A View from A Closed and Deadly Quiet Boston

April 29, 2020

A View from A Closed and Deadly Quiet Boston

https://www.irishecho.com/2020/04/a-view-from-a-closed-and-deadly-quiet-boston/

Oldest Irish American Newspaper in USA, Established in 1928

Attorney John Foley is sheltering in place at home, but still working as best he can from there.

By John Philip Foley

Boston — Like most places, Boston is closed. With the exception of cars delivering take-out food, the streets are deserted. The only activity is at supermarkets and pharmacies where the shoppers are wearing face masks and gloves as they maneuver one-way aisles only to find the toilet paper shelves mostly empty.

Buses and trains are operating on a reduced schedule and ridership are down by about 90%. Logan Airport, usually a beehive of activity, is silent.

We are all in front of the television watching dual press conferences between President Trump and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. One is full of false bravado, the other common sense that in time will be deemed wisdom.

We hear President Trump using adjectives like “fantastic, wonderful and perfect” as he encourages Americans to get back to work while a neighbor complains about the lack of basic medical supplies at the nursing home where she works.

And it’s in those nursing homes where the real tragedy is taking place. As in Ireland, the number of nursing home deaths continues to rise, and what makes it even worse is that these people are dying alone.

It’s not so bad being tucked away at home until you hear the morning news and realize another hundred people who live around you died last night and the obituary section in the Boston Globe is now larger than the sports section.

As kids, we joked about our Irish-born grandparents reading the “Irish sports page” and now it’s us looking at those same pages to see if we knew anyone who died.

Some of us are lucky to be able to work from home, but nothing is really getting done.

As an immigration lawyer, I tell clients all interviews and oath ceremonies have been canceled and will not be re-scheduled anytime soon.

Then-President Trump tweets and my phone explodes as clients call, email, and text in fear. Trump is using a pandemic as a re-election tool while he is scaring the hell out of innocent people with a presidential order that will not make anyone safer.

As the days merge together and the death toll rises, we seek comfort and happiness from any source. We were delighted to share in the recovery of Belfast lawyer Niall Murphy. The video of Niall giving the thumbs up as he was wheeled out of the ICU filled us with hope.

This virus has also exposed how alike we are as humans. It has exposed that most of our daily squabbles and fights are over issues that don’t really matter. If and when this is over, I envision an Ireland more focused on building a better, safer future than refighting old struggles.

Now go wash your hands!

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Driver Licenses for Those in Massachusetts Without Legal Immigration Status

May 10, 2022

The Massachusetts State Senate passed a bill that may allow people without legal immigration status to get Massachusetts driver’s licenses beginning next year. The Massachusetts House passed a similar bill two months ago by a veto-proof margin. The out-going Governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker has repeatedly said he doesn’t support allowing people without legal immigration status to obtain driver licenses. If the Legislature over-rides Governor Baker’s expected veto, people without legal immigration status could obtain a driver’s license by providing two documents that prove their identity. The documentation could be a foreign passport and a birth certificate with a certified English translation or a foreign passport and a marriage certificate. If it becomes law, the new identification requirements would take effect on July 1, 2023. The bill’s passage would mean Massachusetts would join 16 other states and the District of Colombia where undocumented individuals are allowed to receive driver licenses. While it has been considered before, the Massachusetts legislation now has the support of a number of interested parties including a majority of the state’s Sheriffs and district attorneys and the Massachusetts Major Cities Chiefs of Police Association. While the new law will not be implemented for more than a year, Foley Law Offices is compiling a list of individuals who plan to apply for a driver’s license as soon as they are legally able to do so. Attorney John Foley said “these are people who are out of immigration status but they drive every day because they work or they have kids. They are your neighbors. Allowing them to get driver licenses will make our roads safer and it will allow them to breath a bit easier as they go about their day.” For more information on what documents you need to provide to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license and to get on the filing waiting list, call Foley Law Offices at (617) 397-4787.

A Long Journey Powered by Love

April 14, 2022

After a long journey over many years, I was delighted to welcome Souleymane Conde to Boston, Massachusetts and the United States of America. Souleymane is married to Esther King who lives in the Dorchester section of Boston. Esther was a teenager living in Liberia in west Africa when a brutal civil war forced her to walk over 250 miles north to an international refugee camp in Guinea. There Esther met Souleymane where he was working as a teacher. Esther’s refugee status took her to the United States but, in her words “I never forgot the love of my life, Souleymane.” After she had built a life for herself in the U.S., Esther returned to Guinea to find Souleymane. She said “despite the years it was as if we had never been apart.” On a later trip, Souleymane and Esther were married. Esther is a U.S. citizen and she tried to bring Souleymane to the United States in 2014 but for unknown reasons the U.S. Consulate denied her petition. We were hired in 2019 and despite the pandemic and a previous U.S. administration that didn’t want to bring in immigrants from Africa, we were able to make it through the U.S. immigration gauntlet and Souleymane’s case was finally approved. Souleymane arrived in the U.S. on March 18th and was welcomed into the loving arms of his wife, Esther. It was a long journey but they were finally together. It can be a struggle dealing with U.S. immigration and the different U.S. Consulates around the world but when you are able to help re-unite a family ---- it is worth it. Welcome Souleymane! And Congratulations Esther!

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A View from A Closed and Deadly Quiet Boston