Ten cuidado con la ayuda para asuntos de inmigración

16 de octubre de 2018

por 

Lisa Weintraub Schifferle

Abogada, División de educación del consumidor y negocios, FTC

Si estás buscando ayuda para tus asuntos de inmigración, es posible que te topes con sitios web parecidos a los del gobierno – pero que en verdad son sitios de compañías que fingen formar parte del gobierno de EE. UU. El reciente acuerdo resolutorio de la FTC brinda algunas lecciones sobre cómo protegerse.

¿Sobre qué trata el acuerdo? La compañía Forms Direct, Inc., también conocida como American Immigration Center, estableció sitios web que parecían sitios web oficiales del gobierno de EE. UU. En esos sitios, con nombres tales como “us-immigration.com” y “uscitizenship.info”, se usaron títulos como “U.S. Immigration”, y se incluyeron imágenes de águilas o de la Estatua de la Libertad. En los resultados del motor de búsqueda aparecían anuncios de la compañía que incluían el nombre de la agencia de inmigración del gobierno, “USCIS”. En los anuncios decía que a cambio del pago de cargos de entre $120 y $300, la gente podía usar sus sitios web para presentar solicitudes de renovación de tarjetas verdes, solicitudes de ciudadanía u otros formularios de inmigración.

Pero estos no eran sitios web del gobierno. Los cargos fueron directamente a la compañía. Además, la gente todavía tenía que pagar los cargos de presentación cobrados por el gobierno, y a veces, hasta tenía que presentar los formularios por su cuenta.

Gracias al acuerdo de la FTC, ahora la compañía tiene que decir claramente que no está afiliada con el gobierno federal. Además, tiene que explicarle a la gente que tiene que presentar sus formularios ante el gobierno y que tiene que pagar cualquier cargo aplicable. Y eso no es todo: bajo los términos del acuerdo, la compañía pagará $2.2 millones de dólares que serán reembolsados a los consumidores.

¿Cómo puedes evitar las estafas dirigidas contra los inmigrantes? Te listamos algunas cosas a tener en cuenta:

• Identifica los auténticos sitios web del gobierno. Si el domicilio del sitio termina en .gov, es un sitio del gobierno de EE. UU. 
• Nunca pagues a cambio de formularios del gobierno en blanco. Puedes obtener formularios de inmigración gratuitamente en uscis.gov/es/forularios o llamando al USCIS al 1-800-870-3676. Puede haber cargos de presentación, pero los formularios propiamente dichos son gratis.
• No uses un notario público para asesoramiento legal. En Estados Unidos, los notarios no son abogados y no tienen permitido dar asesoramiento legal. Para encontrar un abogado especializado en asuntos de inmigración que ofrezca servicios gratis o a bajo costo, consulta esta lista detallada por estado del Departamento de Justicia de EE. UU.

Para más información, visita ftc.gov/inmigracion. Y si has detectado una estafa, repórtala a la FTC o al Fiscal General de tu estado.

Florida State Parks: Hurricane Michael Recovery

Dear Florida State Park Supporter,

On behalf of Florida State Parks, our hearts go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Michael. I know many in the Panhandle are still assessing the immense damage, but the recovery process has begun in communities and state parks throughout Northwest Florida. In some parts, it will be a long journey.

Florida State Parks is focused on the health and safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff, and that is why some state parks remain closed throughout Northwest Florida. However, park staff and volunteers are working every day to clean up fallen trees, remove debris and repair structural damage to make parks safe to open. Visitors can check individual park statuses on our website at the Florida State Parks Storm Updates page, which is updated as new information becomes available. The goal is to return some normalcy to the communities who utilize the parks for recreation, relaxation and respite.

We firmly believe that People make the Parks. Our staff’s dedication and passion help allow our visitors to have amazing and transformative experiences in Florida's state parks. Many members of our staff in the Panhandle have been impacted by the storm and have lost their homes and other possessions. However, many are still actively working at their state parks to restore the places we all love. 

Immediately following the storm, we received questions from community members, wanting to know how to support the state parks and park staff who were impacted. The outpouring of support has been moving. If you're interested in assisting, here is how you can make a difference:

• Donate: Support the Florida Park Service Ranger Association, who have provided funds for affected staff. The Florida State Parks Foundation and the specific park “Friends” groups are providing funds to aid in recovery.
• Volunteer: Parks will need volunteers to assist in cleanup efforts when they can be safely accessed. I encourage you to complete a Florida State Parks volunteer application or visitVolunteer Florida to learn other ways you can help the community.
• Visit: Show your support for the parks by visiting one of the more than 160 parks that are open. These include some parks in the Panhandle like Edward Ball Wakulla Springs, Camp Helen and Ponce de Leon Springs state parks. The parks provide a place to relax, escape and experience the Real Florida℠.

