Throggs Neck News: Haiti Immigration Crisis Comes to the Bronx

Throggs Neck News: Haiti Immigration Crisis Comes to the Bronx: Haiti Immigration Crisis Comes to the Bronx Angry Demonstrators Protest Visit by Dominican Republic Foreign Minister By David Green...

Haiti Immigration Crisis Comes to the Bronx

Haiti Immigration Crisis Comes to the Bronx

Angry Demonstrators Protest Visit by Dominican Republic Foreign Minister

By David Greene

A pair of very vocal and infuriated demonstrators protesting the Dominican Republic's new and controversial policy towards migrant workers of Haiti, came to the Bronx to heckle the Dominican Republic's Foreign Minister, who was invited to speak at breakfast hosted by a local group in Morris Park.

Dahoud Andre of Brooklyn and Bronxite Vilcere Romulus stood on the sidewalk outside of Meastro's catering hall on Bronxdale Avenue on August 7, to protest the visit by Andres Navarro Garcia, who spoke at the breakfast hosted by the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization (NYHCO.)

In a brief statement announcing the breakfast, Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., a Reverend and President of the NYHCO, explained, "It is a great opportunity for us Hispanic ministers, evangelists and missionaries to hear directly from the Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic and about the new plan of immigration affecting the Haitian community and other communities that have been established by the administration of President Danilo Medina.

With Haitian flags draped across their shoulders, Andre and Romulus each held up signs, one read, "Boycott Tourism in the Dominican Republic," another demanded, "Full citizenship for Dominicans of Haitian descent," as they chanted slogans about racism to guests as they arrived.

Calling the new policy of the Dominican government, a form of ethnic cleansing, Andre, a host of a local Haitian radio program and a member of the International Campaign to End Apartheid in the Dominican Republic claimed, "It's a very serious issue. It's very sad that you have black politicians in New York who we believe are taking money from the Dominican government to be given this platform to spew lies." 

"From it's inception," Andre continued, "The Dominican Republic has sought to distance itself from it's neighbor in Haiti and blackness."

Andres claims the revolt began when the new legislation was passed, legislation that they claim will affect hundreds of thousands of migrant workers from Haiti and the unrest has escalated after several incidents including the revocation of Citizenship of a Haitian-born Dominican who had been practicing law in the Dominican Republic for 30-years, and the February lynching of a Haitian man in Santiago, the Dominican Republic's second largest city.

Pointing out similarities with the current atmosphere in the United States, Andre explained, "It's the same reality that Dominicans are taking rickety boats to Puerto Rico to eventually get to the U.S., you would have a policy where the children of undocumented immigrants would be thrown out, the Dominican community here would rise up against this."

Asked what he would say to the NYHCO, Ardre added, "As Hispanics they understand the reality of undocumented migrants, like Hispanic migrants in this country and the same way that they would like to see undocumented migrants from the Dominican Republic treated in the United States, is the same way we would like them to treat Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic."

Senator Ruben Diaz declined to make a statement on the event or the protest, but his Chief of Staff Ann Noonan stated, "I'm not sure about that... I would just say in regard to the protesters is that everybody has a right to freedom of speech and everyone has a right to do that."

Attempts to reach the Manhattan office of the Consulate of the Dominican Republic were unsuccessful.    

#Haiti #DominicanRepublic #Immigration #VillaBarrone

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Throggs Neck News: Guv, mayor come to Bronx to honor Assembly Speaker...

Throggs Neck News: Guv, mayor come to Bronx to honor Assembly Speaker...: In praise of Heastie: Guv, mayor come to Bronx to honor Assembly Speaker (Photos by Seitu Oronde) By Ro...

Guv, mayor come to Bronx to honor Assembly Speaker

In praise of Heastie:

Guv, mayor come to Bronx to honor Assembly Speaker

(Photos by Seitu Oronde)

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK, JULY 17- If one photo told the story of last night's Bronx Democratic County Dinner it might be the one with Assemblyman Carl Heastie yucking it up with Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

There was a love fest between the elected officials with both Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio in attendance, but not at the same time. The jam packed dinner had just about every Bronx elected official, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Eric Schniderman, Mayor Bill deBlasio, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James, Manhattan Democratic County Leader (and future Congressman Keith Wright, and many others for the largest turn out for a Bronx Democratic County Dinner. 

Why did everyone come you may ask? The answer according to Bronx Democratic County Leader Marcos Crespo was that they came to honor Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. There were four other honorees Mr. Tonio Burgos (President of Tony Burgos and Associates), Aleksander Nilaj (President Albanian American Open Hand Association), Mr. Mike Prohaska (Business Manager of Local 79), and Ms. Maria Rios (President of Classico Building Maintenance Inc.). 

While It was reported that Governor Cuomo took a few swipes at Mayor de Blasio last night, Mayor de Blasio heaped praise on the Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Crespo. Thanking Crespo for much that had been accomplished for the city, and it may just have been the good feelings by everyone that seemed to dominate the dinner. All political corners of success were covered. The new Assembly Speaker (a local Bronx Assemblyman), Labor, a successful MBWE employer, a political consultant, and the new face of immigration to the Bronx, the 'New Bronx’.

#AssemblymanCarlHeastie #GovernorAndrewCuomo #MayorBilldeBlasio #Bronx

Throggs Neck News: Cops Coming to Reduce Crime

Throggs Neck News: Cops Coming to Reduce Crime: City Hall Finally Listens to Wakefield  Cops Coming to Reduce Crime By Robert Press BRONX, NEW ...

Cops Coming to Reduce Crime

City Hall Finally Listens to Wakefield 

Cops Coming to Reduce Crime

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK,JULY 16- Elizabeth Gill, President of the 47th Precinct Council, demanded action when crime was going way up last year in the 47th Precinct, and it seems that City Hall heard her.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton came to Cardinal Spellman High School to explain the new 'Summer All Out' police department program. It is a three-month program called 'Summer All Out' in the 10 highest crime police precincts. The mayor and police commissioner praised the new program that was started last month. Crime decreased in the 47th Precinct in Wakefield with shootings down 70 percent for the past month.

In the past the Mayor said that there was a chain of command that had to be gone through to change the deployment of police officers in a precinct. Now that red tape has been cut to allow for an almost instant redeployment of officers where they may be needed when problems pop up. The 47th Precinct has been assigned 26 additional officers for three months, and several other officers commonly refereed to as 'House Mouse Officers' have also been deployed into the streets of the precinct. In all there are 330 additional officers that have been sent to the 10 precincts in the 'Summer All Out' Program which began on June 8th. Other Bronx police precincts in this three month program are the 43rd, 44th, and 46th according to Bronx Assistant Chief Commanding Officer Larry Nikunen. 

Deputy Inspector Stevenson of the 47th Pct. had only praise for his police officers, and he thanked 47th Pct. Council President Elizabeth Gill for her help in getting his command the much needed manpower to reduce the high crime rate. 

Commissioner Bratton spoke of how the NYPD must keep coming up with new strategies to keep ahead of the bad guys. However when asked the question - that it looks like the first thing that the new street officers are doing is looking at car registration and inspection stickers when they arrive on their beat. I then said that to me it looks like these officers might have a ticket quota to fill. 

Commissioner Bratton fired back to me, 'Well that's what it looks like to you', and then stepped away from the podium without any real answer. I asked one of the new officers the same question, and was told if the situation warrants a summons it will be given. 47th Pct. Commanding Officer Stevenson said 'No Comment' when I asked him the same question.  

#NYPD #MayordeBlasio #Bratton #SummerAllOut #Bronxnews