On the heels of the midterm election, and passage of Question 4, which upheld a law allowing immigrants without legal status in the U.S. to receive driver s licenses, immigrant-rights activists are celebrating another win as the state increases translation services for non-English speakers in the Commonwealth. Governor Charlie Baker recently signed the $3.7-billion Economic Development Bill, which includes $20-million for the needs of immigrants and refugees. .
Recent polling shows more than 60% of Latino voters report exposure to false or unverified about politics, the COVID vaccine and abortion, and advocates said the trend puts voter engagement and turnout at risk. North Carolina s population boom over the past decade has mainly come from Latinos, who wield increasing political power. More than 100,000 thousand Latino residents are expected to cast ballots in next week s midterm election. .
Community members in northwest Washington are gathering support for an immigrant resource center. In September, Democrats in Whatcom County unanimously passed a resolution backing the establishment of an immigrant resource center in Bellingham. The campaign is coming in the lead-up to Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood s budget unveiling on Oct. .
A new internship program is looking to investigate health disparities among Massachusetts immigrant population. The Immigrant Scholar Internship Program at the Leah Zallman Center for Immigrant Health Research is designed to have scholars examine the health of immigrants. According to a 2021 report, residents in the city of Chelsea, 45% of whom are foreign born, said fear of immigration repercussions prevented them from seeking critical health care. .
People in northwest Washington are holding a vigil at Bellingham City Hall for an immigrant farmworker who died five years ago, and calling for a resource center to help other residents. Honesto Silva Ibarra died in 2017 while working in triple-digit heat. A state investigation of Ibarra s death found the farm where he worked violated requirements for regular breaks. .