Good morning.

My name is Minor Culpepper District 7 City Councilor.

And I am chair of the Boston City Council Committee on Civil Rights, Racial Equity, and Immigrant Advancement.

Today is April 9th, 2026.

The exact time is 10.01.

The hearing is being recorded.

It is also being live streamed as Boston.gov, City Council TV and broadcast on Xfinity Channel 8, RCN, Channel 82, files, Channel 964.

Written comments may be sent to the committee email at ccc.civilrights at Boston.gov and will be made part of the record and available to all counselors.

Public testimony will be taken at the end of this hearing.

Individuals will be called on in the order in which they are signed up and will have two minutes to testify.

If you are interested in testifying in person, please add your name to the sign-up sheet near the entrance of the chamber.

If you're looking to testify virtually, please email our central staff, Ron Carr at Ron.com at Boston.gov.

Let me just say that again.

Ron.cub at Boston.gov for the link and your name will be added to the list.

Today's hearing is on Docket No.

0299, order for a hearing to confront determination of federal protective status for Haitian immigrants and examine the City of Boston's response to protect it to protect affected residents.

This matter was co-sponsored by counselors uh Julia Mejia and Ruthine Lugeon and was referred to the committee on February 4th.

Today I am joined by my colleague, uh Councilor Ed Flynn.

Good morning.

Uh and lead co-sponsor Councillor Lu Jean.

Thank you to my colleagues.

Now joined by Councillor Murphy.

Good morning.

Thank you to my colleagues and panelists for joining today's hearing.

And I especially want to thank Councilor Alujin for all the work she has done on this issue and for her advocacy and continued efforts to protect and uplift the Haitian community here in Boston and nationwide.

As chair to make sure that the City of Boston is fully to prepare to support our Haitian residents in the event that federal protections are ultimately terminated.

We're all aware that there is ongoing legal uncertainty surrounding temporary protective status for Haitian nationals.

While court action has temporary temporarily preserved these protections, the outcome still remains unresolved.

Given what is at stake, people's ability to work, remain housed, access health care, and keep their families stable.

We have a responsibility to be proactive, not reactive.

Boston is home to a strong and vibrant Haitian community that is deeply woven into the fabric of our city.

They will be felt in our schools, our workforce, our housing system, and our neighborhoods.

Today is about understanding the scope of that impact, assessing the city's readiness, and identifying where gaps may exist.

As chair, I also want to be clear that this hearing is about action.

What should the city council be doing now?

Are there policies we should be advancing?

What investments should we be making in the fiscal 27 budget?

And what coordination has already taken place or needs to take place between the city and with community organizations.

We need to ensure that if federal action puts our residents at risk, Boston is ready with a coordinated, well resourced, and community informed response.

That means having clear data on who is impacted, ensuring legal and social capacity is in place, strengthening partnerships with trusted community organization, and aligning city and state resources ahead of time so that we are not responding in crisis but operating from a position of preparedness.

Counselors will have five minutes for their opening remarks.

With that, Council Lou Jean will start with you.

I will not take five minutes.

I will take 30 seconds.

I want to thank all of the advocates, Monique, the incredible work that you've been doing, Liz at Mira, Pastor Kiki, Dr.

Gabo.

I'm in meetings about twice a week about TPS.

Want to give a big big thanks to our Congresswoman Presley for her leadership on the discharge petition and the incredible grassroots advocacy of so many that made what felt impossible possible to get the necessary 218 signatures.

I want to thank Philanthropy that has really stood in the gap during this moment.

We got them, and I want to thank everyone who made that happen.

It started with me calling Marty Martinez at the United Way to calling the Boston Foundation to getting everyone together to commit millions uh of uh philanthropic dollars to really addressing issues and standing in the gap for our communities in this moment.

Um there's so much more to do.

The city and the mayor filed an amicus brief for TPS.

Um there is oral argument.

There's still a lot more fight on the advocacy's advocacy side and on the legal side.

But I would just want to thank everyone for all the work that everyone has done so far.

It's an uphill battle under this administration, but you all are doing incredible work for our Haitian community in the city.

Um we know there's a challenge.

Uh I get pulled out of meetings, our city council meetings for emergency situations for people.

Um an important part is also making sure that people are applying for alternative status such that um as as it's available, the work that we've been doing to source to support legal services for our immigrant communities.

I have the meeting, I've had meetings with the governor on this, have a meeting next week on this, um, because it really is not just a Boston issue, it's a statewide issue, and we need to make sure that we are coordinated in our response and in our work.

And uh, Director Wynne, you've been doing that, so I just want to thank you for your leadership, and I want to thank all the advocates for all you do.

Thank you.

Thank thank you.

Councilor Flynn.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, for uh chairing this important meeting.

Uh thanking Monique and your team for the important work you are doing advocating and representing immigrants in our city across our commonwealth as well in such a professional manner that you do it.

So just want to acknowledge, acknowledge you, Monique.

When I was stationed in in Cuba in 2009 and 2010, I was there for a year.

I was at Guantanamo when the Haiti earthquake hit, and we were on the on the southern side really of um of Cuba, and we felt we felt the earthquake.

And the only the only um airport that could get supplies really into Cuba was was Guantanamo Airfield.

And they the US brought in relief into the airfield and then transported the best they can by Ocean as part of that um relief um support efforts, but since that day, I wanted to do everything I possibly can.

I was fortunate enough to get elected to the city council and supported the temporary protected status for Haitian um Haitian residents, Haiti uh people coming from Haiti into Boston or to the United States.

I think it's incredible incredible important that we stand with the people of Haiti.

I think this is a civil rights issue.

I think this is a moral issue.

Just want to say thank you for what you're doing, Monique.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Councillor Murphy, you have five minutes.

Thank you.

Um and thank you, Chair, for convening us this morning.

Happy to be here.

Um thank you, Monique, for all you do.

Uh your job is challenging all of the time, but I know it's been more challenging, and you know, just praise and good wishes isn't enough.

We have to make sure what are we doing?

So happy to be here and to see what we are doing, how we're responding to this particular situation, you know, for the protective status for our Haitians, our Haitians are you know, our neighbors and our friends and business owners and contribute like all of our immigrants and all of our residents do in so many wonderful ways, and many of them you know are scared right now.

And what are we doing as a body and what am I doing as a city council, but also as a neighbor to make sure we're doing all we can.

So looking forward to hearing from you, hearing from the other panelists and making sure that we're working together here.

So thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Oops.

Good morning, Councillor Durkin has joined us.

Council, you have five minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Chair.

Um, and I just wanted to uh be here because I know how important this is to our communities.

Um, and I also want to thank um Councilor Louis Jeanne.

Um, as the first Haitian American elected to the city of Boston, um, I think that your leadership has been incredible, and we're so lucky that we have you on the city council, and we're so lucky we got to see you as president for two years, um, really leading and being bold and representing uh your community.

So really um honored to be here.

I think um I I think it's remiss if we don't mention the work of uh Congresswoman Ayana Presley as well.

Um this is so deeply important to our immigrant communities um that are under attack every single day.

And um there there's issues of cruelty here, um, but this really also is an economic issue.

Um it's an it's an issue that um impacts our communities deeply in in both a social way but also an economic way.

So I want to thank you, um Monique for your work.

Um as we um as we move forward as a city, um it it makes me uh heartened to know that we have uh leaders that care and um that we have a department that's doing this incredible work um and uh making sure that our immigrants feel welcome, seen, heard, um, and at the end of the day, um we have to do everything that we can to make sure that every immigrant in the city of Boston knows that they belong here, and I think um your department has done such a great job of of being that uh welcoming door um to the city.

And so um, so I I I will take my notes from our Haitian colleague um counselor Louis Jeanne.

Let me know where to show up, let me know where to be.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor.

Um I'd like to introduce our first panelists today.

We have two panels, our first panelists is Monique Noujian.

Is that good, director, the mayor's office for immigrant advancement?

Monique, you have uh seven minutes for your opening statements.

And I understand you're not using your presentation this morning.

Yes, I'm using it for just uh notes for speaking.

Yes, thank you.

Got seven minutes, thank you.

Thank you, um city council for your attention and your concern in the matter.

The Haitian immigrants in our community are a vital part of our community of our 200,000 foreign-born residents.

55 55,000 of them are Haitian immigrants, and of that, 3700 are TPS holders who are connected to all these families and these communities.

So I don't think lightly, and neither does my team or um the whole city race ourselves with the concern about how the impact will be if we lost this status in this program for our beloved community members.

So I I'm keeping it short as well.

I imagine you all still know a lot of background about this area of work.

So I am open to answer your questions about our plans, and I welcome the feedback you'll give us today to sharpen them in service of our community members.

Thank you.

Yep.

Oh my goodness.

I'm trying to change it up this year.

Reserve energy.

No, you did.

You did.

We've got a few questions for you, uh, director.

Let me ask you with regard to the ongoing litigation and the expected Supreme Court decision early July.

How's the city planning for multiple multiple scenarios?

Uh TPS extension versus termination, and what triggers or activate different response plans.

We take our response in totality of all immigrants who are vulnerable during this time, and we work with the organization Sangmira and the whole entire field to plan for know your rights family preparedness and deportation response, if there is need for that.

