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Mental Health Care Needed for Children and Youth, Suicide Rate Rising in U.S.

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Mental Health Care Needed for Children and Youth, Suicide Rate Rising in U.S.
Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Until 2019, suicide has become the second leading cause of death among children aged 10-19 in the United States, and the COVID-19 pandemic is not helping, so today, more than ever, it is necessary to ensure the mental health of this group, who daily face the ravages of a changing world.

In response, and in order to make it easier for people to spot the warning signs of possible suicide, one Anaheim family shared their story, where they narrate the loss of their 14-year-old son.

Californians Adriana and Rodney Moore never imagined that their 14-year-old son would take his own life. The young man was healthy, very social, active, loved animals and loved to play his saxophone, according to the NBC Bay Area.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything, isolation and distance learning led Rodney Moore Jr. to lower his grades. Slowly, he lost hope by not being able to return to the classroom this month.

"No other father should have to go through this," said Adriana, mother of Rodney Moore Jr. "He should never have to say goodbye to his children. You should go before your children.

"Every time we close our eyes, we see how we found him," he said.

Adriana recalled that her son constantly said, "I don't see the point. Nothing is going to get better."

For Rodney Jr.'s father, the things his son said made him think things were going in another direction, yet, he said, they never imagined that up to that point.

"Although the coronavirus didn't take my son's life directly, it took it indirectly, that's how I feel," said Mr. Rodney Moore.

The chief psychologist at Children's Hospital of Orange County told the media that she currently receives twice as many phone calls from families concerned about their children's mental health who have presented the same kind of warning signs.

For her part, psychologist Heather Huszti, from the same institution, highlighted signs that parents should pay special attention to, such as increasing irritability, stopping participating in activities they used to like, having problems concentrating, and even changes in eating and sleeping patterns.

The conversation should start before the signs move forward, because "sometimes when you ask children about friends, about others, it's an easier way to get into the subject," Huszti said.

Finally, Rodney's parents said they hope that sharing their story will help prevent another young man's death, and called on other parents not to hesitate to bring their children to a mental health expert at the first sign of danger.

New solar project increases Palo Alto's energy portfolio

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New solar project increases Palo Alto's energy portfolio

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

A new solar utility project will soon begin delivering clean, renewable energy to Palo Alto after it was announced that the Rosamond Central solar project in Kern County completed construction and went into commercial operation. 

The Palo Alto Public Utilities Department - CPAU - has contracted through a power purchase agreement with Clearway Energy Group, in partnership with East Bay Community Energy and Clean Power Alliance, to install panels that generate 192 megawatts (MW).

Thus, the Rosamond project will provide the CPAU with 26 MW of solar electricity from 2023.

Rosamond is the sixth large-scale solar project to be put into operation to provide renewable energy to Palo Alto, supplying 44 to 45 percent of the city's total electricity needs each year.

"The City of Palo Alto's Public Utilities department has been delivering 100 percent carbon-neutral electricity to our customers since 2013, and we are proud to do so while maintaining highly competitive rates compared to neighboring companies.

Dean Batchelor, director of public services.


He added that the new power purchase agreement enhances the city's ability to provide clean, renewable energy at an affordable price, "which supports our utility's mission and citywide climate action and sustainability goals.

According to CPAU, the city's electricity supply has been 100 percent carbon neutral since 2013 when it signed long-term contracts for clean energy resources, including solar, wind, hydro and landfill gas generation. 

Scheme breaker, glass ceiling breaker, Kamala Harris

Anna Lee Mraz Bartra
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Scheme breaker, glass ceiling breaker, Kamala Harris

Opinion. Anna Lee Mraz Bartra. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

The path carved out for an African-American woman and daughter of immigrants like Kamala Harris to be sworn in as vice president of the United States today was a path cemented by sweat, tears and blood; the product of a centuries-old, trans-generational struggle of thousands -millions- of women who, step by step, paved the way. 

"Neither the states of the United States nor the Federal government may deny any citizen the right to vote on account of his or her sex," says officially the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution that was achieved one hundred years ago, on August 26, 1920. 

On the road to equality, many women were arrested, booed, persecuted and judged by society. The movement, led by women, won the right to vote. 

However, it should be recalled that until 1965, black people, both women and men of low income, were denied this basic right on the basis of race.

