By Anny Osabutey – The New York City Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs, Lorelei Salas, has cautioned the Ghanaian community to be careful of agents parading as immigration experts to ensure that their efforts to legalize their stay here in America do not go to waste. Ms. Salas said as much as people should try to regularize their stay, they should avoid expending human and material resources on fraudulent agents, whose goal is to make money at their expense. She therefore enjoined them to be cautious about the type of people they consult on immigration issues.
The Commissioner made the comments at a meeting with Ghanaian residents at Tracy Towers, a huge residential complex near Jerome Avenue in North Bronx to discuss various issues pertaining to their welfare.
Ms. Salas encouraged people who are not documented to make efforts to regularize their stay and at least secure State Identification Cards because with a change in government, there could be the possibility of implementing new rules, which may be unfavorable. The Commissioner also advised Green Card holders, who qualify for citizenship to put in their paper work and become citizens to be able to earn the benefits that come with it. “If you are not a citizen, you need to get your paperwork together because of the several benefits that go with citizenship,” she told them.
Ms. Salas asked those without social security numbers to obtain Temporary Identification Numbers that can assist them to file their taxes, assuring them that her office was ready to assist in that direction. “You must take advantage of such interventions because the Mayor’s Office is determined to make lives of New York residents better,” she stressed.
On the safety of residents, the Commissioner told them that the Mayor’s Office was working with the NYPD and other security agencies to keep the city safe and ensure that people go about their duties without fear or intimidation. Ms. Salas said reduction of gun violence remains a top priority for the De Blasio administration and emphasized that nothing was being left to chance in stemming the tide.
Touching on other issues, Ms. Salas mentioned identity theft, which she said, has become a social canker and advised them to limit their obsession with social media. According to her, the interactions she has had with many residents in the city since taking over her duties suggest that identity theft has become a social menace and advised them to be discreet about how they share their information on the internet.
“Social media has several advantages, but be careful about how you dispense with your information because cyber criminals work non-stop, looking for opportunities to hack such information,” she pointed out.
Ms. Salas answered questions pertaining to the welfare of the residents.