So there is a right now, Moya has already has invested in this fiscal year 88, 880,000 legal services funds for the field, and we have 18 organizations providing those services in the field right now.

So they are building the capacity and readiness for this moment.

And for the state as well, the state has already passed um have five million dollars in resources for legal access for folks in general for the state.

I know right now there's active res active push for additional funds on the state level as well.

But I want to note that there isn't enough qualified legal aid in the community right now to respond to the need.

So we talked about that when you were last here with regard to the legal aid and how there wasn't enough.

What would you recommend in terms of the budget in terms of an increase in order that there is sufficient funding for the legal aid?

It's hard to say because we we haven't been able to look at everyone's case.

So it's everyone's case is different in regards to how complex it is.

So and legal fees are all over the place in regards to supporting individual cases.

So it's hard to hard to estimate right now, but I do know that we're heavily relying on the state level funding to be self-support for us to be leveraged for the city.

And so with the concentration of our non-citizen Haitians, neighborhoods like Hyde Park, Dorchester, Metapan.

How is the city prioritizing geographically targeted interventions and services?

Yes, we we looked at the whole city and determined which neighborhoods have most of our need um who are um where most of our immigrants um live.

So we have been doing community office hours in the libraries, we've been focusing on those schools in particular as leveraging those existing networks to do outreach and engagement.

So our team does um community office hours with the Boston Public Library, so the community members can come into the library in a friendly place to engage with our constituent services team.

And we haul in all libraries as well, we haul we have this corner set up and stewarded by librarians called their immigrant information corners where constituents can go all the time to access the resources, resources, and we have been working with BPS leaders in those schools.

I have an additional question, but let me turn to Council Louis Jean now.

Oh, you go ahead.

No, I've got more.

You go.

I don't have any.

Councilor Murphy.

Yeah.

Um question I have um what pathways and are we able to offer and what opportunities are there to not have it, you know, temporary, obviously, right in the name.

It's not forever.

So what pathways are we offering?

And are you able to at the city level knowing that this is coming from above?

Yeah, so we mostly offer right now immigration uh consultations for folks to determine if they have other pathways to adjust their status at this time.

So we have in free immigration consultation by volunteer attorneys twice a month for residents to um to get an appointment to have that time to talk to an attorney on the phone, and that's what we use to pivot them to connect to our our legal partners in the field.

So it's just you just have to find adjustment of status in another pathway, but right now TPS is a non-citizen uh pathway.

Right, right.

Yeah.

Um, how often do you see at least the ones um you know, the families, the individuals you're working with, that they actually have another option?

Um, you know, TPS has been established since 2010, so they they've set roots here in the communities, so there's different ways to adjust status over time.

You might find an employer that wants to sponsor them.

There might be uh family-based petitions that happen during that time period.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Councillor Murphy, you finished?

I'm finished.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilor Durkin.

Thank you so much, Counselor Cole Pepper.

Um, so I guess one question I have um as we head into the budget.

I noticed that right to council, um, the specific pilot program that the city um and Ben Weber um worked together on, and the city council sponsored last budget season um to keep BPS families from eviction.

Um I obviously that's not one demographic of people, um, but I think it's really important that as we're talking about the holes within the legal that you mentioned within sort of like what legal supports are available that we even in this tough budget time um make sure that there are ways for us to have access, you know, our the most vulnerable among us have access to counsel.

Um obviously I'm not asking you to weigh in on that.

Um I do want to just say out loud that and read into the record that I will be supporting um access to council, and I think we should figure out a way to do that.

Um it touches a number of issues, but um like I I think that um unfortunately with the growing challenges um and uh hostile federal administration to immigrants, um, that is going to continue to legal counsel is gonna continue to be an issue.

What are the what are the main um resources that you know obviously I know like Greater Boston Legal legal um but it's essentially I I guess I'm just curious who are your partners in this work in terms of um in the legal profession and how can we as the council and as a city encourage more pro bono partnerships with with legal firms that can do this type of work.

Yes, I'll start with the the legal firms.

I think this moment is I think it's important for us to start raising the narrative, the importance of our Haitian community and all of our immigrant communities in general and start stewarding relationships with these um like private attorney like corporate um private legal firms to provide more legal uh resources as pro mono representatives, and then two is working with um organizations that train up and uh steward the idea and the concept and the implementation of organizations become DOJ representative.

Um the problem is right now I know that's being challenged right now, that program in general.

So I think there's some if there's any policy push or around like making sure that program stays in place so that organizations that are in community can be also become authorized representatives for for immigrants in general.

Yeah, that would increase capacity, and I think there could be another another push for um law schools to advocate for better pay in the field so that more immigration attorneys come into the field.

It's one of the most challenging fields to work in, and right now also with the the low pay, it's it's not very attractive in comparison to other uh professions.

So I think there needs to be more uh respect and dignity that's that goes into the work of attorneys that do immigration legal work.

Yeah, and I mean there are a lot of attorneys, you know.

We have we have two right here that are not practicing law, you know.

So it's like I you know, I think it's really important that um you know that it actually be incentivized, especially in with these vulnerable cases.

I definitely have some friends who are attorneys who volunteer their time in different ways.

I just was curious how the city is making those connections, and um, and I think it's a really important um we we know we at least have one access to council pilot that has worked and has um has has kept some BPS folks from eviction um and obviously saving us money in the long run.

Um, and but I think that the city needs to be even more creative, and I know there's a second panel um that is uh that I I want to hear from as well.

Um, and I'm and I just want to apologize.

I do need to step out for a meeting, but I'll be back.

Um, but I do want to thank you for your work, uh Monique.

I think um it's really really important as a city that we have someone like you and your team and yeah, you know, obviously in the budget process, knowing the stress that you that these specific communities are under.

Um, I just want to share my support for all of your work, and if I can be helpful, please let me know.

Thank you so much.

Monique, are you working with the lawyers committee for civil rights?

Yes.

And are they reaching out to the private firms?

Um, I think in general, their their nonprofit model is is that the most of their work is engaging with different uh legal aid and legal firms, and their work is to steward that um support for civil rights and immigrants within that.

What can we do as a council to help with regard to expanding access or pro bono work?

Hmm.

I think a lot of your advocacy and speaking and networking to talk to these um these firms and also if there's any support that you can throw behind it any additional um funds on the state level for legal aid organizations so they can expand their teams would be great.

And what about the law schools?

Law schools as well, yeah.

Yeah, I was at Suffolk Law last night.

And I spoke on a panel and the law students were asking what can they do to help.

And so this may be something that the law schools, especially with Suffolk University right down the street, BU, right down the street, Harvard, New England, can begin to look at to do clinics.

Are there any clinics in any of the law schools that are helping with representing students, especially those that are uh bar preferred under section three, they're able to go into court.

I know that there are different immigration uh law clinics that are like supportive spaces for law students to support existing cases, and even we've leveraged that in our team in Moya as well for them to help us like do legal clinics in the past or any type of volunteership.

So there are big opportunities in that as well.

And let me just ask one final question.

Knowing that many of the Haitian TPS holders work in health care, caregiving, food services, transportation, what contingency plans is being done with employers and these sectors to mitigate the workforce disruptions.

On the other hand, what's being planned in the event that they need city help or support to give to the Haitian TPS workers in the event that they're no longer employed?

And so it's two sides to one question.

Yes, so the first part regarding employers, um, I know that there is you know, community uh groups that are uh talking to employers to support them and knowing their rights and responsibilities as employers during this time.

Um we're trying to bring people um laying off immigrants before their status even is terminated because that's even happening right now.

So I think there's that is just talking to employers and engaging with them, educating them about how they can also support advocate and protect their workforce.

And they do actively talk about you know how do we uh fill the void, but then we also say how do we protect the folks that we have right now because they're the ones who've been trained up and connected to the people that they care for or the communities they already serve.

And then I know that they also have been talking um on the federal level how general labor workforce concerns as well.

So that part, and the second part was regarding um how do we support them if they lose status, right?

Yeah.

It's the general uh response that we have for all folks who are vulnerable this time about losing their status or have have already lost status.

So we do know your rights, family preparedness, and um access to legal access in the field.

And what about the ones that are being laid off now?

What's in place to support them?

I would say the community.

Uh sadly, there isn't a lot we can do as a city, and we don't we're not able to allow provide direct legal uh representation, but what what we can do, we are a bridge to uh resources in the field from um organizations that do mutual aid work that organize uh rent assistance to helping collect um baby uh food and diapers and whatnot.

So there's a lot of mutual aid in the field right now that we're really grateful for in the network that supports people who are in need that during this time.

And is the city doing anything with regard to small grants in the event of a layoff?

Um I we don't have a response specifically regarding two layoffs, we just already have the funds that we already employed this fiscal year, and right now as a whole network, there's over 80 organizations at our grantees are supporting in different ways beyond legal access from youth employment to even helping with mutual aid to mental health support.

And how much, how much was that, how much was that budget for 20 fiscal year 26?

Uh 1.8.

1.8, okay.

In terms of an increase, if you I mean, look, we know we have a budget challenge, but in terms of an increase, if you if you could have one, what would you need?

It's it's hard to say.

It's it's a anything that would repress would be pretty outlandish because it's just not it's beyond what we can do as a city, and then that's why we are relying on the city of this statewide efforts for no community and statewide efforts for additional funding on the state level.

Yeah.

And so I remember when the uh Haitians came to Melnia Cass and there was this big outpour of uh support for them.

I mean, the church, my church was full of uh uh donations for them.

Is there anything similar to that being planned?

Yes.

Can you talk talk about that a little bit?

Uh there's been, you know, historically, faith institutions in the city has always been like the foundation of mutual aid for for immigrant communities.

We've been fortunate to work with organizations like Bethel A and Me, who've helped us steward shelter programs and they've already put their back in support of future response plans.

And we also work with this network of faith institutions that are Christian focused that are as Boston Flourish and they focus on stewarding the concept of supporting immigrants in our city and just you know having a city where everyone can thrive in general.

And they recently made this dashboard to coordinate resources called BERD.

Um Boston immigrant area resource uh directory.

So it's for as a it's uh uh online dashboard and a community resource database where people can look at all the resources in the city.

So there's a couple infrastructure things that are happening and social infrastructure.

Thank you, Moni.

I'll now turn over the chair personship to council losing.

Thank you.

And I will run to another event.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Although this is your hearing, just to be very clear.

Um I wanted to also just mention that if any, no one should be losing their job at this moment because everyone still has temporary protective status.

So if there is anyone who is losing their job, my office has had to intervene on several occasions to ensure that employers knew that the register had been the federal register was updated.

The attorney general has been giving out great guidance.

So if there is anyone who is listening, who is losing their employment or has lost employment, they should reach out to my office, they should reach out to the attorney general's office to intervene in the ways that we have to ensure that the employer has accurate legal information to know that there is no reason to terminate anyone's employment.

So I just wanted to make that clear on the record.

I also wanted to make it clear that this body, uh, 12 of my 13 colleagues signed on to an amicus brief that the mayor and I led in support of retaining temporary protective status for our Haitian immigrants here.

This is uh a legal fight that is accompanied by an advocacy fight, which is again, I think why the work of Congresswoman Ayana Presley, because we are talking about something that is a federal issue.

Um and I want to thank uh Congressman Ayana Presley for her leadership and her work on uh the discharge petition, um, because I think that it's really important.

As you said, as a city, we're limited in terms of what we can do, and I want to thank your incredible staff, especially your Haitian staff for the work that they've been doing here to really stand in the gap for a lot of our communities.

But I I want to uh make it clear that we understand that this is a federal fight, and we are trying our best to uh assemble city and state resources uh to really address this issue, which is why we've been convening with the governor's office, and I know you and your office have been present there as well.

So I just wanted to thank you for all of the incredible work that you do, and I know that budget-wise, we try to do what we can and we try to supplement it when um when possible, but um we know that this is a larger issue, so just want to thank you for all the work that you do and your team.

Yeah, thank you so much for the council support and your leadership on this always, and um thank you for um holding this.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

Um, all right, uh uh Director Wynne, you're free to go, and I'd like to call on the next panel.

Um, and that next panel um includes uh Liz Sweet, the executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Pastor Kiki, uh Jean-Frédorissant, the president and executive director of HAU, Dr.

Gabot, who I believe is with us virtually, and uh Wilson uh Telemot Louis, CEO of ETA Haiti.

Oh, and we've also been joined by Councillor Enrique Peppen.

Uh thank you for being with us, Councilor Peppen.

Um, I will now turn it over to the panelists, um, who will each have five minutes for a presentation.

And um I'm going to just use my clock here.

Um, you each have uh five minutes to go.

Um we'll start with you, Liz.

You have the floor in five minutes.

Thank you for being with us.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Lucian, and and all members of the Boston City Council.

Um my name is Liz Sweet.

I'm the executive director of the Mirac Coalition.

We are a membership coalition of more than 160 organizations that organize and serve our diverse immigrant communities here in Massachusetts.

And um, I do want to name that we greatly appreciate um the leadership of the city, the leadership through um the Moya office around these issues, um, and are very appreciative of this hearing today.

Um, the potential early and arbitrary ending of Haitian um TPS status has really significant implications for our communities here in Boston.

We have welcomed thousands of Haitian immigrants to Massachusetts over decades now.

Individuals and families who've built their lives here, who've attended school, who work as nurses, health aides at all levels of our healthcare system, who've opened businesses, and we all are here, of course, because all of this will be destabilized with the end of Haitian TPS if that comes to be.

Again, if that comes to be.

At Mira, we're also greatly concerned about the legal issues that have already been aired here in this in this hearing.

Haitians who lose TPS status, if they have not already, are going to need to immediately evaluate their legal options and access legal assistance.

And we all know that there's already an incredible overtapping of the existing legal services here in Boston and in Massachusetts.

The know your rights presentations that Director Nguyen talked about will be incredibly important, as will the ability for for all these folks to access representation where they do have cases.

I want to particularly mention that Mira has been advocating at the state level for funding for immigration legal services, and the state has been funding this past year, and we're advocating for the continuity of the Massachusetts Access to Council initiative.

The state last year allocated five million dollars for that program, which represents individuals who are facing potential deportation, who are going into immigration court proceedings.

And you know, we do hope that that program will continue and be a resource.

However, um, as we've all talked about, there is a need for state for also city funding and for legal service providers to step up as they can.

Um there was already a mention of the role that law firms can play, and I think it's important to lift up that um that it's that we all can help shape a narrative around how important it is for all stakeholders, including law firms, to step up and respond at this time.

Um I want to also briefly raise the concern that with the potential end of Haitian TPS, it may be a moment where the um there may be some federal targeting of Boston and some type of surge in immigration enforcement.

Um I certainly hope that that does not happen.

It is something that I believe that we need to be prepared for and coordinating to respond if that comes to be.

Employers will be losing critical workers in so many sectors.

Um Mira has been a part of providing know your rights information to employers.

Um, but the impact on our employers to suddenly lose many workers will be very real and needs to be thought through as well.

Um, so that's um what I have prepared for today, and I just want to thank you all again for considering these issues and how the city of Boston can prepare.

Thank you.

Um Pastor Kiki, I know you won't mind.

Uh uh Dr.

Gabo has to has to ask if she could go next.

I'm gonna go to Dr.

Gabo from the Immigrant Family Services Institute, and then I will go to you, Pasakiki.

Okay, um uh Dr.

Gabo, hi, good morning.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you.

Good morning, good morning, Councillor Region, and thank you.

Um, thank you for your leadership because again, like we know for many, I mean, now for years you've been fighting, you've been at the forefront leading, you know, this fight for the Haitian community, especially in for this CPS issue and for convening funders and for always calling and asking what can I do to support.

So we are so grateful for your leadership because again, it means so much to us, knowing that we are not alone in this fight.

So uh my name is October Gabo with If see Immigrant Family Services Institute.

So I don't want to repeat anything that um both Liz and uh Monique have you know have already said, but I wanted to make sure that I uh I speak directly at what we see on the ground.

Uh our organization, as you know, we are statewide, but our main office is in Manapen.

So every single day we get to see families coming through outdoors, asking for help.

And uh, you know, whether or not it's legal, legal uh help or you know, talking about the challenges that they are facing with their children, challenging they are facing with their work, employment, and challenging that they are facing emotionally.

Uh, one of the big items that I've been really uh trying to get everyone to understand and also to pay attention to is the mental, the emotional toll that the whole situation is having on our community.

Not every day, not every any single day goes by without us hearing a case of a family member who has been taken to the hospital or suffered minor uh stroke or uh has been isolating themselves because of the fear and the anxiety that is going on.

So currently, one of our biggest, biggest uh issue is how do we support you know the emotional well-being of our families through uh what we say a culturally you know uh uh adapted you know method where they can come to places that they know, to people that they know and to feel better.

So that's a big issue for us because every day we hear families you know complaining about the emotional toll that uh the end, even though the TPS is still not you know uh dead yet, but again, uh knowing that it could be uh ending soon, so families are very worried.

So, on the other side, uh I I uh appreciate the questions uh that uh councillor cut paper uh brought around the community.

So it's important for the city of Boston to understand, and I know that uh they've been doing a great great job around that, but I think it's more important now to uh realize that uh the community they go to places that they know, they go to people that they know, and you know, most of the time they want to come and have a conversation.

So, community-based organizations like ours, we are always at the forefront, no matter what, we have to open our doors, you know, seven days away a week to welcome those families.

So, always thinking in terms of you know, how do we do you support uh community-based organization that probably some of the line items are nowhere to find in the budget to support those families, but we are there every single day to do that.

People already already starting to lose their jobs.

So we have a lot of um people coming every day and they lost their job, and employers have a way to let them go uh uh so that they don't uh really uh kind of face any legal uh situation.

So a lot of them are already losing their job, and I know Pastor Kiki is going is going to talk about the driver's license issue because so many of our CPS recipients they are the bus drivers, they are the one uh transporting our children, and I know that he's going to talk about that.

But right now, we are facing issues where families cannot pay for their rent.

Families uh who are uh uh homeowners are worried about how they're going to be able to pay for um their mortgage.