While until recently it was said that women were not considered qualified to hold political office, today things seem to be changing. A lawyer, of Indian descent, a Baptist, married to a Jew, Harris makes clear not only her leadership and political skills that have propelled her to the position she is in today, but she is opening gaps for those who come after her. 

I have always thought that, not because she is a woman, a woman in a position of power will look after women's rights. The same goes for blackness, migration, poverty and other conditions of social disadvantage or vulnerability. Those who manage to get out of there and place themselves outside the structure from which they came can turn their backs on their fellow men and, worse still, close the door on them. There are plenty of examples of women who, in the past and present, have ridden the purple wave, the standard bearers of feminism, only to turn around at the first sign of change and leave their partners under the patriarchal yoke. 

However, Harris may recognize the struggle of women as their struggle as well:

"Much of the reason she wanted to be a prosecutor was to protect people like her [her best friend who had been abused by her own father] and change the system. In fact, a big part of my career has been to protect women and children. 

Kamala Harris

Harris is not only breaking new ground politically, but in the way he chose to lead his personal life as a second wife, without biological children and stepmother. Not having children, whether by choice or possibility, does not make you less of a woman and that is why she is another feminist baton today, because throughout history that role has been imposed on us women. 

That Kamala Harris has been sworn in today in front of the Capitol, a building that only last week was flooded with a wave of hate and white supremacists scared to death of losing the privileges they hold, is a victory. And the victories show that the struggle that has been going on for a hundred years is worthwhile. 

But this is no time to rest on our laurels, unfortunately the road that led Harris to the White House is still dirt road and not enough women are coming, not enough Black women, let alone Black women behind it. The fight is not over. 

"This doesn't reconcile our past, but it gives us hope for the future," said Catherine Flowers, a prominent Alabama environmental justice advocate, who confessed that her eyes filled with tears when Biden announced her campaign partner. "Black women have sustained the civil rights movement and the Democratic Party for decades, but we have rarely received any credit.

Catherine Flowers

It is a complex war, with uncertain horizons and unequal trenches in each country and in each area, which women have been fighting for centuries on at least three different fronts: power, identity and talent. 

All that remains is to continue to work and support women like Harris so that, as she said in her words:

"Even if I am the first woman in this office, I will not be the last," the vice president-elect said in her first address to the nation.  

Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris by Gage Skidmore

Biden came through: on his first day he presented a project to regularize 11 million undocumented immigrants

Pamela Cruz
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Biden came through: on his first day he presented a project to regularize 11 million undocumented immigrants

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

After Joseph Biden was sworn in this morning as the 46th president of the United States, the new president kept his election promise where he promised that on the first day of his term he would introduce an immigration bill, which includes the possibility of some 11 million undocumented people obtaining legal residency.

After four years in which Donald Trump was very aggressive against immigrants, this Wednesday's announcement is a respite for thousands of people who for years have sought to remain in the country legally and without fear of being deported or having their families separated.

The details of the bill the Democrat sent to Congress on Wednesday are part of his commitment to "modernize" the immigration system towards the "U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. 

It should be noted that the initiative will have to be supported by the legislative chambers that are currently mostly made up of Democrats, which could speed up the process to make the law change a reality.

With the reform, about 11 million immigrants could get their "green card" as long as they meet certain requirements, including always having paid their taxes and not having a criminal record.

In addition to the beneficiaries are the "Dreamers", minors who arrived in the country as children of their parents, also undocumented, as well as those protected under the Temporary Protection Status (TPS), mostly Central Americans.

While immigrant farm workers will be able to apply for "immediate" legal residence, and three years later access citizenship. 

It is important to note that the bill states that the measure will only be for those immigrants who have been physically present in the United States on or before January 1, 2021. 

In addition, those who were deported during the Trump administration, beginning January 20, 2017, and who were physically present for at least three years before removal may apply for the same benefit for "family unity and other humanitarian purposes.

Family reunification will also be a guide in the bill, where importance will be given to LGBTQ+ family groups. 

The bill also includes a provision that prohibits "discrimination based on religion and limits presidential authority to issue future prohibitions" and increases diversity visas from 55,000 to 80,000. 

If passed, Biden's bill would become the largest immigration reform since the 1981-1989 administration of Ronald Reagan, who once legalized three million undocumented immigrants. 

Peninsula Clean Energy Goes All Out to Generate 100% Renewable Energy

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Peninsula Clean Energy Goes All Out to Generate 100% Renewable Energy

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San Mateo's official electricity provider, Peninsula Clean Energy, recently agreed to purchase 245 megawatts of power from three California wind projects, actions that seek to advance the goal of becoming an emissions-free county by 2025.

