Immigration

An Overview of Puerto Rico’s Political Status and Future

By GENE ROMAN
Puerto Rico’s political future is never far from the minds of its citizens and in recent months, its political status has, once again, been the subject of debate. Puerto Rico (the “Island”) is a territory of the United States. The U.S. acquired the Island from Spain in 1898, and it has belonged to the United States ever since. In 1917, Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens. Everyone born in Puerto Rico is a citizen of the United States, but Puerto Rico is not a state; it continues to be a territory.

Member of Norwood-based Running Group “Bronx Nomads” Detained by ICE

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Sebastian Flores, a member of Norwood-based running group, Bronx Nomads, who frequently meet and start their runs at the Williamsbridge Oval park, was unexpectedly detained by border patrol at an airport on Oct. 13 while traveling for work from New York to El Paso, Texas, and is now being held in ICE custody, according to his cousins. A gofundme page has since been set-up to help with his legal expenses as he fights his case and has been shared by Bronx Sole, an affiliate group of Bronx Nomads.  

UPDATE Mamdani Asks Voters to Reject Islamophobia & See Him as Candidate “Fighting for Every Single New Yorker”

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Democratic mayoral nominee and still the frontrunner according to the latest polls, Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (A.D. 36) was back in The Bronx on Friday, Oct. 24, for another press conference, this time, held outside the Islamic Cultural Center of The Bronx, located at 371 E 166th Street, north of the Melrose section of The Bronx, as he asked voters to reject tired Islamophobic tropes and reiterated that he aims to be a mayor “fighting for every single New Yorker.” Members of the press corps included international media outlets from the UK (BBC), France and Germany.

Former NY Gov. & Mayoral Candidate Andrew Cuomo Visits Wakefield Mosque on Campaign Tour

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Former New York governor and independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, 67, paid a visit to the Masjid Ansarudeen Islamic Center in the Wakefield section of The Bronx on Saturday, Sept. 20, to meet with members of the mosque and “discuss issues important to the community.” The former governor has received heat for allegedly not having visited a mosque during his tenure as governor though he disputes this. 

Morris Park Hosts 48th Annual Bronx Columbus Day Parade

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY
An nor’easter may have kept some spectators at home, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of attendees nor participants in the 48th Annual Bronx Columbus Day Parade which took place in Morris Park on Sunday, Oct. 12.

UPDATE Bronx Democrats Endorse Mamdani for Mayor

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Democratic mayoral nominee and Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (A.D. 36) was back in The Bronx on Sept. 2 when he was joined by a majority of Bronx elected officials from the Bronx Democratic Party, alongside New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City Public Advocate Jumanne Williams as they gave the candidate their formal endorsement in his upcoming bid to win the mayoral general election on Nov. 4.

UPDATE Lehman College College Raises $30 Million as Part of “Forever Foreward” Fundraising Campaign

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Lehman College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) public university system, has raised an additional $30 million as part of the college’s “Forever Forward” fundraising campaign to educate and support its students and the entire Bronx community. The announcement was made official during an celebratory reception held at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located on the college campus, on Saturday, Oct. 4, together with key supporters, community leaders, faculty, students, and alumni.

Hope on Wheels

By SÍLE MOLONEY
On a dark, cloudy night in late September 2023, around 12 days after one-year-old Nicholas Feliz Dominici tragically and accidentally overdosed on fentanyl at El Divino Niño daycare center, a cover for an underground fentanyl operation, Michael, 45, and Ashley, 31, huddled together under the infamous nearby Kingsbridge underpass at the Grand Concourse and East Kingsbridge Road in Kingsbridge Heights. Sometimes they squabbled, not in an aggressive way but like an overly familiar elderly couple.