So all of those are really important issues for us to be thinking about you know what can we do to continue to support the communities while we are going through this uh kind of you know very confusing and very unstable time for our community.

So again, mental health is a big thing, you know, uh thinking about a direct cash assistance to support those families who are going through some tough time right now.

It's important.

And just so no, so we know housing, it I mean, housing is becoming a big issue because at the state level, we they used to use uh home base as a way to support their rent.

And home base is not going to be renewed.

And at the at and by June, a lot of people will used to pay their rent through home base, they are not going to have this opportunity anymore.

So those are very big items that are coming away and that we should pay attention to.

So let me stop here because I know I only have five minutes.

Um, but again, I'm here if any if there is any question.

Thank you so much, uh, Dr.

Gabo, and thank you for all you do.

Thank you for being my combatant, my fellow fighter in this work.

I don't know how I would be doing this work without you by my side.

So thank you, Dr.

Gabo.

Um, I will now turn it over to I have to call him by his official name, uh GFO Fleurison.

Uh, you have the floor.

Thank you so very much.

Uh uh Councillor Louis Jeanne.

Uh, and I want to thank uh all the other uh distinguished counselors that I called my friends.

I have them on my TV show uh most of the time to speak to the issues with the Haitian community and hosting as well.

Uh community events, resource events, legal clinics to that uh effect.

Again, just my name is uh Jeo Fau Floison, the executive director of the uh true alliance center.

I'm the chair of the Haitian American United Incorporated, uh, member of Equity Now and Beyond GBIO, and also member of the Faith in Action International Way Forward in Haiti.

As you know, Chihuahua and Center has been advocating for the well-being and welfare of the Haitian community throughout the greater Boston, throughout Massachusetts as well, uh, focusing on immigration uh reform, protection, health care, education, housing, and uh jobs.

So uh today I stand before you today as both a pastor and witness to the realities facing Haitian uh TPS uh recipients.

As you know, um just repeating uh again the cliche.

They these are long-term residents, essential workers, and parents who have contributed to this uh nation for decades.

So today they face a crisis, as described by many uh already.

Uh TPS uncertainty creating fear and instability, job loss due to work authorization confusion, uh, delays in TPS approvals after poor revocation, CDL barriers causing immediate job loss, and families are suffering due to ISIS detention, and we've seen parents that are detained and children are left behind, and we should see family families' collapse uh under this unfortunate uh circumstances.

Um that's definitely create a dominant effect uh on families and communities.

Uh the coin the consequences are cascading.

I would like just so to acknowledge uh the leadership is the key.

And and also uh Council Region, thank you.

In the midst of these challenges, uh, we are deeply grateful uh for the leadership uh for your leadership who convened a critical stakeholders' meetings a few months ago, last month probably, that gathering uh brought uh together advocates, uh community leaders and partners to mobilize financial support and begin addressing the growing needs of impacted families.

So thank you for your leadership, and I definitely pray that uh that could continue uh to happen.

Uh just I always always want to take stories.

Um just receive a call yesterday from a bread winner, has a great job with the MBTA working for five years.

Uh, as you know, TPS ends to the card end uh February uh 2nd.

And then he went to the RMV, and RMV said unfortunately we couldn't renew your CDL driver license.

We have to downgrade your license to a regular license.

So therefore, he's been out of work since January and is calling on me.

He's the one who brought uh testimonial at the uh congressional hearing we had in Madapen, uh, is still out of job right now because he can't renew uh his driver license.

So we have another one who called yesterday again, stop by at the office, bring all these papers.

I went to renew my driver's license and couldn't renew it.

Just got about three three young people who stopped by yesterday at the office and said, Well, I lost my jobs in January, and the fact that my card expires, I've been looking for jobs.

I had interviews and no one hired me.

Uh I'm still just really don't know what to do because when I whenever I try to call, nobody wants to hire me because I don't have really a card that I can show that I hold uh legal status.

I don't I only have a piece of paper that says TPS will continue to remain until uh July 1st of this year.

So those this this would cause a lot of uh nightmare and into our communities.

And as you know, we're talking about community response.

Thank you so much, Bodic was here.

We partner with Moya and uh Greater Boston Legal Services uh as well with the Mirac Coalition and uh just to host legal clinics uh on a monthly basis.

And when we are seeing we have this cover in those legal clinics, when those lawyers speak to the people, they can't really represent them.

So they have complex cases, they have appointments at the courts, and the lawyers say, Well, we can only give you advice, but we can't represent you.

Okay, but when we try and contact a private lawyer, they ask for 10,000 or 7,000.

I think reinforcement should be definitely to uh help those community uh uh grassroots organizations that work closely with the uh with the with the people and know the issues that could definitely probably just talk to a few private lawyers who probably would want to reduce their fees to assist those people.

So again, legal uh representation matters.

And I was looking at the budget that said to be uh for this year.

I think Moya's uh budget has been reduced uh from four point uh from 4.26 million dollars right now, so is 1.8 minus.

So the city council is definitely good advocate for more money to be put into Moyas so that it can help the community organizations that host those legal clinics and then also provide representation to those people who have uh good appointments, uh immigration appointments, so that's they can't they don't lose definitely their status to that effect.

I stop right there if you have any questions for Sweden.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um and uh is Wilson uh Telemo Louis is he on virtually thank you, Pasekiki, as always for being such a staunch advocate.

I don't know um how you know we are lucky here in the city of Boston to have such great leadership, and you are one of them.

So thank you, Messian Pil Mkonese Lakao La Lola, se la cae utelaye.

Um Pasakiki City Hall, City Hall of Chambers, this is home for you because you are such an advocate um helping us stand in the gap for all of our residents and farm most vulnerable.

So thank you for all that you do.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh well, thank you uh for this panel for all the work that you do.

I think it's very clear.

So what we're talking about here is uh, you know, across the country, we're talking about more than 350,000 people whose status at risk, and I wanna, you know, for many of us making that argument that morally it's imperative for people to be here, that um it's the right thing to do.

We are talking about people who have 15-year-old kids who are US citizens who are in high school, we're talking about people who have mortgages, people who drive our bus school buses, people who drive our um our MBTA buses, our entrepreneurs, people who are part of the home health care industry.

Uh Pasakiki mentioned the field congressional field hearing that Congresswoman Ayana Presley had in Mata Pan.

Um, these are people who are neighbors, but for a lot of people, that argument of these people are neighbors, they're part of our society, they're part of our fabric, we have a moral imperative, it doesn't work.

We know that the stronger argument and and a true argument is the economic one, is that TPS holders have paid over the years billions of dollars in revenue uh in taxes in this country.

Um they uphold certain industries when we talk about our health care industry, when we talk about you know, food services, there's so many industries that are so dependent on TPS labor, meat packing.

Uh, when you look at the if Springfield, Ohio, the mayor and the governor are actually very appreciative of the Haitian communities that have helped to revive a town, regardless of what um the vitriol that has been coming out of the White House and from this president.

Um what arguments, you know, and and I think that there are a lot of people, um, whether it be in our law schools, you know, Harvard Law School, for example, my alma mater, they have uh um an immigration clinic.

Uh there are a number of there's a lot of work that people did in 2016 to strengthen pro bono um attorney representation.

What are you seeing now compared to 2016?

Uh what I feel like what what we've been experiencing is a lot of um a lot of has it hesitancy right now to do anything that goes against the Trump administration.

Um fatigue in the number of fights that people are fighting.

Um, and how have you seen how have you seen that impact the legal resources that are available to people?

For the question, I I think that it very much reflects the experience that many of us in nonprofit organizations unfortunately have had over the past year and a half.

Um, you know, in comparison with the first Trump administration, where we really saw an outpouring of support, including from large law firms, um, some of the targeting of firms um by this administration seems to have led to some chilling effect where it has been more challenging um for those of us in nonprofit organizations to get the same level of commitment and and services from so many of the the law firm partners who have stood up in the past.

And so um I do think it's a place where we all need to bring our voices together to to make that case to the firms of how important this work is.

Um, that it's work that we all need to do together.

And Councillor Louisian, I I think your points about um the economic arguments are very real.

From several organizations, um, including the Haitian Bridge Alliance, um, that document that just here in Massachusetts, Haitian TPS holders are contributing um 481 million in annual economic contributions, 88 million in annual federal and payroll taxes, and 59 million in annual state and local taxes.

And so those are significant contributions.

Are those Massachusetts numbers or those?

Those are Massachusetts numbers that I just shared.

They have information about national numbers also, but I'm just reading off the Massachusetts numbers.

Um just our Massachusetts TPS holders are making those contributions.

Um so I do think we all need to be lifting up these messages.

Um, and you know, I think any leadership that the city council um and the city can can do to explain, you know, and communicate to firms that we need their partnership right now would be incredibly valuable.

Thank you.

Um Pase Kiki or Dr.

Gabo, uh if not, I have another question.

I think directly towards you, Pastakiki and to Dr.

Gabo, I'm not sure if she's still on, but um when you talk about loss of employment, you know, I I've been addressing those issues as they've come up.

You know, we uh you know it took some time, but we addressed the driver's license issue um with the the CDL license with the state.

Um there are three home health care workers who were let go, and by the end of the day, because of uh collective advocacy, as a reporter, I called the uh attorney general's office, they had their jobs back.

But you're saying that we're still seeing people lose their jobs who have TPS, and um how can we help?

How can I help in intervention to ensure that those employers hire them back?

Uh but despite uh as you know, the uh instruction uh letters um just uh written by uh the governor, we have another instruction letter from the uh ages office as well.

Um just uh describing exactly the nature of uh TPS.

But in the back, employers still let the people go.

They might not say uh definitely just give the right reason as is that the reason they let them go, but you know, they could just uh uh the many people came to the office and said, Well, my employers just let me let me go.

And we were trying to call, I still trying to call.

They said, Well, we don't have any work available again, no more work available for them.

So we just what what what is creating again?

Many employers would like to see a card that has a longer expiration date.

And the fact that what what what the situation, the profound situation that causes many of those uh TPS recipients have renewed uh their work of the resistance back last year and never received the new cards that expire on February 2nd.

Many of them still have the old cards expired in 2021.

Okay.

So what happened is that when they go to the employers and they don't have the new card that expired on February 2nd, it creates a problem for the employers just to keep them because they don't have anything to base on anything as of 2026, they have good old cards, 21, 24, something like that.

So that creates another problem for many.

We have at the office I have closed to 150 pending TPS applications.

Renewal.

People waiting for new cards.

They never receive them.

USDIs have the backlog of those renewal applications.

I'm talking about existing applications, not talking even the newly um uh uh you might need to unfold uh who get their work of the resistance uh revoked, they did apply as well for TPS, and they never receive any approval, any cards to continue to work, and that's what creates the nightmare.

Yeah.

Well, I'd like to ask, you know, when we see that happening systemically, like the employment opportunities or losing their jobs.

I'd like to know who those employers are so that what we can shed light on it.

One of the uh things that has been successful is media attention, is media attention from uh reporters who are interested in this issue, and we can uh make sure that we are trying to shed light on it when we do know that that's happening.

So thank you.

May I may I add something about the the uh the legal clinics?

I'm sure we have multiple legal clinics even at the law schools, but I as I said, what the the barriers are, it's because those law students cannot practice law and they're not equipped as well to accompany anyone or to help those people when they have the appointments.

Yeah.

So they have to hire a private lawyer.

We have a uh a list of uh pro bono lawyers when we try and contact them, but everyone is overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed, yeah.

Yep.

Um I myself was a 303 lawyer um when I was an attorney when I was in law school, and the you know, three or three lawyers still need you can't do it on your own, you still need an ad uh a lawyer to be with you in situations that you can actually fully practice.

So it is a good model, these clinics, they're a good model that allows the, you know, we have maybe six law students to uh a lawyer.

Um, but I know that uh a lot of our clinics are overwhelmed with cases right now, a lot of our lawyers are overwhelmed with cases.

I do want to just there are some lawyers who I call on pretty regularly, who always pick up the phone.

We're always finding ways to really help when we have really difficult situations.

Um and I just really want to give them their flowers because there's we've had so many emergencies um that are ongoing, and um I think it's critically important that we acknowledge them and thank them.

I also wanted to um gonna turn it over to my colleagues, but I also just wanted to state that um, especially in light of the recent death of Emmanuel Damas that it is critically important that any of our immigrants, if they are taken by any authority before posting any sort of bail or anything at all, it is critical that they consult with a criminal and uh an immigration attorney because there are complex situations that where what may seem the right thing to do, let me get someone out of uh really someone from jail as soon as possible may not be the best thing overall, so it's incredibly important that uh we take a beat even in the most difficult situations and find a way to consult an attorney.

If you don't know who to go to, or if people have no idea, the more your office is available, uh, mirror is available.

Um I'm going to make sure that we give out some numbers at the end of this so that folks um know numbers that they can call, but you also can also feel free to reach out to our office because we want to make sure that people are getting the legal guidance that they need to make the best decisions they have.

We've also been joined on this panel by Wilson Telimo Louis, the CEO of IT High Haiti.

Thank you, Wilson, for being with us.

If you all the panelists had five minutes to give introductory remarks, if you would like five minutes to give introductory remarks, uh you have the floor in five minutes.

Oh, thank you, folks, and thank you for having me here today.

And as you just said, uh Council uh Woodzi, my name is Wilson Telimo Lois, and formerly Wilson Telmo Louis, now it's Wilson Telemo.

So I translated my name into Haitian Koreo to promote the Haitian heritage because we have a language, and in Haiti, we have 100% of the populations who speak Haitian Koreo, while we only have 5% of the population who speaks French, and the educational system is in French.

So which exclude 95% of the population.

In Haiti, less than 5% of the population can read, speak, understand, and write their language.

While the education is conducted in French, which fell more than 90% of the cohort of 100 students who attend high school, which means out of a hundred of students who attend high school in Haiti, less than 12% graduate from high school.

I hope you understand when I said by a cohort of students.

So that's why we're fighting for education in Haiti, and we believe I'm not just here to fight to have my Haitian fellows have GPS, but also how to help Haiti.

We start from scratch.

So we here in the US folks, I know most of us are immigrants.

We came from another background.

Haiti is the first black independent country in the world, which means we created what we call freedom for the world.

Every time you see black Lions Matter, every time people speak about Martin Kaking, or Mark Commerce, anyone else, they should think first about this.

So Jacques Dessaline is the first black leader in the world that America excluded.

Just because he said cut the head and burn the house.

Because during that time, white like uh kill so many black people around the world.

Well, in Haiti, just because of that statement, they try to have history forget about the Saline.

This is why, even in Massachusetts, we can't have this aliens name anywhere on the street.

Not even one style carry this is an image.

So we want to help the nation know that.

So not only we try to save our fellows here.

Well, while we build history, we can also help other nation recognize Haitians as equal.

I said it in the first article of the human rights declaration.

Everyone is equal before the law.

And there was a second thing we want you to be aware of.

Before the international law, every country is equal before the law.

So it was just an introduction.

My name is Wilson Telemok Louis.

I'm a journalist from Haiti.

I went for Congress when I was 27.

And also with Joe from Senate at the age of 30.

I got just from law school, came to Lance in 2016.

I went to BU having a pedigree certification, and also have a master's in public service.

I think I'm the first Haitian who hold a master's in public service.

Not only that combined public administration and politics but also to see if we can bring something back to Haiti and see as we are Haitian leaders like Pastor Kiki, our colleague Wizi, and also the mayor who that we help during campaign to advance the promotion of immigrants in this country, see how they can help Haiti rebuild their educational system.

And also I work for Mass Hire.

I believe OER New Massai is the state organization that helped immigrants going to school, help jobs, find people.

We accounted many Haitians that came from Haiti who don't know how to manage a mouse.

They don't have any access to digital literacy.

If you find any Haitian, please ask them.

So we don't think I'm saying words.

Which language do you speak?

They will say, I speak French proudly.

And Haitian Ku.

Start speak to one of them in French for two minutes.

They don't speak French.

We don't speak the language.

We don't understand the language.

We don't write the language, not with the language.

But we have to be seen as someone who speaks the language so we can be accepted by other countries.

Is the language that gives us freedom and 100% of Haitians speak it?

So we want the educational system to be built in the language that people understand the most.

And we believe if people study in the language, they understand the best, they will be able to understand more what they study in school.

As they understand more what they study in school, they will have a better uh chance to succeed in high school.

As many people finish high school, they can have also access to go to university.

As the graduates from the university, they can also have the opportunity to create businesses.

And if more people create businesses, they can also have the chance to hire more people.

As more Haitians, youth being hired by small business owners that will lead to less delinquent juvenile in the country.

And even in the future, a Haitian has to travel abroad, like in the United States, France, Canada, or anywhere in Africa.

They will have not only the skill, but but also being respected as an intellectual person and will not need to come to America, no with no knowledge on how to like um manage a computer, how to use a computer.

So this is our fight, and we are as we said, I'm still in the five minutes.

You have 15 seconds left.

Okay, so thank you for having me here, folks, and I'm here to share with you.

And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

I am a member of the Black Man Political Task Force.

We've led by, which used to be led by uh our uh city counselor, Minia Corpe, and also the president of a political party in Haiti called ITI Haiti, and we also the CEO, as you said, of ITI Haiti, which is a 51c3 organization in the US.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, and I want to thank the entire panel.

Um, and I want to thank my colleagues who have joined.

I don't know if my colleagues of you were here, but I just think we had 12 out of 13 of our colleagues sign on to the TPS amicus brief that the mayor and I led.

And so I just want to thank my colleagues for also standing with the Haitian community in this dire moment where um TPS for 350, the more than 350,000 Haitians are really at risk.

We know that on April 29th, I believe it is, or that's the Wednesday.

Is it 29th or the 28th, 29th?

The Supreme Court will hear oral argument on this TPS case.

They're taking up TPS for Haiti and TPS for Syria.

They've combined the cases, and we expect a decision from the Supreme Court in late June or early July, and we know that this is going to have drastic impacts on our families and our economy, which is why we've been doing everything we can as a body, as individuals to support uh the lawyers who have brought the case to support the petitioners and to also support Congresswoman Presley, who has brought forth the discharge petition to force a vote on TPS in Congress, and that work is ongoing.

