Noticiero PAPA No. 22

Noticiero PAPA No. 22

Refugees
Asylum Seekers
Immigrants
Texas

The first article details the case of Noremise Larosier and how PAPA helped with a picture of Mrs. Larosier and the writer of the article, Gustavo Arango. The second article discusses Temporary Protected Status cases for Salvadorans that PAPA took on, written by Julian Ross. The third article contains information about new employees in the Board of Directors written by Nidia Salamanca. [Image Description: The front page of Noticiero PAPA newsletter has the words “Noticiero PAPA” in large letters to the top right of the page. Underneath in smaller letters are “Number 22” and “June 2001.” To the left of the header is a small logo; it depicts a bird flying downwards with it’s wings outstretched. It’s head is tiled up and in it’s beak there is a small flower. The wings, tail, and flower are colored in with black ink, but the body is white. Printed around the logo encircling the bird are the words, “News from the Political Asylum Project of Austin.” The front page has three columns of text; the first article “A Warm Welcome to 3 Brothers from Haiti,” begins at the top of the first column on the left and continues in the second column. The next article, “PAPA Registers Nearly 400 Salvadorans for Temporary Protected Status,” begins a third of the way down the first column. The third article, “New Leadership Inspires the PAPA Board,” takes the top half of the third column. In the top half of the second column there is a photograph showing a group of six individuals gathered facing the camera. Five of the individuals seem to be male and one of the individuals seem to be female. The caption of the photograph reads, “Gustavo (far right) poses with Noremise and her family.” In the bottom half of the second column there is a box with a quote. It states: “...It was Noremise’s unfailing dedication and love for her children which helped keep me going…” The third column of text has a Section labeled “Table of Contents” at the very bottom right of the page. It contains the following text: “Salvadoran TPS 1. Newcomers from Haiti 1. New Board of Directors 1. PRISA Update 2. PAPA Responds to 245(i) 3. ISSP Update 4. Sunrise Center Update 6. Goodbye Laura Bachman 6. Goodbye VISTA Program 6. Mil Gracias 7. Calender of Events 8.”]

Gustavo Arango, Julian Ross, Nidia Salamanca

Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin

Political Asylum Project of Austin

June 2001

Hamza Bouderdaben

American Gateways, current link to their website as of 4/12/2023 americangateways.org.

Jpeg

English

Newsletter

NOTICIERO PAPA

Number 22 June 2001

A Warm Welcome to 3 Brothers from Haiti

By Gustavo Arango, FBIACP Paralegal

The Executive Director and staff of PAPA share with the Austin community their deep joy at the arrival of the Pierre Paul brothers to the United States from haiti. We welcome Dordi, Ives Mackentosh, and Jordany with open arms and wish them well in their new lives in the US.

In 1998 a Refugee Relative Petition was approved for the sons of Mrs. Noremise Larosier. Her three sons still in Haiti, Noremise was overjoyed at the prospect of being reunited with her family. Although the hpetition was approved by INS, it was not until April 2001 that the extensive paperwork was over for Noremise’s family.

Noremise contacted PAPA in February 2000 and I took on her case for the Family Based Immigration, Adjustment and Citizenship program (FBIACP). It was evident from her words that she was strongly attached to her children and that she had pinned her hopes on PAPA. This was going to be quite a challenge!

After sending letters and faxes to various INS and US Embassy offices and calling these offices to find Noremise’s file, I discovered that nobody seemed to know where Noremise’s file was and why it was taking so long for the application to be processed. Little by little, however, and after much frustration, I was able to track down information about her case. It was Noremise’s unfailing dedicaitong and love for her children which helped keep me going.

Today I told Noremise: Celebrate! The hardes part is over; keep praying, as

(Continued on page 6)

PAPA Registers Nearly 400 Salvadorans for Temporary Protected Status

By Julien Ross, PAPA Volunteer

El Salvador was struck with a series of devastating earthquakes in January 2001. An estimated 1,100 people lost their lives, 2,000 remain missing, and over 1.3 million persons were displaced by the earthquakes. A thorough review by the U.S. Department of State and Justice determined that due to the environmental disaster and substantial disruption of living conditions caused by the earthquakes, El Salvador was “unable, temporarily, to handle adequately the return” of its nationals. The Attorney General granted El Salvador with formal Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation. TPS is a temporary immigration status that will allow eligible nationals of El Salvador to live and work legally in the United States until September 9, 2002 or later, if the designation is extended.

(Continued on page 3)

New Leadership Inspires the PAPA Board

By Nidia Salamanca, Executive Director

In order to respond to our recent and rapid growth, PAPA has enlisted new Board members to serve for two years. Four new Board members — Iliana Muñoz, Christina Neville, Father Larry Mattingly, and David Todd have been invited to help us shape the new PAPA. Collectively, these new members bring expertise in law, interest in human rights, and experience working with immigrants in our community. Welcome!

This year the Board has been involved in developing new policies and procedures in order to better structure our organization and thus to continue to provide high quality immigration legal services. The Board has also been actively involved in fundraising and grant writing so we can meet this year’s annual budget — estimated to be $804, 069. The early efforts of the Board have paid off and a new foundation has already awarded funds to us in the form of a technology grant. $8,000 from the Lola Wright Foundation will go toward

(Continued on page 3)

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