Armenian Youth Federation to Hold Immigration Forum in Pasadena, Focused on Presidential Order

Members of the Pasadena and Montebello chapters of the Armenian Youth Federation are collaborating with other Armenian sister-organizations to host a community-wide forum on immigration issues Thursday, February 9, at the Pasadena Armenian Center, located at 2242 E. Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena.

An announcement from the AYF Western Region said the forum will offer “clear, tangible resources to the community and will feature a legal panel, discussion, and on-site legal assistance.”

The announcement added the AYF Central Executive and the Armenian Bar Association have partnered to create a task force that could provide legal research and resources for members of the Armenian community affected by new immigration policies announced recently by the Trump administration.

Last month, President Trump issued an executive order temporarily banning citizens of seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the United States. In a statement, the AYF Western Region said it is concerned the order poses new, extreme obstacles in the path of refugees and asylum seekers.

“We strongly condemn this order and call all to action against any effort to wrongly qualify refugees solely based on their faith or country of origin,” the statement said. “As descendants of Armenian immigrants who were fortunate enough to have been admitted into this country – many from the very Middle Eastern nations targeted by this ban – we believe that everyone should have the right to the same opportunities.”

The group said they are ready to assist communities and individuals facing injustice because of the ban. AYF members have joined a crowdsourcing effort to translate existing legal resources into the Eastern and Western Armenian languages. Some members now offer translation assistance to volunteer lawyers and relief to those waiting for relatives detained at the Los Angeles International Airport, AYF said.
AYF’s Pasadena “Nigol Touman” Chapter is one of 14 youth federation chapters in the Western Region which covers California, Texas and Arizona.

For more information call (626) 356-3672.