Um so I want to thank my colleagues for just standing with us uh in this fight.

I think the order of arrival first is Councilman.

So, Councilman Penn, I'll give you the floor and seven minutes for questions.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

And just a reminder that Dr.

Gabo is on virtually as well.

Thank you.

I want to start off honestly by thanking you for your leadership on this um on this issue.

I've been able to just stand by your side and support you and all the in all the efforts and conversations and just movements we've been able to do, at least here from the city council.

Um it's just I represent District 5, which is a very proud Haitian community, and I get to see just Asian families and IFC and Pastor Kiki every you know every week in my work.

So I just want to thank you all for the work you do to Mira.

It's good to meet you, Wilson.

Um thank you so much for the work that you all do.

It is not an easy time.

That I know.

It's it's one that unfortunately I feel like the Haitian community is getting the really short end of the stick with all of this.

It's disgusting.

Obviously, a lot of our immigrant community is under attack, but some it's interesting because I look at the Haitian community as one of the hardest working communities in the in the country.

You guys provide so much, and I know we keep saying the financial contribution, but I don't think that should we don't have to use financial contribution to justify the reason of the importance of the Haitian community's contribution or impact to our city or to our country.

There's so much more that your community brings to our to our city that doesn't we don't have to use money as justification.

And I I'm lucky because I have IFC in my commun in my district, and I know how overworked they are.

And I know that we've been trying to organize a new year rights thing with um with the Mira Coalition for the community.

And what's so sad is that when we were organizing this, we were getting pushback because people were scared to do this in person.

And they wanted to move it virtual, and now we're still trying to find the new dates that I could work, and we've been working in partnership with Cindy and Councillor Louis Gen's office on this.

So just wanted to thank all of you for the work that you do because it's gonna take a village to overcome this time in our nation and in the history.

It's it's not just about local government, it's not about state or federal government, it's all of us together, including the community and the people.

I'm glad that we brought up the I mean, we just entered budget season yesterday.

We just got the budget book, and you know, I'm pretty sure we're I'll work with counselor Weber and my colleagues along with Moya to see what kind of impacts are those budget cuts going to have on their office and how we could potentially bring it back if it's through amendments or finding other forms of funding.

Uh again, credit to Councilor Louis Jean because uh a few weeks ago we had a we had a um beautiful uh meeting over at the Eagle Room where a lot of outside sector, private sector, and nonprofits come together to figure out how we can raise money to to serve our community that is in need.

So I wanted to thank you again for that.

My I have my questions were honestly related amongst the impact is how it has on the workers in the Haitian community.

I think that you both already spoke on that.

It just really sad to hear about the story of the example you gave about the MB MBTA employee that has been unemployed for since January.

I want to know, like you may not have the answer.

What are they what are the options now?

Um what are the conversations with the state to say, hey, I mean we know your TPS status is on hold, or you haven't gotten your new TPS card.

But uh what is a state how's what conversations have been happening with the state in regards to workers' permits and making sure with mass hire to make sure that they have a different avenue to potentially bring income into their home or is there anything that's happening?

We uh we are so grateful for the Basino for the the driver license.

I should know.

We fought very hard making sure that uh we have that, and many of those people they have the regular, as I said, legal uh driver license five years they're uh able uh basically to do some gig works, but that's not enough.

I shouldn't understand.

There will definitely some uh help uh supplementing uh that uh uh self employment income uh the they get it.

And uh it's it's uh I mean during COVID um I believe that we had uh many all the uh philanthropies who uh that come down and said, Well, we want to what want to work with the city, we want to work with the state, we want to provide additional funding to the um uh grassroots organizations that support those people.

And I think that's what we want to see happening.

But as you uh just heard from uh director at least uh stating that we have so many hesitancy uh for many of the philanthropists that can come down right now to assist.

So we just need additional uh funding um that could definitely be that valuable to the city or to the states and that could definitely uh again uh transition into the non-profit organizations that can definitely assist those people, even with leg legal fees because many people they will need some additional legal fees because we don't have enough Bobonolars.

Um rental assistance, some cash assistance.

Um weekly food distribution.

I can we still have people coming.

And uh for the past a few weeks we we've seen just uh a decrease, but you know, they're stuck coming back now here.

When we have when we receive uh from the greater YMCA, 50 uh we got uh 50 cards at 50 dollars each.

Uh I believe that.

We've got a fifty cards, we got 150 people showed up for that.

So it's always happening.

We ha we do a food a food pantry in Hyde Park if you want to friday.

Now we see about 350, 400 people uh come in uh to receive food.

Okay.

Thank you for that.

Um another area that I've been focusing on, Lisa, is helping at least schools like the Matahunt School in my district, where there is a large Haitian population there.

It's the only um public school in the country that is dual langu dual lingual with Haitian Creole and English.

So I just we're very proud of that.

But a lot of the parents there um have expressed concerns obviously of the safety of their of their children.

So making sure that BPS has the right resources during this time as well to help the children, because obviously it's uh it's a multi-generational um issue that's happening right now from the children to the work and family to the working adults to the older generation that I know that are all scared.

So we are very much focused on that.

And I I always look for guidance through my colleague, Council Luigi of how I could be supportive.

I'm very lucky that she lives in my district and uh she she's she's a strong advocate for the community as well.

I just wanted to express my partnership, my support to the community, making sure that you know that my office is here to support and I'll be working closely with Mira to make sure that we we do host that um your rights training that the High Park community has been asking for for the Haitian community.

And then Pastor Keiki, I'm pretty sure I'll run into you again around Matter Penn.

Good to meet you also.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Councilman, and thank you for your leadership and your work as well.

Uh the chair can answer Council Weber, you have the floor in seven minutes.

Okay, thank you very much.

Um yeah, and you know, I think um you know what we're dealing with is an administration that wants to harm people, uh they want to pull them off the streets, make them fearful for to go to school, go to work, uh and you know, uh I think what we saw with uh Mr.

Damas is you know part of the the system that they want to create.

Take people who have status, who are here legally, who are working here and contributing uh and then say that they're cr criminals because their their status has been stripped from them in a way that is not even permitted under the law.

Um and you know, I feel like in terms of what we can do, I just wanted to clarify so that's the Supreme Court argument uh on in i this April 29th.

Is that on the stay issue uh or is it on the merits of it's on the stay.

Yeah, but you know, that it relates to the merit.

Well, no, I mean it the I mean I think and this happened with the Venezuelan TPS, I I believe is the court said, well you can't let that go into effect.

Uh you can't ru just remove TPS status from all these people without having some process because that they're not legally allowed to work then and and you know we we c if we reverse it later uh harm has already been done.

Uh but we're so what's going before the Supreme Court is whether th this action has been stayed, they could just remove the stay, send it back.

But what we're seeing is even with the stay in place, harm is done because people see oh a due date or an end ex uh end date of this program in February, uh so they're already not hiring these people.

So I I gotta it's I think you know, in some ways they already get what they want just by appealing this and having the Supreme Court take it up and creating an uncertainty.

So and I would say there was an article today in the Times that the Trump administration is pressuring immigration judges and firing them if they don't deport more people.

So just another unsurprisingly, you know, uh uh bad news, you know, um and and and just reprehensible actions.

Uh uh so in terms of um, I guess you know where we can make a difference, you know, we schools, uh Counselor Pepin talked about.

I know we've talked about courts.

I I like you know, I JP, we have JP fights back, and we don't have a large uh Haitian community, but you know, where could we send people or in you know invest in sort of resources outside of attorneys?

I know we talk we talk about courts.

Is that someplace we should focus?

Uh because uh they're talking about picking people up at you know when they show up for hearings and things like that.

Um, where should we be looking at to make you know uh a difference, or at least like let people feel like they can move through the world without being you know just picked up by ICE.

It's a great question.

Um I mean I I do think that the more we can all rally legal resources, the the bigger difference, of course.

Um, but I think there is a lot of need for um as much community um coordination as possible around that potential of um further ICE surges um come in the coming months, and you know, LUC of course has a very strong model for you know tracking that and and sending volunteers out and and training people to to answer calls, and so I think that's an excellent place to plug ordinary volunteers into in addition to legal.

Yeah, I mean, I I honestly like I I've been in meetings in Jamaica Plain, and I'm like we should invest in a school bus or something.

I mean how we're how do we we have lots of people who want to do uh good work and it's uh where to deploy them, I think.

Um, you know, something that we're trying to do.

Also, uh Consela Web Uh Weber, uh been attending uh uh for the past two months, a meeting with uh Dutchester is not for sale.

So they bring together community um uh members as with uh Lucy to be trained to see how they can assist the uh their their neighbors.

And then you know, when we hosted that clinic uh at the um uh Henondis uh last month, we had many members of Lucy uh who came and stood outside and just accompany the people to that.

We did one at the Bruce Bowling Building.

They came outside, they just meet people from the bus stop and accompany people to the clinics.

We went to the another one this Saturday 11 at the Marahad School, home up to St.

Lou Vetrio Academy.

Uh so we we partner with them, they'll be there uh to help people to come.

