hurt over the course of the past week. Police have made 21 arrests following disorder in various parts of Northern Ireland, with 13 charged. Four have appeared in court and been remanded in custody. Monday A peaceful protest is held in Ballymena, County Antrim, after two teenage boys appear before Coleraine Magistrates' Court accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. They spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages. Their solicitor said they would be denying the charges. Later in the day, violence breaks out when a number of people wearing masks break away from the peaceful protest, build barricades and attack properties on Clonavon Terrace. People throw petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks at police. Tuesday Protesters attack police during another night of disorder in Ballymena. Cars are set on fire and the windows of several houses are smashed. Police also deal with sporadic incidents of disorder in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus in County Antrim and north Belfast. Wednesday The worst of the disorder is again in Ballymena, but unrest also spreads to other towns. In Larne, County Antrim, masked youths attack a leisure centre and set it on fire. The centre had been providing emergency shelter for families. Police Scotland agrees to send officers to Northern Ireland to provide support. Thursday A fourth night of disorder, but at a lower level than seen earlier in the week. About 400 protestors gather in the centre of Portadown, County Armagh. Bricks and masonry are thrown at police. There is also a police presence in Ballymena, but the rioters stay away. Around 100 people turn up at an anti-racism protest in west Belfast, which passes off peacefully. The home of a family with three children is set on fire in Coleraine. Friday Police in Portadown use water cannon to tackle rioters but the violence is again at a lower level than earlier in the week. Police release photos of four suspects they want the public to help identify in connection with the disorder. How a peaceful protest descended into hate-filled violence Bulgarian mother of two leaving Ballymena 'to save my children' Does the PSNI have the resources needed to deal with the riots?
BBC News
14-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Belfast: Anti-racism rally held after days of violence
Demonstrators gathered in Belfast city centre to show support for Northern Ireland's migrant community following a week of in the crowd held signs with slogans such as "racists go home", "refugees are welcome" and "diversity makes us stronger".Violence started on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena, County Antrim, and later spread to other Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said "bigots and racists" were behind the rioting. Speaking at the anti-racism rally at Belfast City Hall, Nathalie Donnelly from trade union Unison said she had colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds who were terrified and "basically hiding at home"."They get to work in taxis, come home and hide in their own houses," she told BBC News NI."We've got a small English class every week - half of the students didn't even dare to come out for the English class."Ms Donnelly said even people who had lived in Northern Ireland for a long time had an "overwhelming sense of sadness and disgust at what is happening and are really questioning staying here". Ms Donnelly, who is originally from France, said she had "made Ireland [her] home" but she felt it was "no longer the Ireland that [she is] proud of"."We should make Ireland the island of a hundred thousand welcomes again," she said. Friday night saw a fifth night of violence when police in Portadown, County Armagh, used water cannon to tackle rioters who were attacking were targeted with petrol bombs, fireworks, masonry, bricks and the demo at City Hall, Belfast's deputy lord mayor said hr wanted to show solidarity to people who had been targeted in the of other political parties and trade unions joined Paul Doherty at the event and there was a small police presence. Doherty said the demonstration was about standing up to "racist thugs who have been on our streets intimidating and threatening families and driving them from their homes"."We're speaking to people right across this city, indeed right across the north, who are afraid to walk down the street, who are afraid to bring their children to school, who are afraid to say hello to someone as they pass them on the street," he added that one parent told him their children were asking: "Daddy why do people hate us out there?""Imagine children - five, six, seven years of age - asking their parents 'why do people hate us?' That's not the type of society we want in Belfast or across the north," he said."We need to bring a stop to this."Doherty said the police and Northern Ireland Executive "need to step up" and "a better response" was needed from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The force has said it will do all it can to bring people to justice and on Friday it issued images of people it wants to speak to in connection with the PSNI officers were injured in Portadown on Friday night, with more than 60 physically hurt over the course of the past week. Timeline Timeline: How a week of violent disorder unfolded MondayA peaceful protest is held in Ballymena, County Antrim, after two teenage boys appear before Coleraine Magistrates' Court accused of sexually assaulting a teenage spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages. Their solicitor said they would be denying the in the day, violence breaks out when a number of people wearing masks break away from the peaceful protest, build barricades and attack properties on Clonavon throw petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks at attack police during another night of disorder in Ballymena. Cars are set on fire and the windows of several houses are also deal with sporadic incidents of disorder in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus in County Antrim and north worst of the disorder is again in Ballymena, but unrest also spreads to other Larne, County Antrim, masked youths attack a leisure centre and set it on fire. The centre had been providing emergency shelter for Scotland agrees to send officers to Northern Ireland to provide support. ThursdayA fourth night of disorder, but at a lower level than seen earlier in the 400 protestors gather in the centre of Portadown, County Armagh. Bricks and masonry are thrown at is also a police presence in Ballymena, but the rioters stay 100 people turn up at an anti-racism protest in west Belfast, which passes off home of a family with three children is set on fire in in Portadown use water cannon to tackle rioters but the violence is again at a lower level than earlier in the release photos of four suspects they want the public to help identify in connection with the disorder.
