Professional Documents
Culture Documents
she helps nearly 500 clients on a If you're late they don't care," FIRN provides a
variety of issues. Her job is not an Alexis clarified. This fact is made plethora of
easy one. Applying for citizenship more complicated by the fact information on topics
or even a Green Card can that many of Alexis' clients are
like applying for
sometimes require hours of legal children under the age of 21 who
health insurance,
research, dozens of pages of came to the US fleeing violence
supporting documents, and even in Central America. These clients English language
psychological evaluations. For are the ones that Alexis tutoring, enrolling in
Alexis and her clients, these remembers best. She is struck by school, and
applications are a lesson in how strange it is to see these obtaining
patience. Alexis explained that "cute little kids" in court. "They're
government social
after an application is sent off, "it just going about their normal
services. The
lives. They just want to go to
organization also
November 2017, Volume 1
FOREIGN BORN INFORMATION REFERRAL NETWORK
school, and hang out with their friends. and El Salvador to remain in the US after fleeing
Honestly, when you talk to them they have no idea violence or natural disaster. Many of FIRN's clients
what deportation even is." Alexis also clearly are from El Salvador and Alexis explains that FIRN will
remembers clients who were victims of a darker likely "start to feel the pressure" as individuals reach
aspect of immigration: domestic violence. She out asking for advice and help. Despite the difficult
explained that oftentimes immigrants who are nature of her job, Alexis sees her work as incredibly
married to US citizens or permanent residents meaningful. "My work at FIRN lets me be a part of
become victims of domestic violence. "Their partners people's journeys. I get to see growth. I get to see
use their lack of immigration status to control them. what getting status does for people. I've seen
Spouses may threaten them with deportation to people transition from coming in homeless to all of
prevent them from contacting the police or trying to sudden having a job and supporting their families."
get help. Unfortunately, there are people who prey Alexis emphasized that immigration status is vital. It's
upon individuals who don't have status because essential to finding work, enrolling in social services,
they know they can get away with a lot more." and maintaining a home. FIRN gives people the
Through FIRN, Alexis helps many such women and level of personalized help that they require, ensuring
men apply for status without their abusers knowing. that they can become productive community
FIRN is a nonpartisan organization, but the members. Alexis observed that it's important to
policies of the federal, state, and local governments remember that immigrants are all around us.
affect many FIRN clients. Alexis expressed concern "Immigrants are our coworkers, our neighbors, they
over the evolving issue of the possible expiration of go to school with our kids, so making sure they have
the Temporary Protected Status program that allows all the tools they need is really important."
immigrants from countries like Honduras, Nicaragua,
The Howard County Public School System is Most recently, however, Interim Superintendent
one of the most diverse school systems in the state of Michael Martirano has called for HCPSS's high
Maryland. HCPSS's English Learners' program is schools to be excluded from the upcoming
representative of this diversity with ESOL (English for redistricting. His plan would prevent high school
Speakers of Other Languages) students in Howard redistricting until 2022, but would move
County representing 100 countries and 82 different approximately middle school and elementary
languages. As of 2016, there were 2535 ESOL school students.
students enrolled in HCPSS's elementary, middle, and In all the debate surrounding the proposed
high schools. By now, most residents of Howard redistricting there has been little said about the
County with school-aged children have heard plan's impact on ESOL students. Many of the schools
about various school redistricting plans. As of 2016, that would face redistricting have substantial ESOL
15 of Howard County's 76 schools are overcapacity. student populations. The six most overcrowded
The planned redistricting is meant to alleviate elementary and middle schools that would likely be
overcrowding in schools. These changes are slated the focus of redistricting are Dunloggin, Ellicott Mills,
to take place before the 2018-2019 school year. Harper’s Choice, Centennial Lane, Manor Woods,
Foreign Born Information Referral Network
and Longfellow. All of these but Ellicott Mills have a community it is important to take into account the
substantial number of ESOL students. ESOL students voice of all groups, especially those who are often
are a particularly vulnerable immigrant population, ignored or treated as an afterthought. That being
since communication difficulties provide barriers to said, there are both positive and negative outcomes
success in many areas. In such a diverse, progressive for ESOL students associated with redistricting.
regardless of their immigration status or English It is vital that we, as a county, continue to support
language proficiency, have a right to a public ESOL students, ensuring that they receive the help,
education. They also have a right to have a voice equality, and consistency that they need. Weigh
in public policy decisions. We cannot ignore the the pros and the cons before you speak out about
opinions of anyone within the Howard County this issue, take the time to learn and read about all
Public School System; even though those opinions the factors that go into deciding on a redistricting
may be spoken in Spanish, or Mandarin, or Korean. plan.
CONTACT FIRN
Email: info@firnonline.org
Telephone: 410-992-1923