And this they what happened is uh from Equity now and beyond, they always stay in contact uh with us.

It's not only impacting the Haitians, impacted all immigrants, because we have a the Spanish, the Latin ex of the Brazilians and the Africans as well definitely being impacted by that situation.

So it's an open line of a communication with those institutions uh on a daily basis, just to know whether I received call from Bracton uh Lucy, if there's anything if I is on the rank in Brackdone to alert me so I can alert other Haitian organizations.

We have group WhatsApp groups where we definitely disseminate information uh about uh the presence of ICE at different states.

So is that a different community uh coordinating uh uh aspect as we do?

Yeah, I just say the advocates, like if you're if if if it's hard to find people, I think I I call me because I I think I can get get people pretty quickly.

Um in terms of the so just I I don't know if I'm close to the end of the time, but uh um the attorneys in that issue, uh it is it is very difficult practicing immigration law, and you don't want people just winging it because there's so many just consequences down the line.

Um and you know, honestly for students, it's like yes, you you you would be great if you had student, you know, Russi Louie Gen representing you, uh, but student Ben Weber, you might you'd be you'd be in trouble.

Um so I mean we do need C senior attorneys working on this.

Uh but I d I do hear a slightly different issue with in terms of the employment where people are not being employed.

I mean, Amila uh Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Association has a hotline.

They do have a l a large network of attorneys, it's illegal to discriminate against people based on their immigration status.

Um and often actions I mean I found in my practice like a phone call letter from an attorney saying, you know, I uh you know, I represent this individual, just so you know, you know, he's has legal status and that can have an impact.

Um I I I've just f flag that because that issue, I mean, it just when somebody has legal status and they're just being denied because the paperwork is c confusing, uh, or maybe they're willfully, you know, uh being confused by it, but um you know that is the there is an employment law issue and I don't think you need an immigration lawyer.

I think a lot of you get a lot of people stepping up for that.

In terms of like law firms, I guess who who have you just like what uh we have a lot of big law firms here, they've got associates that are just Xeroxing paper in the back and stuff and uh uh who they could you know send to do this kind of thing, but I what do we ha do we have any law firms that are stepping up in that space?

There there certainly are law firms that step up.

Um I know that there are law firms that participate in the clinics that um that Moya holds, etc.

Um and you know, as I mentioned earlier, I think we've we have seen a chilling effect that law firms have not done as much of this work as publicly as in the past.

And so I do believe that it's a space where you know the city council, you know, using your voices to to help ask law firms to to step up and participate right now would be very appreciated.

Yeah, I mean again, it's like I don't really want somebody some second year associate as at a private firm to cut their teeth on a case that uh where somebody's you know immigration status is at issue.

Uh but you know, f in terms of like a mur you know, g if we need people uh tomorrow, I mean that that is something that is mutually beneficial to the law firm to to have those people gain experience.

Um and you know, usually they can be brought up to speed and there are licensed attorneys.

Uh so I I'm I'm happy to work on that and go around uh you know, seeing what our our law firms, you know, are willing to do.

Um you know, I I don't know if you hear it, there's a very real issue of compared to 2016 when there were as a as a lot of people jumping in.

There's a lot of and you see it, law firms have seen it, the retaliation from the Trump administration.

So we are up against uh Yeah.

Yeah, I mean but that that is that's a political issue, and um, you know, I think like yes, they got pushed from one side, have they been pushed from the other side uh, you know, by their great law firms here with a lot of you know really capable people um uh that should step in and or you know, people should know whether they're stepping into that breach and and or not.

Um just in terms of uh um Moya, you know, and and the funding, I guess, you know, what where would you want that funding the di additional funding?

Would it go to legal services or we are going rental assistance?

Um you know, how what how should we be like what are the specific things we should be thinking about?

I definitely now is the um the consequences of the uh budget cut that we that we have.

Uh Moya would be facing a 1.8 million dollars uh cut um going into uh 2027 and that would definitely impact uh the immigrant communities.

Uh I believe that's because we are advocating for uh additional uh funding for Moya so that uh uh legal uh assistance would be in place as well as rent or as system we're based.

You mentioned both, and both are very critical.

Uh legal critical uh as you stated and then um as well as uh again housing uh cause a major problem.

And the reason that's we have uh low enrollments basically in public school in in Boston is the fact that immigrants can't remain in Boston.

So they have to move elsewhere.

So they can't.

I have a lot of a lot of families used live in Boston that move all the way to Fort Weaver.

They went all the way to Springfield.

So they have to and we've we've seen the exodus will continue.

Okay in terms of that because we don't have if Moya doesn't have enough money basically just to uh assist those uh grassroots organizations that would definitely be uh very disaster for the immigrant communities um okay and just last I mean in terms of uh extending TPS uh so we we need the House of representatives to to have a vote and we don't that's not we don't know when that would happen uh it can it happen it can start happening as early as next week when they're back from recess and then the Senate would have to vote on it is that right yes you need 60 in the Senate.

And then is it has to get what go through the president and then you know override a veto.

Yep.

It's a there's a long journey for it.

A lot of it is about advocacy and also pressure but uh we also didn't believe that we could get the 218 signatures necessary for the discharge petition.

Yeah.

No I mean I think all over the country people have you know these TPS recipients in their communities contributing to the communities being vital parts of the communities and that's definitely the case here in Boston and so you know I that's why I was happy to make phone calls and I'm I'm sure uh I personally changed everyone's vote that I called but um uh I want to thank every you know everyone in in at the House of Representatives who's supporting this I think I want to thank them and but uh I'm here for the fight um alongside you so thank you thank you and thank you Council Weber for for being with us at Ula Cafe shout out to Marvin um but thank you for for your support because it really did help make a difference I know you joke a lot but having your presence there being with us in the fight um we honestly we were it was a really a grassroots coalition alongside Congresswoman Presley that made this possible and many of us you know we we were making these calls because what else the the you know we have to do something to try to protect TPS and that was one avenue so um thank you very much for for your help there and the work continues and we're continue continuing to try to get people to support um the discharge petition and the and the bill that it's attached to so thank you.

Okay thank you chair uh the chair recognizes Councillor Santana Council Santana you have the floor in seven minutes awesome um good morning um thank you madam chair um thank you to our panelists I I do want to take a moment to just thank Councillor Louis for your leadership um uh for immigrants um in general um and obviously for our Haitian community but I think you've been uh um steadfast leader um just for our entire immigrant community and um we're very lucky to have you here in the city of Boston um and want to thank our panelists um today um Pastor Kiki um back to back days that we get to see you here in the chamber um we're always blessed um by your presence um and I I know I missed the first panel but I I do want to give um a special shout you know uh uh a shout out to um the Moya team Monique and your entire team you know one of my favorite departments um you all do this work with so much intentionality um and um I know there's a lot of lived experience um and I know my family and I know many other families have been impacted by um the work that your office um does every single day um I don't have any um you know I think uh uh questions I think it's pretty clear I think for me of what we need to do on the city council um what we need to be advocating for um you know during this budget season um even with limited resources as as we all know so um but uh you know I think we uh you know I'm committed to uh making sure that I'm supporting um you know whatever Council Channel is um is um is leading on um and I think we you know I'm committed to making sure that my other colleagues also can support that so um you know just uh want to be here to um educate myself on on on what role I can be playing um and um yeah again just really appreciate um the work that you all do um please count on me uh my office um to be uh uh a supporter in that work um and yeah so thank you so much I I don't have any questions uh madam chair um but really appreciate um you bring in um this hearing and um really hope that um the rest of our colleagues can um really support um you know a lot of the initiatives have been mentioned today of housing legal services Moya um during this budget season thank you thank you so much Councillor Santana and again thank you to my colleagues um um who signed uh the 12 12 of my call me and 11 of my colleagues are 12 of 12 signed the amicus brief and I want to thank you um Councillor Santiana for being one of them and and then Councillor Weber and Councillor uh Peppen as well.

I don't have any additional questions.

Um I know that this is very hard and very heavy work.

I don't think that we address that.

Um we've given our our shout outs to the Moya team, but we know that you carry a lot because this is this is direct services in so many ways, and we know that direct services is incredibly hard.

Um so I just I want to give a big shout out um to Moya again, to Monique, your leadership of the mayor's office of immigrant advancement, uh Felonia, to Kendi who is here, to Wilson, uh, because I know because I know it personally as someone who is Haitian in this work, that this work is not just our nine of five, it's very personal and we carry it and it is heavy.

Um and so we thank you, Mdinu Messian Pilputabana Fees and Napaskum Kornesabalia, so I feel personnel, don't we do messy parce que say Shaila Luan Pilkunya, parce que um pin mun kick problem ki was a sipo episode where Kisa do cafe pumunio.

So I just want to say thank you so much.

Um because I know how heavy it feels for me.

I know how heavy it must feel for Pastakiki for so many who are every day in this work standing in that gap.

So just wanted to uplift you all and say that we see you, we appreciate you.

Um and we see I see you every day out in community and know how hard this is, and to the entire Moya team because this is not an easy time for any of our communities.

I want to give a big shout out to Doris and Anna at the TPS committee who do incredible work.

Um there's they're organizing on April 21st um in front of the uh federal building, they are organizing a rally, um, a press conference.

