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Programa de Inmigración permite a las familias de América Central traer a los menores en peligro a los EE.UU.

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Cruz Hernández y su esposa Pabla Lobos no han visto a sus hijos desde que la pareja salió de El Salvador hace 16 años y se establecieron en Oakland. 

 

“La verdad es que es muy difícil”, dijo Hernández en una entrevista con El Mundo. “Han sido tantos años que no veo a mis hijos. Uno de ellos era muy pequeño cuando me fui. La esperanza que tengo es poder volver a verlos”.

 

La familia Hernández es una de cientos de familias centroamericanas que viven en East Bay que han dejado seres queridos con el fin de buscar mejores oportunidades para sus hijos que aún viven en sus países de origen.

 

En los últimos años, sin embargo, países como El Salvador, Honduras y Guatemala se han convertido en lugares potencialmente mortales para ciertas poblaciones debido a la represión policial y la violencia de las pandillas generalizadas.

 

El International Rescue Committee (IRC) es una de las pocas agencias de reasentamiento de inmigración en el área de la bahía que trabaja con el gobierno federal para ayudar a que las familias se reúnen con los menores de edad que están siendo perseguidos en sus países de origen.

 

A través del programa Central American Minors (CAM), miembros de la familia que viven en los EE.UU. con los servicios de protección temporal, DACA o DAPA pueden aplicarse a traer a familiares menores de 21 años que viven en El Salvador, Honduras y Guatemala como refugiados si sus vidas están en peligro.

 

A principios del año, Hernández escuchó sobre el programa CAM y comenzó la aplicación para sus dos hijos a través del IRC. Él está ahora a la mitad del proceso y está a la espera de saber si sus hijos califican para el reasentamiento de refugiados.

 

“Hasta el momento, el proceso va bien, pero la vida de mis hijos está en peligro a causa de las pandillas en su ciudad”, dijo Hernández. “Rara vez salen de la casa, pero todavía no es suficiente.”

 

“Los pandilleros vienen a menudo a su casa y los amenazan si no pagan”, dijo. “También la policía es un problema. Ellos irrumpieron en la casa de mis hijos y les revolvieron todo, pensando que mis hijos eran culpables de un crimen que no cometieron”.

 

El caso de Hernández es uno de los cientos que el IRC ha tratado desde abril de 2015. Mientras que el proceso de solicitud es simple, el período de espera, que implica una gran cantidad de comunicación con los menores de edad, puede ser de hasta un año o más.

 

Hasta la fecha, el IRC ha ganado siete casos de reasentamiento.

 

Uno de ellos es las dos hijas de Francisco Serrano, que llegaron a San Francisco desde El Salvador a principios de junio de este año. El mes pasado, que se vieron por primera vez en 17 años.

 

“Nuestra situación era difícil debido a las pandillas”, dijo Serrano a El Mundo. “Una de mis hijas estudiaba en la Universidad de El Salvador y miembros de una pandilla estaban siempre acechandola.”

 

“No sabíamos si debíamos sacarla de la escuela porque ella siempre ha querido estudiar”, dijo Serrano. “Ella quería convertirse tanto en una maestra que seguía yendo a la escuela, mientras que en el autobús a veces las personas tratarían de robarle.”

 

Hernández y Serrano dijeron a El Mundo que si las familias están en situaciones similares a la de ellos, deben buscar la ayuda de las agencias de reasentamiento como el IRC.

 

“Sabemos que muchas familias están en esta misma situación”, dijo Hernández. “El programa CAM me ha ayudado tanto y es tan difícil tener a tus hijos tan lejos. Hay ayuda aquí para que sus hijos pueden estar aquí con ustedes”.

 

Para obtener más información, o si usted cree que califica, contacte con el IRC al (510) 452 – 8222. El IRC está situado en 440 W Grand Ave #500 en Oakland.

 

Activism

Oak Temple Hill Hosts Interfaith Leaders from Across the Bay Area

Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need. 

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Troy McCombs (from the state of Washington), Elder Mark Mortensen (from Irvine, CA), Michael Pappas, Rev. Ken Chambers, Dr. Ejaz Naqvi, Elder Sigfried Nauman (from the state of Washington), and Richard Kopf. Courtesy photo.

Special to the Post

Interfaith leaders from the Bay Area participated in a panel discussion at the annual meeting of communication leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held on Temple Hill in Oakland on May 31. Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for individuals and communities in need.

Chambers, said he is thankful for the leadership and support of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints’ global ministry, which recently worked with the interfaith congregations of ICAC to help Yasjmine Oeveraas a homeless Norwegian mother and her family find shelter and access to government services.

Oeveraas told the story of how she was assisted by ICAC to the Oakland Post. “I’m a Norwegian citizen who escaped an abusive marriage with nowhere to go. We’ve been homeless in Florida since January 2024. Recently, we came to California for my son’s passport, but my plan to drive for Uber fell through, leaving us homeless again. Through 2-1-1, I was connected to Rev. Ken Chambers, pastor of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County, and his car park program, which changed our lives. We spent about a week-and-a-half living in our car before being blessed with a trailer. After four years of uncertainty and 18 months of homelessness, this program has given us stability and hope again.

“Now, both my son and I have the opportunity to continue our education. I’m pursuing cyber analytics, something I couldn’t do while living in the car. My son can also complete his education, which is a huge relief. This program has given us the space to focus and regain our dignity. I am working harder than ever to reach my goals and give back to others in need.”

Richard Kopf, communication director for The Church of Jesus Christ in the Bay Area stated: “As followers of Jesus Christ, we embrace interfaith cooperation and are united in our efforts to show God’s love for all of his children.”