Thus, the three contracts that Peninsula Clean Energy has signed, seek to provide reliable, fully renewable energy with a transitional approach that will allow a better and cleaner environment for the community.

"To reach our 100 percent renewable goal, we will need some significant contributions from wind energy," said Jan Pepper, executive director of Peninsula Clean Energy.

Among the plans signed, Shiloh, which will extend for seven years - 2030 - is an existing 150 MW wind project in Solano County with Avangrid Renewables, however, the current mandate reaches five years, ending in December 2023.

In the case of Voyager II, the project will run until 2028, with Shell Energy North America (USA), L.P., to generate half of the capacity and renewable energy generated by the existing ~ 130 MW wind project near Mojave.

The third project signed by the energy agency was Sky River, in which it is expected to renew power from an existing facility by replacing 157 existing turbines with 11 new ones for the Peninsula Clean Energy portion, to be completed in September of this year.

This will generate half of the expected 60MW over the next 20 years and will be provided by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources near Bakersfield in Kern County.

These additional wind projects will complement solar generation, especially during the colder months and other seasons when solar energy is reduced.

"We are particularly pleased to have longer-term commitments in a highly competitive market for wind energy projects that will help us push the boundaries even further to provide our customers with clean, affordable energy," said Jan Pepper.

Matt Handel, senior vice president of NextEra Energy Resources, said he is pleased to be working with Peninsula Clean Energy to bring additional low-cost renewable energy to its customers and economic growth to California.

"Once construction of this upgrade is complete, our partners will enjoy an improved wind project that is more efficient and produces cost-effective energy," he added.

Presidency Biden, first 100 crucial days to win over the Latino community

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Presidency Biden, first 100 crucial days to win over the Latino community
Christian Carlos. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

On January 20, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who was elected on the November 3, 2020 general election, opened a door for people in the Latino community. His challenge is to reconcile the American people. Achieving it within 100 days is an even greater challenge.

Joe Biden should focus on the promises made to the electorate that won him the election. These include the amendment to the 2nd amendment allowing access to weapons, the change of the US Court, police abuse, the right and recognition of LGBTTTIQ+ people - and other vulnerable minorities -, the payment of taxes by companies, international agreements on climate change are some of the goals the administration has to resolve in the coming years, but above all it has to resolve outstanding issues on migration.

And more recent issues in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as foreign policy toward countries in dispute with Donald Trump, vaccination of the U.S. population, and restoration of the domestic economy to regain lost jobs; issues that end up affecting the Latino community.

The bipartisanship has caused the division of the United States and one of the first presidential actions expected with the arrival of Biden to the Oval Office of the White House, is to unite its population. "One country united" is the motto of the new administration that has the legacy of Donald Trump.

Biden's inauguration is overshadowed by the legacy of racism, xenophobia and hatred of the Latino community that has led to such unfortunate events in the history of the country that founded modern democracy as the far-right insurrection seen in the January 6 riots on Capitol Hill.

The first 100 days of President Biden's administration are complicated, as he will have to deal with a still tense electorate, also caused by Donald Trump, who was responsible, at all times, for delegitimizing the results and further exacerbating the bipartisan divide.

In the last days of his administration, we saw President Donald Trump overseeing the border fence who repeatedly stated that "Mexico would pay for it," which altered foreign relations with the southern neighbor. Biden will also have to supervise the construction of the border fence, given that it is a project that was initiated and implemented four years ago and that COVID-19 was unable to stop. One of Biden's powers that he would have once the presidential inauguration process is to stop and, at best, reverse the construction of the wall that divides Mexico from the United States.

The motto of the new administration, as we saw, will be carried out at home, not abroad; an important priority, no doubt. But it is also essential to control the issue of foreign relations with those countries with which Trump has found ways to discredit. To do this, Biden will have to show his people a good relationship between countries with trade agreements, including China and Mexico, the country of origin of millions of immigrants living in the United States.

One step in diplomacy can decrease the cases of racial violence in the country and reduce the xenophobic acts that intensified in the four years of Trumpism.

SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 disease -- and which Trump has referred to as "the Chinese virus" -- should not pose a major problem for the new administration with Joe Biden in office, as the vaccine and plan are already in place that calls for tens of thousands of doses per day, even less so with the strong message Biden offered a few days ago urging Americans to use the coverall; however, an economic downturn is coming around the world and the U.S. However, a worldwide economic recession is coming, and the US is no exception.

Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost due to the pandemic, many of them occupied by the migrant population of the Latino community.

If Joe Biden is interested in regaining confidence within the Latino community, he will have to continue with the discourse that the U.S. is an example of opportunity for all its inhabitants; both in the vaccination plan and in the country's economic recovery, he will have to be inclusive, mainly, with the essential workers who only the disease has stopped, and who have continued to be the pillar that has sustained the U.S. while restricting the mobility of most of the inhabitants.

Joe Biden's recognition of essential workers is an acknowledgement of the work of the Latino community, a recognition necessary to alleviate confrontations over xenophobia and racism.

On October 22, 2020, still Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden declared that he would send an immigration reform initiative to the U.S. Congress "that would provide a path to U.S. citizenship for those 11 million undocumented immigrants who contribute so much to the country. Manuel Ortiz points out that "similar words were expressed, at the time, by Barack Obama, but that the supposed immigration reform remained in promises".

Many international media, especially international media, have highlighted the decadent and inhumane facilities where hundreds of children are crowded together because of their immigration status. Many of them are the sons and daughters of undocumented parents who have been repatriated to their places of origin and who have divided entire families. This subhuman policy must be a priority and an example of change if Biden is to differentiate itself from the administration that preceded it.

Reunification-interior and exterior-is necessary to reverse the effects caused by Donald Trump; however, one hundred days are, at sight, insufficient this single goal if we add the diplomatic factor, the pandemic factor, the recovery of lost jobs for the Latino community and the application of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to essential workers, the Latino engine that saved the country on more than one occasion. One hundred days of the Biden administration to show that the Latino community is more visible than in any other crisis in modern U.S. history.

Twitter Reacts to Joe Biden's Investiture

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Cristian Carlos. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

This morning, Joe Biden protested as the 46th president of the United States, preceded by the term of now ex-president Donald Trump, who lost the general election held on November 3 and consequently started an insurrection on the Capitol where Trump's supporters violently stormed into the polling station to ratify Biden's victory.

Before President Joe Biden's inauguration, the incoming president declared, "It's a new day in America.

US Vice President Kamala Harris was one of the first voices on Twitter to speak out on the issue, accompanied by a video that empowers generations of African descent, Latinos and others. "I'm here because of the women who came before me.

#BidenHarrisInauguration took the top spot in Twitter trends this morning to celebrate the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. However, other labels also quickly became a trend celebrating the departure of what media outlets such as CNN have called the "end of the era of domestic terrorism" with #ByeByeTrump, #TrumpsLastDay.

The Biden Inaugural Committee then tweeted: "@JoeBiden is the President of the United States".

Lady Gaga, the contemporary icon of Pop music, at her presentation of the National Anthem at the Capitol, said: "My intention is to acknowledge our past in order to heal our present; and passionate about a future where we work together with love. I will sing for the hearts of all the people who live on this earth. Respectfully and generously, Lady Gaga," she said.

Gavin Newsom, governor of the state of California, also joined the conversation, saying: "It is a hopeful and inspiring day in America. Our country is founded on our ideal of democracy and the peaceful transition of power. Today, history was made with President Joe Biden and California Vice President Kamala Harris. Now, let us come together to be the America we know we can be.

Other people on Twitter shared impressive images of how Kamala Harris is the first woman to take the position of vice president.

Jennifer Lopez, who also attended Joe Biden's and Kamala Harris' opening ceremony, tweeted: "What an honor it is to spend a few moments with these brave men and women. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. I will honor them today and every day. Tomorrow, I will sing for you and for all Americans.

Minutes after the inauguration event, President Joe Biden tweeted from the official US presidential account that had previously been in the hands of Donald Trump and which did not keep the tweets or followers he had accumulated:

Barack Obama, the first African-American president, congratulated Biden: "Congratulations to my friend, President @JoeBiden! It's your time."

Hillary Clinton, once a candidate for the U.S. presidency, spoke about the position of vice president now held by Kamala Harris: "I am delighted to think that what seems historic and surprising today - a woman who took over the vice presidency - will seem normal, obvious and evident to her granddaughters as they grow up. And they will be right.

Former President Bill Clinton said the ceremony "affirms our democracy and celebrates the best that America stands for.

