CRCL February Newsletter

Message from CRCL Officer Katherine Culliton-González

Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Newsletter   IN THIS ISSUE February 2021, Vol. 11, No. 5 Message from CRCL Officer Katherine Culliton-González Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). I know many of you have worked with CRCL and members of our dedicated staff for many years. I thank you for your support of our work to advance and integrate civil rights and civil liberties in the Department's programs and activities. I also worked with CRCL earlier in my career when I was special counsel for immigrants' rights and access to justice at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). Coming back to CRCL in this role is truly a full circle moment, and I am excited to serve. Read more... Alejandro Mayorkas Sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security February 2, 2021, Alejandro Mayorkas was officially sworn in as the seventh Secretary of Homeland Security. Secretary Mayorkas took the oath after the Senate voted to confirm him. As Secretary of Homeland Security, Mayorkas now leads the third largest federal department in the U.S., which includes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the U.S. Secret Service. Read more... DHS Statement on Equal Access to COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccine Distribution Sites DHS and its Federal government partners fully support equal access to the COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine distribution sites for undocumented immigrants. It is a moral and public health imperative to ensure that all individuals residing in the U.S. have access to the vaccine. DHS encourages all individuals, regardless of immigration status, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once eligible under local distribution guidelines. DHS carries out its mission, including all areas within its COVID-19 response, without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or other protected class, and in compliance with law and policy. Read more... COVID-19 Vaccines and Equitable Vaccine Distribution In alignment with President Biden's plan to respond to COVID-19, FEMA is working with other federal agencies to coordinate with state, tribal, and territorial authorities and private sector partners and others to assist, augment, and expedite vaccinations in the U.S. DHS and its federal partners are committed to ensuring civil rights during COVID-19 response, and that every person who wants a vaccine can get one—including vulnerable and underserved populations. FEMA has issued a Civil Rights Checklist to assist state, tribal and territorial partners in understanding and fulfilling their obligations to provide access to vaccine-related programs, activities, and services in a nondiscriminatory manner. Read more... DHS Announces Process to Address Individuals in Mexico with Active MPP Cases Building on a series of Executive Orders, the Biden Administration is announcing another step in our phased strategy to reform the nation's immigration system. Beginning on February 19, DHS will begin phase one of a program to restore safe and orderly processing at the southwest border. DHS will begin processing people who had been forced to "remain in Mexico" under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). Approximately 25,000 individuals in MPP continue to have active cases. Read more...     The goal of this periodic newsletter is to inform members of the public about the activities of the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. To subscribe to this newsletter, send an email request to crcloutreach@hq.dhs.gov. Join CRCL on Facebook at: facebook.com/CivilRightsCivilLiberties. CRCL Phone:  202-401-1474 • Toll-Free: 866-644-8360 • TTY: 202-401-0470 • Toll-Free TTY: 866-644-8361 © 2020 Department of Homeland Security | Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties | Click here to unsubscribe. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes.     U.S. Department of Homeland Security · www.dhs.gov · 202-282-8000 This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog  *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally