Help this Local Group Deliver Meals to Houston Kids
KPRC 2 and Houston Life are partnering with Energy Transfer this month to highlight the local organization Kids Meals and their mission to make sure young kids in our communities have something to eat. It is basic but so important. Kids Meals delivers free healthy meals to children five and under, and they want your help to make Houston the first city to end childhood hunger.
The Free Education Opportunity this is Changing Lives Through the Power of Work
Goodwill maybe a great place to shop but did you know they also offer a number of free courses that help break down the barriers to employment. Houston Life's Melanie Camp has more on Goodwill Houston's EmployAbility program.
Stronger Houston: Houston logging some of nationโs highest HIV diagnoses; health officials hoping for vaccine in near future
The southern part of the U.S. accounts for 51% of new HIV cases each year. This is according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some regions throughout the south also lag in providing HIV prevention services and care.
Local Texas Teacher Named Teachers of Tomorrow Teacher of the Year
Shanekia Hall, is a Kindergarten Teacher at Ponderosa Elementary School in Spring, for as long as she remembers she has wanted to teach. She lost her parents early. At two her father died. Three years later, Shanekiaโs mother passed after suffering an aneurism. Shanekia credits her teachers for inspiring her to success as a young woman and becoming a teacher herself is a way she says she can pay it forward.
TSU to provide free breast cancer screenings to more than 1,300 minority women
The $1 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, allows TSU to provide free breast cancer screenings and other services to more than 1,300 Black and other ethnic minority women over a three-year period.
Stronger Houston: Tonyโs Place helps LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness or unstable housing in Houston area
The organization provides everything from food, laundry, showers, access to medical care, education and employment opportunities to LGBTQ youth who may be experiencing homelessness or unstable housing.
Stronger Houston: Inside UT Healthโs High Risk Childrenโs Clinic
According to the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, less than 1% of children in the US are considered medically complex, but these children account for 40% of pediatric deaths and 54% of all pediatric hospital charges.
St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston opens new Latino Health Center for Spanish speaking patients
St. Joseph Medical Center in downtown Houston aims to accommodate the Latino patient population and cut down on a national problem with non-English speaking patients facing higher rates of hospital readmissions.
Stronger Houston: Harris County partners with Black-owned bank for first relationship of its kind
They are rejoicing in Harris County with historic news to tell. An institution that has been a major support to churches like Wheeler Avenue Baptist, restaurants, barber shops, and other businesses over seven decades is celebrating another milestone -- a first of its kind partnership.
Stronger Houston: Urban school program looks to bring equity to education, uplift minority students
The Social Justice Learning Instituteโs Urban Scholars program started over a decade ago in Los Angeles, but it is just now starting to make its mark in the Houston- area with the goal of empowering students of color through education to change their communities.
Alief asst. principal empowers, inspires boys and young men of color to aim high
The assistant principal at Hicks Elementary in Alief Independent School District is on a crusade to inspire and empower students, helping them to aim high not only through words but action, by creating a culture for success in and out of school.
Infrastructure bill could address past harms to Black, low-income neighborhoods caused by the interstate system
It can be easy to forget as we travel the busy highways of Houston that homes once stood where many roads are now. But in the communities that were impacted by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, the memories and impact of displacement remain.
Stronger Houston: Bridging the unemployment gap for people of color
Black and Latina women are facing the highest unemployment rate among all women with 8.9 % and 8.5% respectively. The pandemic, Lane said, has only magnified those long-standing inequities. โSo that means weโve got to have better education, better opportunities for people of color,โ said Judson Robinson, President & CEO of The Houston Area Urban League. The Turnaround Houston Initiative is set to take place online from Thursday, April 29th through Sunday, May 2nd. If youโre interested in looking for work and want information about jobs, call The Houston Area Urban League at 281-220-6012.
Stronger Houston: The COVID-19 crisis and itโs impact on Houstonโs transgender community
โThe trans community is one of the most overlooked communities in times of disaster,โ said Austin Ruiz, communications and marketing manger at The Montrose Center. AdWhen COVID-19 hit, The Montrose Center, which serves Houstonโs LGBT community, saw a sharp increase in requests for help among Houstonโs trans community. โWe found there were a lot of community members, specifically trans community members, that do not feel safe to go to other social service agencies because they were afraid theyโd be turned away or discriminated against because of their status as a trans community member,โ Ruiz said. Through a foundation grant, Save Our Sisters United has been able to provide money for food, shelter, basic necessities and medication like HRTโs. She added that ongoing therapy sessions with her counselor at the Montrose Center continues to make all the difference in the world.
Volunteers needed: How to be an advocate for foster care children in our community
Ricketts and her non-profit organization train volunteers to advocate for children in foster care. โThe number of children who have entered foster care in the last 12 months is 100% over this same year as last year,โ said Ricketts. You donโt need any credentials.โCASA of Galveston County volunteers like Cassandra Sutton meet regularly with the children and advocate for their care. โJust to be that constant voice and constant face for children in foster care,โ said Sutton. You donโt have to live in Galveston County to sign up to be a volunteer advocate.
Stronger Houston: Fifth Ward โtransformationโ takes a village
HOUSTON โ If it takes a village to raise a child, the Center for Urban Transformation in Houstonโs historic Fifth Ward is part of the new โvillageโ headquarters. We are teammates, and we enjoy the work weโre doing,โ said Henry Clemons, pastor at the nearly century-old Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in the Fifth Ward and one of the โvillageโ leaders. Pleasant Hill Ministries, the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, Houston Habitat for Humanity, Legacy Community Health and the Berg and Androphy law firm founded and sit on the Board of Directors for CUT. โItโs not enough to deal with them in the courtroom and get them out of a particular legal system,โ Clemons said. Those partners include: Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, Houston Food Bank, Houston Furniture Bank and Salvation Army; Houston Public Library, Camp Cardiac, Workforce Solutions, Harris County Dispute Resolution Center; The Harris County DAโs Office, Legacy Community Health, Big Brothers Big Sisters, several churches and many others.
Stronger Houston: Efforts underway to end human trafficking
HOUSTON โ January is human trafficking prevention month. There were 1,080 reported cases of human trafficking connected to Texas in 2019, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. What is human trafficking? As a child, she said she was a victim of sex trafficking by her own father and her mother knew about it. AdMore information:National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 or humantraffickinghotline.org/Elijah Rising: www.elijahrising.org/United Against Human Trafficking: uaht.org/
โWe look out for each otherโ: Houston organization awarded $300K to help homeless veterans
Homeless veterans. โI have to rate Houston, the city streets of Houston, to be some of the most dangerous streets,โ Jones said. He found comfort, at least emotionally living alongside Houstonโs other homeless veterans. Last year the TVC gave out $31 million in veteran-based grants in three service categories: veteran homeless prevention, financial assistance, supportive services. So heโs urging homeless veterans to reach out to HAUL for a hand up, not a handout.
Christian nonprofit filling the void of missing fathers in small town of Brookshire
BROOKSHIRE, Texas โ The streets of Brookshire, a town of just about 5500 people in Waller County, are often slow and sometimes empty. The same can be said for many of their households that are empty of a critical segment of the population: fathers. Ninety percent of the children in Brookshire are being raised without fathers in the home. A Houston-based Christian nonprofit is planting roots in this community, in an attempt to cultivate stability and promising futures. A performance, part of Star Players, is a mentoring program for teenage boys through the hip hop ministry Eyes On Me.
Stronger Houston: Resources available for local Hispanic-owned businesses hit hard by pandemic
Another avenue Smith got help from was through a $2,000 grant from the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce after going through its Business Institute Program. Dr. Laura Murillo, the President & CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber, said a donor provided the organization with resources to provide grants. Murillo said many other businesses also took part in the Paycheck Protection Program when it was available through the SBA. For more information about the resources available to business owners, be sure to visit Houston Hispanic Chamberโs website and the SBA website. For a closer look at the survey done by the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs, visit UH website.
How Houston doctors are working to combat maternity-care deserts
The March of Dimes Maternity Care Deserts report looks at areas where mothers donโt have much access to obstetrics care. However, outside of those five counties, thereโs less access, especially in rural areas. The data looks at the number of hospitals that provide obstetrics services, the number of obstetrics providers and the number of women without health insurance. Filling the gapChildrenโs Memorial Hermann Hospital is working with physicians in rural areas to help fill the health care gap. Telemedicine has also been a game-changer for patients who live in rural areas.
How to get help with mental illness in Houston
Angelina Hudson said she knows firsthand the struggle and the journey to get help. Long before the pandemic disrupted daily life, she struggled to cope with caring for her son Quentin, who was born severely autistic. ASK 2 LIVE: Join tonightโs Ask 2 Live discussion about mental health amid the pandemicIt changed Hudsonโs life. In January, before the pandemic took hold, NAMI logged just 186 responses by phone or email to people needing help. It operates a crisis hotline for people who are in danger of hurting themselves or others, and an information line for all things COVID-19.
Survey shows significant barriers to good health for southwest Houston residents
HOUSTON โ Families need food, affordable housing, safe neighborhoods and access to health care in order to survive. But many families in southwest Houston are facing the harsh realities from the COVID-19 pandemic and our economy. In the past five years, CHAT has been helping the community and focusing on the social determinants of health. And thatโs why I said we cannot leave anybody behind if we want the success in Houston,โ Dr. Siddiqui added. Siddiqui said there could be big improvements to the area and peopleโs health if elected officials stepped up.
Group works to combat โfood desertsโ in Houston with gardening classes
HOUSTON โ More than 500,000 Houstonians are living in โfood desertsโ-- parts of town where fresh, nutritious food are not immediately accessible. Thursday afternoon, Mattie Sterling took a virtual gardening class on Zoom, hosted by the Julia C. Hester House. The Hester House provided participants with fertilizer, soil and vegetable plants. A spokesperson for the Hester House said theyโre trying to help neighbors be self-sufficient in areas that donโt have grocery stores. โYou can just walk outdoors, pick it, clean it up and put it on.โThe Hester House plans to have more of these classes.
Stronger Houston: Lone Star College program accelerating Latino student success
Heโs enrolled as a student at Lone Star College North Harris and his campus job doubles as an internship. Itโs called Mi Casa Es Su Casa and three years in, the school says itโs working. Excelencia in Education, an organization focused on improving access to education for the Latino community, awarded Lone Star College North Harris as its 2020 Example of Excelencia. Most students enrolled at Lone Star Collegeโs North Harris campus grew up and still live in north Harris County. Shyness is a quality Tapia said most described her before Lone Star College.
Stronger Houston: Working to recruit more minorities for vaccine trials
HOUSTON โ A couple of big-name frontrunners in the race for a coronavirus vaccine, Moderna and Pfizer, began part of their experimental trial here in Houston. Black and Hispanic communities are not signing up for vaccine trialsAccording to the Texas Center for Drug Development, less than 8% of the participants in the vaccine trial in Houston are Black. โThatโs why this is such an important part of making that happen," said Dr. Veronica Garcia Fragoso, senior clinical research investigator. In the Tuskegee study, researchers were only studying black men and they were not transparent with their study. โWe value the time and travel,"said Dr. Lisa Holloway, clinical research investigator with TCDD.
Creating a stronger Houston through the power of literacy
HOUSTON โ Houston is facing a literacy crisis. According to research from the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, one in three Houston-area adults canโt read or write beyond a fourth-grade level. Illiteracy has become a multi-generational issue impacting all areas of the economy, but there is a strategic plan in place to change Houstonโs literacy landscape. Nearly 30% of Houston-area third-graders fail to meet the minimum reading standards. The goal is to enrich the lives of more and more Houstonians through the power of literacy.
By the numbers: Examining disparities within Houstonโs transit system
40% of bus riders donโt have a carAccording to LINK Houstonโs 2018 โEquity in Transitโ report, 40% of local bus riders donโt have a vehicle to help them get around the city. 19% of bus riders use only public transportationThe same report found that 19% of people who ride the bus in Houston are using it as their only mode of transportation. According to a research article titled โRacism has shaped public transit and itโs riddled with inequitiesโ written by Christof Spieler that was published by the Kinder Institute in August, 60% of local bus riders are minority. These services cater to suburban riders -- who drive to a location to catch a bus. Local bus riders have to catch the bus near their home and usually walk to a single stop.
Hundreds of HISD students are homeless and COVID-19 is complicating matters. How the district is trying to help
The Houston Independent School District, like many large districts, is always looking for ways to help their homeless students and does so their Student Assistance Program. This year, HISD estimates there are about 7,700 students currently enrolled in the Student Assistance Program, but COVID-19 is complicating matters. According to HISD, one of the biggest hurdles in helping homeless students is identifying them. A study on homeless students from 2012-13 to 2016-17 by the Houston Education Research Consortium at Rice University found jarring statistics. The HISD Student Assistance Program estimates the 2018-19 identified homeless student graduation rate at 88%.
Ask 2 Live: Facing eviction? Hereโs the advice our legal experts gave in our exclusive Zoom conversation
HOUSTON โ As the economic crisis due to COVID-19 continues, more and more Houstonians are struggling to pay their bills, put food on their tables, and keep a roof over their heads. And to make matters worse, a new CDC moratorium is more confusing than helpful. But KPRC Channel 2 is here to help. Watch: Raising โgood digital citizensโ and more from our Zoom conversation on cyberbullyingOur panel of experts answered questions to help people facing evictions. You can watch the entire discussion below:Resources from the conversationTexas HousersLone Star Legal AidEviction Defense Collaboration Hotline โ (713) 982-7340Lone Star Legal Aid direct number โ (713) 652-0077Access the CDC declaration forms in English, Spanish and VietnameseCDC suspende temporalmente los desalojos a inquilinos elegibles
Stronger Houston: With the census deadline looming, city leaders push for residents to get themselves counted
Michael Cook with the U.S. Census Bureau said the aim to make sure that anyone who hasnโt responded to the 2020 census does so soon. On March 31, 2021, the Census Bureau will send redistricting counts to the states based on population changes. What is Stronger Houston? In our series โStronger Houston,โ we examine issues impacting people inequitably by race, gender, income, age, geography, religion, and other factors. We strive to not only raise awareness but also focus on solutions, resources available, and the people and groups working to reduce the disparity and ultimately create a stronger Houston.
These Houston-area groups rehabilitate, help former inmates to prevent re-incarceration
HOUSTON โ The discussion around criminal justice reform in Harris County is complex and often heated. According to the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, more than 70,000 people return to the community from Texas prisons each year. More than 1 million people cycle through Texas county jails according to the Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University. Sydrena Tufts, 51, said the Success Through Addiction Recovery drug court, known as STAR, saved her life. โI had never completed anything in my life so completing the drug court program was very important for me,โ she said.
Texas officials walk back $15 million proposed cuts to womenโs and children's health services
A womenโs health clinic in Texas. Credit: Stephen Spillman for The Texas TribuneNeed to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Texasโ Republican leadership asked the health commission to come up with cuts worth about $133 million in state funds. But in the initial plan, officials also suggested direct cuts to women's health and other programs, worth about 11% of the total reductions. A proposed cut of $3.8 million from womenโs health programs would have left fewer Texans receiving birth control or cancer screenings, a budget document obtained by The Texas Tribune said.
Group aims to provide free legal help to Harris County families facing eviction during pandemic
If you want to get help from Lone Star Legal Aid, you can start here: LSLA COVID Eviction Interview. According to research from January Advisors, from July 1 through September 9, a total of 4,988 eviction cases were filed in eight Harris County precincts. About 34% of those were filed in Precinct 5, which covers West Harris County. Total evictions in Harris County between July 1 and Sept. 9. (Courtesy of January Advisors) (KPRC)Evictions in Harris County Precinct 5 between July 1 and Sept. 9.
500K+ Houstonians live in food deserts with little to no access to healthy food and the problem has worsened due to COVID-19
Food deserts are areas where stores with healthy food options dont even exist. Food deserts in the Houston-area according to a map from the United States Department of Agriculture. The two often go hand in hand because it is food insecurity that will generally drive a food desert, said Brian Greene, President of the Houston Food Bank. We immediately saw both hunger and poor nutrition issues go up very quickly, said Brian Greene, president of the Houston Food Bank. Their mission is to combat food deserts and food insecurity.
This loan company was founded to help Latino immigrants. It has sued thousands of low-income Latinos during the pandemic.
That number of filings makes Oportun the most litigious personal loan company in Texas and one of the most litigious debt collectors in the state overall this year. But consumer advocates say the large number of lawsuits Oportun is filing raises the question: Under what circumstances are those repayments occurring? Oportun loan contract. Despite the near 67% interest rate in her clients loan, Oportun maintains that its average APR is 36%. Like Solis, several Oportun borrowers said the lawsuits against them came as a surprise.
New non-profit focuses on reaching survivors of domestic violence in Houstonโs minority communities
HOUSTON โ A new non-profit organization opened its doors in May and is working to reach more survivors of domestic violence in Houstonโs minority communities. โWhat weโve always known is minorities are disproportionally impacted by domestic violence,โ said Carvana Cloud. She herself grew up in Acres Homes and experienced domestic violence as a child. You can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by using the discreet online chat function on its website or by calling 1โ800โ799โ7233. In our series โStronger Houston,โ we examine issues impacting people inequitably by race, gender, income, age, geography, religion, and other factors.
Baker Ripley, largest Houston nonprofit, faces big challenges
Claudia Aguirre came to the United States with her parents when she was 8 years old. Now as she leads Houstonโs largest nonprofit agency she says it her story is very much a part of the agencyโs 112 year old legacy. Thatโs Baker Ripley.โ From rent relief to ease evictions to feeding senior citizens, Baker Ripley is on the front lines during this pandemic. Find out more in this weekโs Houston Newsmakers EXTRA with Claudia Aguirre and see the rest of her interview on this weekโs Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall. Watch Houston Newsmakers Sunday mornings at 10:30amMore Information:Claudia Aguirre, President, CEO Baker Ripleyยท Website: https://www.bakerripley.org/ยท Phone: 713-667-9400ยท Twitter: @BakerRipleyยท Email: caguirre@bakerripley.orgGaby Rowe, Project Lead, Operation Connectivityยท Website: https://www.growassociatesllc.comยท Website: https://bit.ly/2PQW6Koยท Phone: 281-900-9717ยท Email: gaby@growassociatesllc.com]STRONGER HOUSTON, The Digital Divide, Reporter ReโChelle Turnerยท Website: https://www.click2houston.com/topic/stronger_houston/
Tens of thousands in need of tech for online learning so they dont have to choose between education and health
But making the choice of virtual learning can be challenging for some families who dont have access to a computer and internet. She said if they hadnt recieved devices from the school, she doesnt think she could have gotten a laptop for everyone. Its a new era for parents amid the coronavirus pandemic but not all families have access to digital devices and the internet-something thats much needed. I wish I could find word that was more enatic that critical because it is the essential bridge to learning, said Gaby Rowe. A device is now an essential need, a digital connection, thats key to making families and our community stronger.
REPORT: Coronavirus pandemic has unmasked the face of racism, inequities in Houston and the U.S.
The report concluded the pandemic unmasked the face of racism in the country. Local advocates: report casts light on inequalities worsened by COVID-19 in Houston-areaProtesters who marched for justice through downtown Houston following the killing of George Floyd referred to racism as a pandemic within a pandemic. Legacy Community Health operates several clinics throughout the Houston-area, serving patients who often go underserved or unserved in the healthcare center. There are certainly many barriers, said Dr. Chad Neimeyer, medical director of adult medicine at Legacy Community Health. Her job at Legacy Community Health is to look for ways to develop programming that integrates social work in medicine.
Bridging digital divide imperative to help at-risk Black and Latino teens as COVID-19 widens inequities, experts say
Hes enrolled in The Urban Enrichment Institute, an extra-curricular youth leadership and development program for young men deemed at-risk, located in one of Houstons poorest communities. The program was founded in 1984 with a mission to reach young boys in Fifth Ward. In our summer program, this was the first time we had the chance to initiate a virtual learning format with our summer program, Savage said. We start seeing differences in how African American and Latinx boys are performing in school, how they are treated in school. Have a space for all the stakeholders that are focused on Latinx and African American male youth, said Dr. Smith.
Houston Newsmakers highlights 2 new initiatives to address inequities, inclusion and bias within community
KPRC 2 has launched the Stronger Houston, a series of reports that started this week focusing on how the inequities impact those who live in the Houston area. This week, the focus is on the disparity in the way COVID-19 impacts the communities of Gulfton and Bellaire. Nonprofit organizations around the community are figuring out a way to pivot to operate to continue to make a difference where its most important, said Reliant President Elizabeth Killinger. Symphony CEO John Mangum says while its not quite like being in Jones Hall the live stream production brings you right into the action. Jones Hall, Home of the Houston Symphony (Houston Symphony)
COVID-19 exposes major disparities between neighboring Houston-area communities Gulfton and Bellaire
HOUSTON The coronavirus pandemic has revealed wide income and health care disparities between two neighboring Houston-area communities Gulfton and Bellaire. Many Gulfton residents are struggling to make ends meet, but the community is looking at ways to curb this disparity. The Gulfton neighborhood is made up of mostly minorities with the latest demographic data revealing 69% of residents are Hispanic. But for Gulfton residents like Guillermina, she isnt so sure. In our series Stronger Houston, we examine issues impacting people inequitably by race, gender, income, age, geography, religion, and other factors.
EDITORIAL: Introducing KPRC 2โฒs Stronger Houston initiative
HOUSTON โ As Houstonโs first television station and after more than 70 years of broadcasting, KPRC 2 continues to work to serve our community. In our new initiative, Stronger Houston, we examine issues impacting people inequitably by race, gender, income, age, geography, religion, and other factors. These fault lines can create unfair divisions in our community. The goal is to expose the disparities affecting Houstonians, shine a light on the groups working to reduce the disparity and ultimately create a stronger Houston. If you have a story idea for us to cover as part of our Stronger Houston initiative, send it to storyideas@kprc.com.