Um it is important that we are all there and that we stay united in each other's struggle.

Um because today and right now in this moment it's the Haitians who have been tremendously under attack by this president and by this administration.

But so is that is true for our Latino uh brothers and sisters, it's true for our Somali uh uh uh communities, it's true for our queer community.

It's it's queer for it's true for anyone who um is from a uh is a person of color or it's from a marginalized community or who doesn't have wealth in this country.

And so I just want you to know that this is a council that cares for you.

That is um I know my office is putting so much of our heart and our work into these issues.

Um and um we we appreciate it.

I I did say that I was going to give out some numbers, some phone numbers to if there's anyone listening who needs um assistance.

There's a Massachusetts Access to Council Initiative, um, which provides free full legal representation.

Um that phone number for an intake line is five zero eight five zero five.

Ooh, I'm missing a number here.

If anyone has it.

Um you have it?

Okay.

508.

I will give you the number uh to my office, 617-635-4376, C77, C Sunshine, Khan Twa Soissons.

Um Mirror Coalition Immigration Helpline.

I know uh Liz can give it out, but that number is 508-293-1871, Saint Sandrit, uh De Sa Cataventres, Dishuite uh Soissant Once.

Um uh we have we have we put out a guide with a bunch of numbers, but uh Liz, if you have the number for uh the Massachusetts Access to Council Initiative.

Yes, it is 508, 505, 458.

458.

Okay.

So that's 508, 505, 458.

Um that's Sanc Sangreet, uh Sanc Sang, Khan Sink, Cataven, Catrivin Rit.

Yeah, numbers.

Um and uh the mayor's office of immigrant advancement, uh Monique or does someone want to give me the number?

63575298.

2980.

So the number for the mayor's office of immigrant advancement is 617-635-2980, C77, C Sun Sun C Vent Neuf, Cat Event.

So those are some key numbers.

Uh we also have a guide available um on uh Instagram receiver Boston is also on our um Facebook page.

We have all that um information.

Uh I don't know if anyone um on the panel has any um closing remarks that they'd like to give or uplift if if not, if if so, now is the time.

Well, you know.

Um I just want to thank you uh for your leadership and also the leadership of uh the uh all the uh distinguished uh counselors, Councillor Weber, thank you.

I was here yesterday to bring the invocation.

Uh it looks like my second home here uh to come all the time, uh being invited by many um counselors.

They understand the issues that we are facing.

And uh these families uh of uh TPS uh not asking for charity.

Uh they are asking for fairness, uh dignity, and opportunity to continue contributing for to the nation.

Uh they have help uh so much America.

So since uh 1776, many Haitians die uh in Savannah uh for this country.

So they shed the blood and this soul for uh this country.

So they need to be uh uh receive with dignity.

And as scripture said, Proverbs 3189, we have to continue to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and defend the rights of the poor and the needy.

So that we want you to stand with us as elected officials, understand our issues, and come to our clinics to learn more about the people and then continue to advocate for more funding for those uh non-profit organizations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else in or yes, and I would like also to thank you uh for hosting this panel, and I also like to tell you guys all that you are very inspiring.

Like uh we haven't met you before, but I already spoke to Pippen and also your former colleague, I think his name was Ricardo Awe.

He was great too, and I also love Nisha Wu, who was very kind and professional in his work.

I love you all guys for the great and hard work you're doing in the community.

I also commend Pastor Kiki too to for leading the Haitian community community proudly.

I always like to see him in pictures like anywhere, he's taking action every day.

And yeah, we are a team.

And one thing I would like to highlight is that um uh philanthropy, like Pastor Pikiki was referring to, he's not only feeding people, he's not only renting for people, it's also giving the people access to sustain themselves.

It's like feeding them every day, is trying to see how we can help these people that we call illegal, which is not according to our knowledge.

Like nobody's illegal in this country.

And one way we could say these people are illegal was if they were in Haiti and being pushed either by the national government to go out and as they are out from their country, we could probably treat them that way.

But as America, like you all know, we may not want to express it, but as public servant, we truly know that human rights is one for everybody.

So America is participating in destabilize Haiti through their core group, which is the United States, friends, Canada, Spain, and England.

They built a core group in Haiti through an embassy to uh lead Haiti, like to govern Haiti, which is not right according to the international law.

If we if they want to treat this, to treat this Haitian or any immigrant from anywhere illegal, they should they should start their practice in their country.

They keep us from back home.

If I could make $2,000, $200 a month in Haiti, I will not come to America.

Believe me.

Haiti is a paradise, folks.

I feel like to cry every day.

When I'm speaking out my poem, saying that Andrew Nilakai, Sasel know people by guy, let's have a place to free the PI, no one selumbrai.

No, Bitas Nola Kai, Kukai Voisinai, a pre KI triyai to you can pie.

No, allow nine to see why fet, Madame Sarah, to try Zetolong.

I took what is I Popia, Militone, the region, Kowosola, Papai, Faye Akulev, Kashima, Sambuskay.

It has your being travel, your charge, plus you give Saba cookie bell isai.

That's it, too.

I see retunilakai.

This is one of my most beautiful poems I wrote from Haiti, which reminds me of everything that is good in Haiti.

Like I was saying, Haitian Kyo is the language of freedom.

That's the language that gives us liberty in Haiti and also all black people in this world.

So please help us, not only feeding Haitians, renting their houses and stay home, doing nothing.

That will lead to more birth and delinquency, stealing.

That they could even practice what they were practicing home.

Kidnapping.

We don't want that in America, right?

If they can get English classes, that's philanthropy.

We help them to help others.

That's the will philanthropy.

We just help them to help themselves.

We help them to help others.

This is philanthropy.

So and I would like to also thank you guys.

Especially Miniakal Paper who welcomed me here to not only testify and being part of the panel to share what he knows that I have called Haiti.

And as someone, I lost my job for Mass High a couple of weeks ago, because I was to engage in the advocacy work for my community as Haitian.

That was one of the reasons why.

And so I couldn't believe that since April 2025, when I think the US, the TPS status was ended.

If I'm not mistaken, Pastor Kiki.

That's the poll.

2024?

The poll, the poll.

But this is this edition.

Yeah, yeah, depend what I mean.

Those people lost their job since then, 2025.

They couldn't really start working.

So and some of them had TPS during that time too.

Still, they were not able to access UI, which is unemployment benefit.

Since the state has up to $10,000 for any immigrant who have what they call public assistance.

Like food stamp and myself.

Why these people are not allowed to go to training, even though they have public um assistant like food stamp.

I don't know if this is something you can address to the state to see if they could help this immigrant have access to training while they are home waiting for their work permit.

Because when we'll probably resume the work permit, they could probably stop working in something higher instead of only having these categories, immigrants only doing basic jobs.

Sorry for saying that.

And thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Wilson, for um your words.

I don't know.

Is Dr.

Gabo on?

Um and it does Dr.

Gabo like to would you like to give any closing remarks?

Liz, do you want to give any closing remarks?

I don't know, if maybe just very briefly to say um just to add my thanks um for this hearing and more than the hearing, all the work that is so clear that that you all on the city council are doing on this issue, especially you, Councillor Luigian.

Um, you know, I have conversations so often that we are living through such incredibly hard times, but so many of us are so grateful to be living through them here in Boston here in Massachusetts, thanks to the leadership of leaders like all of you.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you to the panelists, thank you to my colleagues, thank you to the mayor's office of immigrant advancement, Messian Pil.

We know that we are at a crossroads and at a very difficult point in our community where 350,000 more than people, 350,000 people are at risk.

Um, whilst also acknowledge that the Syrian community will also have their um TPS case heard, and so we are in this fight collectively together.

Um, and we know that TPS was create created for situations where it is wholly unsafe for people to return home, where the conditions have not improved.

Um, and so we know that this administration did not do their work when they were reviewing the current country conditions to determine whether it would be safe for people to return home, deporting people to uh country that is already in a fragile state, um, is a death sentence for so many.

And so it's up to us, even when the uh burden is heavy to stand in the gap.

And so I thank all of you for the work that you do.

Um it will continue.

So please, again, if anyone needs information, they can go to uh Councilor Louis Jeanne page, they can go to um on uh Councilor Louis Jeanne page on Instagram or on Facebook, they can go to uh Moya's mayor's office of immigrant advancement, call our offices.

We are here to be of service.

Pastor Kiki, you did mention that there's a clinic this Saturday.

Saturday.

Can you give more information about that clinic?

Yeah, we'll have a clinic at the 11:30 from 11:30 to 2.30 uh at the Marahant um uh to Sendro Virtual Academy.

So we'll have lawyers for civil rights will be there, mirror coalition, uh, will be the lawyers um GBLS uh in the whole coalition of equity now and be on Alpha Hence and Women's Group, ACDON and CSIO, uh all are going to be uh there as well.

Uh if C if C is leading that uh clinic uh as well.

And do people have to pre-register or can they just show up?

No, they just show up.

Okay.

So it means Sandisa Cap Viniana Matapanna Matahunt.

If anyone needs legal services, that's a good place for them to go this Saturday, 11:30 to 2.30 at the Matahani Matapan.