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Immigrant and Refugee Services connect with Tulsa's newcomers

Given the recent Executive Orders that have so heavily impacted our immigrant and refugee clients, the team has been diligently engaging the community. In the last month, you might have found the team at Kendall Whittier Elementary School or Tulsa Educare to talk about how the Executive Order affects immigration.

YWCA's Immigrant and Refugee Services staff was also invited to disperse helpful information to the immigrant community at an event hosted be the Mexican Consolate of Little Rock, Arkansas. On Tuesday, March 28, YWCA's Attorney and Immigration Program Manager, Laura Bachman, will be at Tulsa Public's Lewis & Clark handing out information about YWCA's immigrant and refugee services as part of their Parent Resource Fair.

On Wednesday, March 29, YWCA is partnering with Boesche Legal Clinic of TU to discuss immigrant rights during enforcement actions. Laura Bachman and Professor Elizabeth McCormick will present in Spanish and English, respectively, via Facebook Live. Tune in at 3:30 p.m. to hear the full discussion. Stay tuned by liking us on Facebook.

As part of Oklahoma News Hour, OETA sat down with Mana Tahaie, Interim Director of Immigrant and Refugee Services, and Laura Bachman to discuss the rise in fear among immigrants in Tulsa given the new Administration's immigration orders.

On March 3, the Immigration Program and Project Citizenship staff attended a liaison meeting with USCIS in Oklahoma City. The team toured the facility, learned useful information on immigration processing as new policies are implemented and were given the opportunity to advocate on behalf of YWCA clients with long pending cases.

Additionally, during an interview on Temas en Tulsa, a Spanish language Tulsa Community College program, Laura discussed why it is important for eligible students to renew their DACA applications. You can view the entire interview here.

Language Services is expanding its class offerings! In addition to English Language Learning (ELL) and Project Citizenship (PC) classes, Language Services will offer a High School Equivalency (HSE) preparation class beginning April 10.

Do you know someone who would benefit from one of YWCA's classes? Pre-enrollment for April has begun. Call 918-663-0377 to make an appointment for testing or enrollment in ELL, PC and HSE classes. Classroom spaces fill up quickly, so hurry!

Each year, the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Affairs Commission , presents the Tomás Rivera Awar d . If you know a professional, a volunteer or a scholar working to improve education in the Hispanic community, please submit your nomination by filling out and submitting this form . It is also available in Spanish and online . Nominations are due by March 31.

This week, YWCA's Laura Bachman wrote a letter to Tulsa World Editor, explaining that "ending DACA for more than 740,000 young immigrants is not just rife with humanitarian implications, it will have a significant economic impact on us all." Read the full letter here.

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Join the welcoming movement today!

Immigrants and refugees make Tulsa culturally vibrant and economically strong. Our community fabric is interwoven with the stories of newcomers who have built Tulsa into the diverse, energetic city it is today!

Tulsa Welcomes, an affiliate of Welcoming America and powered by YWCA Tulsa, is a movement to show newcomers in our community that their fellow Tulsans welcome, value and appreciate them. You can join the movement for as little as $35. At the $50 level, your membership fee includes your choice of window cling or yard sign to proudly display at your home. Membership rates are available for individuals, small businesses, non-profits and corporations. TulsaWelcomes.org