QUIZ: Could you get an H-1B or H-4 visa to live and work in the US?
The duration of an H-1B visa classification is typically three years but that can be extended to a maximum of six years. Hereโs a basic quiz to determine whether you or your spouse could get an H-1B visa to live and work in the U.S.Itโs important to note that this quiz is a basic one and there may be numerous reasons for someone to be awarded or not awarded an H-1B visa. What about qualifying for the H-4 visa? The H-4 visa is granted to the dependents of someone on an H-1B visa. The H-4 visa is more restricted and under that visa status, a person may study but not work.
What local lawmakers think about the plan for some immigrant spouses to lose their employment authorization
There was perhaps only one other candidate vying for the same seat would truly understand the plight of H-4 visa holders on an intimate level. Reddyโs wife was briefly on the H-4 visa herself when they first got married. There were also several letters sent to the Department of Homeland Security by U.S. lawmakers from around the country asking that the EAD for H-4 visa holders not be revoked. โWe urge you to maintain the rule allowing certain H-4 spouses work authorization.โKPRC (KPRC)Living in limboQUIZ: Could you get an H-1B or H-4 visa to live and work in the US? Living in limbo: A glossary of terms related to the H-4 visa and the US immigration systemLiving in limbo: How and why we covered this story
This woman from The Woodlands says company preyed on her desperation for a work visa
His new bride had no choice but to apply for the dependent H-4 visa so they could be together. Meanwhile, they have to find an employer willing to sponsor their H-1B visa so they can then switch their visa status to one that would allow them to continue working. American employers were unwilling to hire her as theyโd also have to sponsor her work visa. For one of Saishaโs friends, the frustration of being on an H-4 visa put a strain on her marriage. Industry leaders worry that workers on an H-1B visa would possibly choose to move out of the U.S. if their spouses were blocked from working.
How US and Houstonโs economies would be impacted if work authorization is revoked for 100K Indian women
HOUSTON โ Living in limbo is a continued in-depth series by KPRC 2 that delves into the challenges faced by hundreds of thousands of Indian women in the United States who stand to lose work authorization if President Donald Trumpโs administration changes one rule. After a 2017 edict from President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to remove the employment authorization of certain H-4 visa holders. Eschoo co-authored the H-4 Employment Protection Act 2018 โ legislation that aims to protect work authorization for H-4 visa holders. The benefit-cost analysis was conducted based on the answers provided to a survey by 4,708 people currently under the H-4 visa status. Living in limbo: A glossary of terms related to the H-4 visa and the US immigration systemLiving in limbo: How and why we covered this story
Out of time and choices: Woman struggles to find work while walking tight-rope of immigration system
However, herโs was an even tougher ordeal as she had to find an employer willing to sponsor her H-1B visa as well. This period is when a new employer prepares and files the complicated paperwork required for an H-1B visa application. But before Kalyaniโs Houston-based employer could file her H-1B visa petition, the situation her family life rapidly changed. By then, employers were awash with rumors that work authorization for H-4 visa holders was going to be revoked. Living in limbo: A glossary of terms related to the H-4 visa and the US immigration systemLiving in limbo: How and why we covered this story
100K Indian women, many in Houston, could lose the ability to work if the Trump administration changes 1 rule
More than 100,000 Indian women in the United States, many living in the Greater Houston area, stand to lose the ability to work if President Donald Trumpโs administration moves forward with a plan to do away with their work authorization. One former Houston resident says just the threat of losing her work authorization made it difficult for her to find an employer willing to hire her. Data source: USCISThere was some opposition to allowing H-4 visa holders to work. Save Jobs USA claimed if H-4 visa holders were allowed to work, American workers, who already face competition from H-1B workers, would also face competition from H-4 visa holders as well. Since the 2017 executive order, DHS has repeatedly noted its intent to change the rule that allows H-4 visa holders to work.
Faced with desperate circumstances, nearly 2M people in Texas - including these Houstonians - wont see a stimulus check
Does she pay rent Wednesday or does she buy food for her 7-year-old daughter? About 17% of people in Texas are immigrants and nearly 35% of that group is undocumented, according to the American Immigration Council. In 2017, the number of undocumented immigrants in Texas was estimated at 1.8 million. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for most federal benefits. Editors Note: KPRC 2 has changed the names of the undocumented immigrants at their request.