Organizing to Help the Latino Community

by Brian Dugas

On 6/1 I spoke about our potential camping trip and a possible opportunity to connect to the Latino community. I will give you an update on both of them.

On 6/9 the Community Justice Alliance met at Kings College with members from the Latino community and other concerned participants who would like to find ways to support them.

There were more than 20 people in attendance and we shared a lot of information with each others:

• Attorney Barron spoke about the current legal situation in the country and our region, and shared a list of Pennsylvania organizations which are involved with immigration issues.
• Members of the Latino community shared their issues and spoke about their greatest concern - guardianship.
• A Latino community activist from Lackawanna County shared what they are doing. They held a community meeting on the topic of Constitutional Rights and are planning a meeting on legal documentation in the near future.

We decided that these meetings would be beneficial in Luzerne County and are planning the same meeting down here in the near future. Date confidential, in Spanish, those willing to come could be liaison/supporters.

The Villanova Interdisciplinary Immigration Studies Training for Advocates: VIISTA is a 100% online course that trains students to become immigrant advocates ready to serve migrants and refugees.

Unlike criminal proceedings, migrants are not entitled to court appointed lawyers so 6 out of 10 migrants confront the immigration system without a lawyer, and many of these are children.

Students who earn a VIISTA certificate can apply to become a Department  of Justice accredited representative and can provide low-cost legal representation when they work for a DOJ recognized organization (Catholic Social Services, Church World Services).

The training encompasses all aspects of working with migrant families and can be used for employment or volunteer purposes. There are costs associated to the training but there are scholarships available. We are trying to get a cohort for the fall class, and we need 5 people to do that. We already have several people who have committed. 3 Modules $685 for one, $1,370 for two, $4,110 for three.

Don't forget the Camping Trip -  8/23 -8/24