Orellana first learned of Iowa City through a friend from his adolescence in El Salvador. Before that, he had only seen the name “Iowa” on the state quarter, since he’s a coin collector.
Immigration
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Watch: Sudanese-American women in Iowa City explain Sudan fashion
“I feel like it’s important to represent myself, my culture or my identity.” Sudanese immigrants Mai Salih, Mazahir Salih, Hayat Osman and Entisar Jafar share and discuss Sudanese fashion, defined by comfort, color and modesty — from Mai’s sparkling $500 taub specially ordered for a wedding, to Mazahir’s simpler but cherished set of Sudanese garments. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Bill to punish cities for not fully enforcing federal immigration laws advances in state legislature
Supporters of the bill say it is aimed at forcing so-called “sanctuary cities” to comply with federal law, even though there are no sanctuary cities in Iowa. Some cities in the state, such as Iowa City, have decided not to have their police departments assist federal immigration officers in the performance of their duties, except in cases involving public safety.
Posted inCommunity/News
DACA stories: Two Iowa-raised brothers face uncertain futures
David looked nervous sitting at a table in the Main Library. It wasn’t being in the library that made him nervous — he’s spent a lot of time there as an undergraduate studying graphic design at the University of Iowa — it was discussing his immigration status. David is one of approximately 118,000 young people around the country waiting to find out if his application to be covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act (DACA) for the next two years is going to be approved.
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids ICE agents arrest woman and hold her without bail even though she has papers to be in the U.S.
Asucena Natareno Ramirez has been held without bail in an Iowa jail since Oct. 3, and her attorney still can’t get a satisfactory explanation for why she was arrested. Natareno Ramirez, a native of Guatemala who has been living with relatives in Mount Pleasant while her application for asylum is under consideration, was at the Cedar Rapids office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for a routine check-in when ICE agents arrested her. Her attorney Dan Vondra was informed by phone that the agents had an administrative arrest warrant that alleged she is present in the country “in violation of the law.”
Posted inCommunity/News
‘There is a time crunch’: DACA renewal workshops are being held this week at the Iowa City Public Library
There’s been a lot of confusion over the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program since Sept. 5, when Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the end of the program, but two workshops this week at the Iowa City Public Library will help DACA recipients cut through the confusion.
Posted inUncategorized
Democracy in Crisis: Fearing deportation, Haitians flee the U.S. for Canada
Francois LeFranc, 45, lingers over breakfast in the dining room of the NAV Centre, an Ontario hotel and conference center on the banks of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, he displays only one sign that he had been detained by the Canadian immigration authorities five days earlier: a plastic, hospital-style turquoise bracelet he wears with his I.D. number on it.
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City joins the legal fight against a Trump administration immigration policy
Iowa City has joined the city of Chicago’s legal fight against a controversial Trump administration immigration policy.
Posted inCommunity/News, Features
Iowa City’s Sudanese community navigates Trump’s travel ban rhetoric
Hanadi Elshazali will always remember what it felt like to go to work on Nov. 9, 2016 — the day after the country elected Donald Trump as its 45th president. She’ll remember the chaotic silence as she entered her office at the Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center of Johnson County, the muffled whispers that made her […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Eastern Iowa Refugee Summit this week in Iowa City
The first annual Eastern Iowa Refugee Summit will begin Friday morning and go through Saturday afternoon with a series of discussions and events aimed at celebrating the various cultures refugees and immigrants bring to the area and introducing them to services in the community.
Posted inCommunity/News
En Español: Beyond Borders: Iowa organizations work to include Latinx communities
En mayo del 2015 cuatro personas llegaron a West Liberty con cámaras y micrófonos para filmar las clases bilingües en español y en inglés en la escuela primaria y entrevistar a algunos de los estudiantes y profesores. Estas escenas no aparecen en la versión final del documental Más allá de las fronteras: americanos mexicanos sin documentos de Micah Fink, que se presentó el 24 de abril en West Liberty. La Liga de Latinoamericanos Unidos de West Liberty (LULCA) y la Asociación de Educación de West Liberty (WLEA) se encargaron de organizar la proyección para mostrar su apoyo a estudiantes y familias latinas sin importar su estatus migratorio.
Posted inCommunity/News, Features
Iowa City school board moves to increase support for immigrant students and families
After hearing comments from Iowa City residents, the Iowa City Community School Board moved forward with an effort to support and protect immigrant students and families. Iowa City residents spoke out in favor of a resolution supporting immigrant students and families threatened by immigration enforcement during the community comment portion of the school board meeting […]