I know that together with staff, volunteers and community supporters, our state and its state parks will recover and be stronger than before.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and contact our information line at 850-245-2157.

Thank you for your continued support.

Eric Draper, Director

Miami Beach Cultural Arts Events

October 24 - October 31, 2018 Sonic Dreamscapes by Bill Fontana Date:  Friday, October 26, 2018 Time:  6:30 PM   Location:  New World Center, 500 17 Street Miami Beach,  FL 33139 About:  The City of Miami Beach Art in Public Places program is proud to present Sonic Dreamscapes, a new outdoor installation at SoundScape Park created by leading sound artist Bill Fontana. Using microphones, vibration sensors and hydrophones, Fontana has captured and re-created the environmental sounds of Miami Beach and South Florida. Get more information! Sand: Amphitheater  Date:  Sunday, October 28, 2018 Time: 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Location: Collins Park, 2100 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140 About:  Did you know? Miami Beach's coast is constantly eroding and requires expensive imports of sand from around the world to maintain its existence.   Using sand as a literal and metaphorical foundation, this event will consist of a multidisciplinary exploration of South Florida's history and ecosystem, and examine the decisions in recent decades that have led to Miami Beach's current predicament.   Expect historians, artists, city officials and civilians all gathered to connect over this little-known issue.The public forum and performances will unfold inside of a public art installation in Collins Park: thousands of pounds of sandbags stacked into the construction of a Greco-inspired amphitheater. This event is part of "Sand: Amphitheater, Theater, Arena," a project by ArtCenter's Art in Public Life resident Misael Soto. A project in collaboration with city of Miami Beach. RSVP here! Cinema Series at SoundScape Park    Date:  Every Wednesday, October 03, 2018 - May 29, 2019 Time:  8:00 PM  Location: SoundScape Park, 400 17th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139 About:  Bring a blanket, share a picnic dinner and invite your friends and family to enjoy a spectacular season of free films. This Week... Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2018 Movie:  A Quiet Place (2018) Next Week... Date: Wednesday, October 31, 2018 Movie:  The Night Of The Living Dead (1968) [50th Anniversary] Text MBFILM to 91011 for weekly reminders and updates!   Each season, a guest curator is invited the program the film series. The 2018-2019 SoundScape Cinema Series is curated by Igor Shteyrenberg, Executive Director, Miami Jewish Film Festival. Schedule for Miami Beach 2018-2019 Soundscape Film Series  One Night In Miami...   Date:  Sunday, October 27, 2018 - Sunday, November 18, 2018 Time: Thursdays & Saturdays at  8:00 PM / Sundays at  3:00 PM Location: Colony Theatre 1040 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139   About: The night of February 25th, 1964 a young Cassius Clay emerges from the Miami Beach Convention Center as the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Against all odds, he's defeated Sonny Liston and shocked the world of boxing. While crowds of people swarm Miami Beach's hotspos to celebrate the match,Clay, unable to stay on the island because of Jim Crow-era segregation laws, spends the night at the Hampton House Motel celebrating with three of his friends: activist Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke, and football star Jim Brown. The next morning, the men emerge determined to define a new world.. Buy Tickets Now! Israel at 70   Date:  Saturday, October 27, 2018   Time:  8:00 PM Location:  New World Symphony, 500 17th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139 About:  Seventy years after the establishment of the State of Israel, Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) leads a celebratory one-night-only event honoring the Jewish heritage of Mahler and Mendelssohn, contemporary pioneer Avner Dorman, and that of his own family, The Thomashefskys. Book Your Tickets Now! Carlos Oliva y Los Sobrinos del Juez  Date: Saturday, October 27, 2018 Time:  7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Location: North Beach Bandshell 7275 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL  Admission:  Free  About:  As vibrant and diverse tropical metropolis, the City of Miami Beach, along with their Hispanic Affairs Committee is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with another year of free cultural events and happenings. This year's festival will feature a free concert by none other than legendary Carlos Oliva Y Los Sobrinos del Juez.  