Strong winds start forest fires in San Mateo

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Strong winds start forest fires in San Mateo

Peninsula 360 Press editorial office

Southern San Mateo County has been affected by wildfires caused by high winds in different parts of the Bay Area, officials reported.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection -CAL FIRE-, until noon, the 10-acre fire in North Butane had not been controlled at all, however, it does not threaten any structure.

While the 20-acre fire, reported in China Grade Road and Foxglove Lane, northwest Boulder Creek in Santa Cruz County, is contained at 50 percent.

The fire department that covers San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties has received several fire alarms in the last 12 hours, when the strongest winds began to be registered.

According to the National Weather Service, winds are expected to begin to gradually ease off from 6:00 pm, but so far they continue to wreak havoc in the Bay Area.

So far, strong winds have caused power lines to fail and branches to fall.

Mexican Consulate in SF calls for speculation and calls for COVID-19 vaccine

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Mexican Consulate in SF calls for speculation and calls for COVID-19 vaccine

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press

After the Latino community is one of the most affected in the U.S. by COVID-19, it is extremely important that there is no room for speculation and that the vaccine against the virus that produces it is chosen, because only in this way can the disease be controlled and the deaths that are registered today be stopped.

This was pointed out by the director of the Latino Center of Excellence, Dr. Alicia Fernandez, who highlighted that the COVID-19 vaccine is very safe, reaching up to 95 percent effectiveness against the virus, and very few people have serious allergic reactions to such immunization.

"COVID-19 vaccine, no Covid, not possible. It contains only a small piece of the instructions, and these never mix with the part of the cell that has the human instructions. You can't bring in genetic material and mix it with human genetic material," he said.

During a Facebook briefing held today by the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco, the also medical professor said that vaccines, so far available, such as Pfizer and Moderna, "protect very well.

"In the case of the Pfizer vaccine, a study was done with 42,000 people, of which 21,000 were given the vaccine and the remaining were given a placebo, that is, a fake vaccine containing only water, among those who received the vaccine, there were eight cases of COVID-19, while those who received the placebo had 162 positive cases. That's 95 percent effectiveness -- these vaccines protect very well," he said.

Although, he detailed, there are short-term adverse effects from the vaccines, these are only: arm pain on the first application, while for the second dose there may be headache, fatigue, and only 10 percent have fever "... in no case did people have to be hospitalized and all symptoms disappeared by the third or fourth day.

In cases of severe allergic reaction, he reported that after 12 million people have been vaccinated, only 29 cases of such reactions have occurred, and they have been given medication.

"We know that the vaccine works well for people over 65, in both women and men, in everyone over 16, and for all races, including people with obesity, diabetes and HIV," she said.

On the other hand, he said, "the decision - to get the vaccine - is very particular, but I suggest you think of it this way: you have to compare the fears of the side effects of the vaccine to the risks of getting COVID-19.

However, he said, "many people who get COVID-19 have no symptoms, and there have been 400,000 deaths in the U.S. from SARS-CoV-2, so I recommend all my patients get the vaccine.

In that sense, he specified that so far there is no contraindication for the COVID-19 vaccine, only for those who have presented a severe allergic reaction in their first dose, it is recommended not to apply a second one.

The specialist added that, despite having been vaccinated, it is necessary to continue with safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus, such as the use of the mask, social distancing, constant hand washing and not going to crowded places.

Well, he stressed, "until there are enough people vaccinated, the level of virus that is circulating will drop, and then we will finally be able to take off all the masks. But if you are vaccinated you can, say, join your family, because you are protected.

Fernandez reminded the population that vaccines are free and accessible to everyone, regardless of their immigration status, however, vaccination protocols depend heavily on each state and county, so it is important to keep informed of every step taken by the location where one is living.

In some parts of the Bay Area vaccinations are already available for those 65 years and older, however they are only available to those who have health insurance or health care providers, so call those who have such services to find out how they can get immunized.

For those who don't count such services, he said, it is not yet known when the vaccines will be available, since priority has been given at this time to health workers, such as those working on long-term stays, and then priority will be given depending on age and occupation, with those working in essential industries being the first to receive their doses.

For its part, the Consul General of San Francisco, Remedios Gomez, reported that the Consulate of Mexico will remain alert to the various health authorities, to communicate in a timely manner to Mexicans living in the area, on how, when and where they can go to receive their vaccination in a timely manner.

