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Quiboloy church officials indicted for trafficking, sham marriages
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A federal grand jury has charged three top administrators of a Philippines-based church with overseeing a labor trafficking scheme that forced church members to solicit donations for a bogus charity after the defendants illegally obtained visas and other immigration documents that allowed the workers to enter and remain in the United […]
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Filipinos seeking partners through religion-based dating sites: study
A study by a visa processing company shows the Philippines to be a leading source of fiancé visa applications and that dating sites are common places where couples looking to marry meet. Below, are excerpts from the study that RapidVisa recently commissioned with Causal Design, an independent research firm based in Washington D.C. The study […]
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FilAm neighborhood in Jersey City facing threat of gentrification
By Cristina DC Pastor A proposed 800-unit luxury condominium to be built on thePhilippine Plaza Park in Jersey City is making some FilAm families very anxious about the prospect of gentrification. The planned development has stoked fears it would encroach on the park’s memorial dedicated to Filipino veterans and drive residents out of their homes. […]
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FILAMSPEAK: Thumbs up for Green Light Law
The politically controversial Green Light Law went into effect in New York State on December 16. The legislation paves the way for undocumented immigrants to acquire driver’s licenses. Reports say the law is expected to benefit more than 700,000 immigrants in the state with no legal status. Filipino Americans on both sides of the […]
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Proposed public charge rule change may not apply to many people: research
By Mark Hedin Federal courts have temporarily blocked the public charge rule change from going into effect, but its chilling effects continue to reverberate. The number of immigrants who, fearing the consequences of the rule change, have taken or plan to take steps to drop out of public services for which they are eligible far exceeds the actual number who would […]
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First online Census raises questions about privacy
The U.S. government is set to launch the 2020 online Census, but questions about privacy and confidentiality of information are raised. Census officials answer some of the Frequently Asked Questions. Q: Do you mean that this Census will be digital and we will have to put our information online? A: The census will be […]
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When deportation becomes cruel
By Attorney Johnson Lazaro Desperation can force people to make difficult decisions. There are few situations more desperate than poverty and abuse. This is exactly the scenario in which Eddie spent the first nine years of his life living in the Philippines with his mother and his abusive father. When Eddie’s mother fled her homeland, […]
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Helen Castillo: Shaking things up as PAFCOM president
By Cristina DC Pastor For the coming year, PAFCOM will have a different spectacle for U.S.-Philippine friendship day. There will be no single grand marshal. What incoming President Helen Castillo would like to happen is for all past grand marshals to headline the parade as the Philippine American Friendship Community, Inc. marks its 30th anniversary. […]
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Albany hospital violates anti-trafficking law in hiring of Filipino RNs: union
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) filed a lawsuit on October 15 against Albany Medical Center (AMC) alleging violations of the human trafficking law in the hiring of Filipino nurses. The federal complaint cites the Philippine Recruitment Program that AMC began in 2002. In the last 17 years, AMC has recruited almost 600 nurses […]