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Immigration policy: San Francisco wins legal battle against US government

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Washington, Oct 6 (IANS) City Attorney for the US city of San Francisco announced a victory in a legal battle against the federal government over an immigration law that was invoked by the White House to deny a federal grant to the city.

In response to a ruling by Judge William Orrick of the US Court for the Northern District of California that declared San Francisco’s sanctuary ordinances were lawful, attorney Dennis Herrera said the federal government’s attempt to impose conditions on law enforcement grants for the city was “unconstitutional”.

“We’re pleased the court has recognized that San Francisco’s sanctuary laws and policies comply with federal law,” Herrera was cited as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Orrick’s ruling asked the US Department of Justice to give California $28 million that was withheld after the White House challenged the state’s immigration policies.

Herrera filed a lawsuit on August 11, 2017 along with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, after US President Donald Trump threatened to deny San Francisco law enforcement more than $1.4 million in grants for the 2017 fiscal year.

The funds were from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Programme, which was created by Congress and awarded annually for more than 30 years, but the federal government had not disbursed the 2017 funds to San Francisco because of the federal and local disputes over immigration policies.

San Francisco and other sanctuary cities had declined to obey orders from the White House requiring the local police to cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement units in rounding up undocumented immigrants.

The sanctuary cities said such cooperation with federal immigration officers would turn away local people who feared to be questioned about their immigration status if they want to report crimes to the police.

“There is no law requiring state or local governments to participate in immigration enforcement,” Herrera said, adding that San Francisco’s police and firefighters “were not going to be commandeered and turned into the Trump administration’s deportation force”.

He said San Francisco will use the Byrne funds for important law enforcement purposes, including programmes designed to reduce recidivism, provide alternative forms of prosecution or enable treatment for underserved populations.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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