Great or false hope? Residence for Essential Undocumented Workers on Biden's Agenda

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Great or false hope? Residence for Essential Undocumented Workers on Biden's Agenda
Anthony Advincula. Ethnic Media Services [EMS].

New York, USA - One Monday, Maribel Lapuz woke up at 4:30 in the morning. The 46-year-old immigrant from the Philippines braved the sub-zero weather and took the train from Jersey City, New Jersey, to a nursing home in Brooklyn, New York, where she has worked six days a week as a caregiver since last February.

Thousands of miles away, Mario Ramirez has been driving from one house to another since 5 a.m. He does construction and plumbing work in Marietta, Georgia. Ramirez, a 52-year-old Mexican immigrant, has never missed a day of work since the beginning of the pandemic.

"When the Trump administration sent the $1,200 stimulus checks to the workers, I didn't receive them; they ignored me," Lapuz said,

"Someone like me in this country is not eligible for unemployment," Ramirez said. "That means I can't stop working to support my family, despite the risk of COVID-19.

Your situation may change soon.

Considered "essential workers" by the federal government, Lapuz and Ramirez are among the 5 million undocumented immigrants who can be rewarded with citizenship, and it could happen during the first days of the Biden-Harris administration.

Indispensable to American life and the economy, essential undocumented workers are now at the center of an immigration plan being drafted by Congressional Democrats and immigrant rights advocates, and being promoted extensively by the incoming administration.

The new immigration legislation - found in the $1.9 billion COVID support bill Biden unveiled last week - will include granting citizenship to essential undocumented workers and reducing the waiting time for U.S. citizenship.

"Essential workers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, are unsung American heroes, risking their lives during this deadly pandemic to care for our communities and ensure that food is on the table," said Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) at a recent virtual press conference. "I am working on legislation to immediately protect essential workers and their families from deportation and provide them with a fast track to citizenship.

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris spoke publicly on the subject. She spoke last week with Spanish-language television station Univision, and said the incoming administration will automatically grant green cards not only to essential undocumented workers, but also to DACA (Deferred Action for Children) beneficiaries, as well as to holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and will shorten the time it takes to become a U.S. citizen by five years.

"The incoming administration has a golden opportunity to set things right and offer essential immigrant workers and their families relief from this pandemic, relief from persecution for their immigrant status and relief from invisibility," Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights, said in a press call organized by America's Voice.

The Republican rollback has already begun. Lora Ries, a former interim chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, told The Los Angeles Times that the legislation will create more problems.

"Such advantages will attract more people to enter the United States illegally to await their eventual residency, undermining border security," Ries said.

This week, more than 6,000 Honduran migrants and asylum seekers have made their way north through Guatemala and Mexico. This caravan could represent a resurgence of such efforts, as Biden has promised to reform President Trump's harsh immigration policies.

Some immigration advocates and academics also question whether the next immigration plan has the right focus. If the Biden-Harris administration proposes to extend legalization opportunities to 5 million essential undocumented workers, what about the other 8 million undocumented immigrants?

"Millions of immigrant workers are on the front lines, risking their lives to keep our country going. The depth of this crisis requires urgent action," said SEIU President Mary Kay Henry in America's Voice. "We cannot defeat the virus when millions of essential undocumented workers are left out; providing [a fast track to citizenship] is the only way we will be able to deal with the pandemic.

Alex Padilla, the California secretary of state who will replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate, defended the immigration plan for undocumented essential workers.

"It's not that we're not going to deal with other undocumented immigrants," Padilla said in the call with reporters. "Because of the urgency of COVID's assistance, it's better to act sooner rather than later.

Padilla referred to the immigration experience of his own parents, who came to California from Mexico in the 1960s. They never had a formal education, he said, and never had a day off; his father worked as a cook and his mother cleaned houses.

"But we were told that if we work hard and do well in school, we can do what we want to do. That's the American dream," he added. "After four years of [Trump's] constant attack on immigrant communities, the Biden-Harris administration will help us change things. I hope Congress and our nation will recognize that these [essential undocumented] immigrants stepped forward when America needed them most and put themselves in harm's way during this deadly pandemic.

"I was thrilled when I heard this great news," said Lapuz in Jersey City, New Jersey. "But I can't stop worrying that they're sending another false hope again. I've been through this before."

"My family has been waiting for this moment. We risked our lives and helped this country survive the pandemic," Ramirez said. "We must not continue to stay in the shadows. All my children were born here, this is our home.

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