Presented by the Rhythm Foundation, the City of Miami Beach, and the Miami Beach Hispanic Affairs Committee    Click here for more information! Wolfgang Gil: Aural Fields 0 - (10-27+28)   Date:  Saturday October 27 & Sunday October 28, 2018 Time:  Saturday 1:00 PM -6:00 PM / Sunday 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Location:  924 Lincoln Rd #201, Miami Beach, FL 33139 About:   A world premiere multichannel sound piece created in residence at Audiotheque. The Aural Fields series is composed of multiple geometric sculptures of different sizes, shapes, materials, and finishes hosting an embedded multichannel sound system. Each sculpture is accompanied by an ever changing sound composition created specifically for it.  Click here to get more information! Deco: Luxury to Mass Market  Date:  Ongoing Location:  The Wolfsonian-FIU, 1001 Washington Avenue  About:  "Art Deco" has come to evoke a set of styles that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s out of aspirations to fuse art and industry into a modern language of design. From exquisite handcrafted objects to streamlined household appliances, the items on display in Deco demonstrate how American designers adapted a style associated with European luxury to the demands of industrial mass production. Through decorative arts, product design, architecture, and graphics from the Wolfsonian collection, the exhibition traces Art Deco's origins in Europe, its migration to the United States, and its evolution into a fully American style-perhaps most spectacularly realized on Miami Beach in the 1930s.   Deco: Luxury to Mass Market is made possible by Diane and Alan Lieberman and the South Beach Group, with the support of Jamestown, L.P., and Saul and Jane Gross and Streamline Properties. Get more information here! Aaron Curry: Tune Yer Head   Date:  Now through April 21,2019 Location:  The Bass Museum, 2100 Collins Avenue About:  Tune Yer Head presents new and recent work by Texas born, LA-based artist, Aaron Curry. Though Curry gained early recognition as a sculptor, making a "return" to painting in 2015, his practice is deeply rooted in the painterly. The exhibition at The Bass surveys the diversity of his practice in terms of materiality and form, highlighting the interplay between painting, sculpture and collage. Curry's work reads as a dialogue with the artists and creative producers that have influenced him throughout his life. Discover the current exhibitions now on view at The Bass Museum MBUS Art Talks - Tom Virgin  Date:  Thursday, October 25, 2018 Time:  6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Location:  FIU MBUS,  420 Lincoln Road, Suite 440, Miami Beach, FL 33139 About:  Free public talk by Miami-based artist Tom Virgin, who will be speaking as part of the MFA in Curatorial Practice lecture series.  Sponsored by a grant for Cultural Anchors from the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council.  Click here to get more information! Costumes and Props 101 Date:  Thursday, October 25, 2018 Time:  4:30 PM - 6:30 PM Location:  Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139 Ages: 14 years and up  About:  YOUmake Miami & the Young Adult staff team up to help you bring your creative ideas to life! Learn how to make props, read and alter costumes patterns, or make something unique from scratch. Designed for beginners, but all skill levels are welcome.  Click here for the entire events list at our Library! Pictured Above: 2018-19 MB Arts Culture Grant Recipients  Photo by Michael Todd, Miami Beach Botanical Garden Photographer Congratulations   MB Arts & Culture Grant Recipients!  On Wednesday, September 26, 2018, the City of Miami Beach Mayor & Commission approved funding in the amount of $840,000 to support   #MBArtsAndCulture    engagement opportunities for Fiscal Year 2018-19.  The MB Arts & Culture grant program works to sustain, develop, and support arts & culture in Miami Beach for the enjoyment, education, enrichment, and benefit of residents and visitors. Since 1997, the City of Miami Beach has awarded approximately $18 million to over 100 nonprofit arts groups through an annual, competitive MB Arts & Culture grant program. This year, a total of 44 grant applicants were selected to receive funding awards ranging from $7,000 to $31,500 within the two below categories: Cultural Anchors These grantees are arts institutions physically based in the City of Miami Beach. Selected grantees' primary objectives include implementing year-round artistic and cultural programs that contribute significantly to the City of Miami Beach. See this year's full list of Cultural Anchors here. Cultural Presenters These grantees are nonprofit, 501(c)3 cultural organizations and cultural departments within colleges or universities that present or produce cultural and artistic events within the City of Miami Beach. Artistic disciplines include: Dance, Music, Theater, Film, Visual Arts, and Multi-Disciplinary. See this year's full list of Cultural Presenters here. ...And for an exciting list of current and upcoming MB Arts & Culture events presented by our grantees, please visit our frequently updated Events Calendar Here! Subscribe to Other News & Information from Miami Beach   Click on Update Profile/EmailAddress  Located on the bottom of this page

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