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Alameda County

Council Approves Budget to Invest in Core City Services, Save Fire Stations, Invest in Economic Development

I am most proud of our ability to fund these critical city services without the use of one-time fixes. We are still suffering the consequences of last year’s budget, where a majority of the Council, myself not included, chose to incorporate anticipated proceeds from the sale of the Coliseum to fund essential services. Since the sale has still not yet been completed, the lack of funds led to drastic cuts in city services, including the temporary closure of fire stations, staff layoffs, and the cancellations of many service contracts.

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District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. Photo courtesy City of Oakland.
District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. Photo courtesy City of Oakland.

By Janani Ramachandran, District 4 Oakland City Councilmember

On Wednesday, June 11, City Council took a bold step to prioritize investing in essential city services to get our beautiful Town back on track. As Chair of the Finance Committee, I am proud to have led a collaborative process, alongside Councilmembers Rowena Brown, Zac Unger, and Charlene Wang, to develop a set of amendments to the proposed FY 2025-2027 budget which passed successfully with a vote of 6 – 1. Despite facing a $265 million structural budget deficit, we were able to restore funding to ensure that all 25 fire stations remain open, fund 5 police academies, invest millions of dollars to combat illegal dumping and sideshow prevention, improve our permitting processes, fund a “business incentives” program to revitalize our commercial corridors, improve upon our homelessness prevention work, amplify the city’s anti-trafficking programs, re-instate our tree services division, staff up our Auditor’s office – all while preventing any layoffs of city staff, keeping our senior centers and after-school programs open, and crisis services like MACRO funded.

I am most proud of our ability to fund these critical city services without the use of one-time fixes. We are still suffering the consequences of last year’s budget, where a majority of the Council, myself not included, chose to incorporate anticipated proceeds from the sale of the Coliseum to fund essential services. Since the sale has still not yet been completed, the lack of funds led to drastic cuts in city services, including the temporary closure of fire stations, staff layoffs, and the cancellations of many service contracts. The budget that we passed this week proudly does not fund recurring expenses with anticipated one-time revenue – and moves our city towards being fiscally responsible with our taxpayers’ funds.

Our budget comes in response to the widespread and consistent calls from across Oakland’s diverse communities asking us to prioritize funding solutions to the issues that have most directly impacted our residents’ safety and quality of life. Our priorities are also inspired by our belief that Oakland is on the way not only to financial recovery, but also to global recognition. Oakland can attract and preserve businesses of all sizes with safer, cleaner streets. We can and will have more large-scale festivals that celebrate our culture, concerts that uplift our incredible local musicians, conferences that attract patrons from across the world, and award-winning restaurants that top national charts. We are on our way to rebuilding a thriving economy and having a cultural renaissance will create more jobs for Oaklanders while also generating more revenue for the City through sales and business taxes.

I am grateful for the close partnership with our new Mayor Barbara Lee, and know that she shares our values of ensuring we are prioritizing keeping Oakland’s residents safe, our streets clean, and our businesses prosperous in an open and fiscally responsible manner. I am also thankful to our City Administrator, Jestin Johnson, and former Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins’ efforts to produce the initial proposal that our Council budget team used as a starting point for our amendments, and for their shared commitment to transparency and ethical government. I am especially grateful for every resident that took the time to make their voice heard throughout this rigorous budget process. I have no doubt that we are on the verge of true change, and that together we will bring Oakland back to being the world-class city I know it can be.

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Activism

Learning Life’s Lessons

Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband.  He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

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Richard Johnson and son Fati. Courtesy photo.
Richard Johnson and son Fati. Courtesy photo.

“California’s three-strike laws gave me 2 life sentences for drug possession. After serving 28 years, mostly in solitary confinement, I am free to lead a movement to get the formerly incarcerated to give back.”

 By Richard Johnson

I have written this book in hopes of being able to help others from not traveling down the path that leads to imprisonment or a cemetery.  At the very beginning of writing this book, it began as a message to my son Fati Yero Gaidi, who was only two years old at the time that I was given two life sentences in prison for drug possession, under the newly implemented three-strikes-you-out law. The more that I wrote, the book began to evolve beyond its intended purpose for my son; it became something that any and everyone could utilize on their separate journeys through life challenges that we encounter. The book helped me put my thoughts, reasoning, perceptions, and views on display, while opening doors that, for the most part, were closed. The book can be purchased via Amazon. Learning life lessons.

About the Author

By Post staff

Richard “Razor” Johnson, 74, is a man whose life journey is marked by hard-earned wisdom, redemption, and an unshakable commitment to guiding the next generation. Once sentenced to life under California’s Three Strikes Law, he was released through what he calls nothing short of divine intervention.  His time behind bars, particularly in Pelican Bay State Prison, gave him a new raw and unfiltered understanding of life’s hardest truths.

With the realization that time is precious and the future is shaped by the lessons we learn, Richard writes with urgency and purpose. His book—a 300-page labor of love—is dedicated to young men who may not have a father to teach them the meaning of life’s most important words. Through definitions filled with wisdom, experience, and deep personal insight, he offers direction to those who find themselves lost, just as he once was.

Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband.  He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

His words are not just lessons; they are a call to action.  He hopes that by investing in young minds with wisdom and insight, they will be better equipped to navigate life’s trials, learn from their mistakes, and find their path to success. Richard “Razor” Johnson writes not just to be heard, but to help – because he knows firsthand that sometimes guidance can make all the difference.

Post publishers Paul and Gay Cobb visited Johnson in San Quentin and attended his graduation while he was in prison. He became a columnist with the Post News Group and has continued his advocacy for the formerly incarcerated by urging them to “give something back”. Johnson says he will be speaking at prisons, colleges, and media outlets to help organize voter registration and community service projects.

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