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By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

FLUSHING — A Flushing man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to the stabbing death of his 68-year-old ex-wife, whose body was found under a table in the apartment the couple shared in November 2014, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.

According to the charges, on Nov. 8, 2014, some time between 7 p.m. and 11:45 p.m., Josefina Mendoza was stabbed more than 300 times. Brown said the victim’s face alone had more than 200 wounds. Naser Alzein, 55, called 911 to report he had found Mendoza’s dead body in the apartment, but Alzein had a cut on his hand and was seen on video surveillance pacing outside the apartment building before going back inside to call police, the charges said.

Brown said this was one of the most violent murder scenes one could imagine.

“The victim had a knife plunged into her body more than 300 times, many of the wounds to the woman’s face,” he said. “The defendant called 911 and claimed he found the victim dead in the apartment, but evidence showed he brutally killed her and then tried to cover it up. To punish him for this criminal act an to protect society, the defendant will likely spend the rest of his life incarcerated.”

— Gina Martinez

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By Larry Penner

TimesLedger Newspapers

Let us all wish a Happy 184th anniversary to the Long Island Rail Road.

On April 24, 1834, the LIRR was officially chartered by the state of New York. In 1900, the Pennsylvania Railroad bought a controlling interest as part of its plan for direct access to Manhattan, which began on Sept. 8, 1910. The Pennsylvania Railroad subsidized the LIRR into the late 1940s. This provided the financial basis for support of expansion and upgrades to service and infrastructure.

At the end of World War II, there began a decline of our LIRR with a corresponding loss of farebox revenues. The Pennsylvania Railroad began to reduce financial support as well. This played a part in the LIRR going into receivership in 1949. In recognition of the role the LIRR played in the economy of both Long Island and New York City, New York state began providing financial assistance to the LIRR in the 1950s and 1960s.

The “Line of the Dashing Dan” was officially chartered on April 24, 1965 by the state. Prior to 1965, the LIRR derived almost 100 percent of its funding for both capital and operating expenses from fares. Chartered by the state Legislature in 1965 as the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority, it was created to purchase and operate the bankrupt LIRR.

In 1966, New York state bought the railroad’s controlling stock from the Pennsylvania Rail Road and put it under the newly formed Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority. The MCTA changed its name to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1968 when it took over operations of the New York City Transit Authority.

With MTA subsidies, the LIRR modernized further and grew into the busiest commuter railroad in the United States. Over the past 50 years, several billion dollars in combined county, city, state and federal taxpayer-generated dollars have subsidized both the capital and operating costs for the LIRR.

Riders must remember that fare hikes are periodically required if the MTA is to provide the services millions of New Yorkers use daily. They are inevitable due to inflation, along with increasing costs of labor, power, fuel, supplies, materials, routine safety, state of good repair, replacement of worn out rolling stock, upgrades to stations, yards and shops along with system expansion projects necessary to run any transit system.

Half-hour weekly and weekend service on the Port Washington LIRR branch proves why it pays for my wife and me, along with many of our neighbors, to live in Great Neck and northeast Queens. It is easier seven days a week to attend Met games, other Citi Field events, the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows Park, Queens Zoo, Madison Square Garden activities and Broadway shows on a regular basis. Those of us in the know already had moved to communities adjacent to the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Washington branch stations years or even decades ago. The Little Neck, Douglaston, Bayside and Auburndale school district in Queens is ranked among the best in the Metropolitan New York area. We have great air quality along with a low crime rate, abundant parks, libraries, shopping, entertainment, movie theaters, hospitals and medical facilities.

Riders on the Port Washington branch have far more abundant seating and a quick 30-minute-or-less trip into Penn Station without having to change at Jamaica as LIRR commuters on other branches may do. Port Washington branch riders miss most service disruptions.

In the end, the quality and frequency of service are dependent upon secure revenue streams. We all have to contribute — be it at the fare box or tax revenues generated by different levels of government redistributed back to the MTA.

TANSTAFFL or “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch,” or in this case, a free ride

Larry Penner

Great Neck

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By Gina Martinez

TimesLedger Newspapers

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), northeast Queens residents and civic leaders are calling for a full opt-out to the citywide bioswales program.

Avella said the city Department of Environmental Protection agreed to certain concessions and improvements to the program, including two alternate bioswales designs and an opt-out for those with sprinklers or those with a handicap placard, but the senator still believes that a full opt-out is needed.

Bioswales are green infrastructure installations cut into the pavement to absorb rainwater and remove some of the burden from the sewer system. A spokesman for DEP said said the ultimate goal of the bioswale project is to clean up waterways, including Flushing Creek and Flushing Bay.

“Rain gardens in northern Queens will absorb stormwater, reduce flooding and help to clean up Flushing Bay. They are also less costly and disruptive than traditional infrastructure upgrades.”

Whitestone residents said recently they have seen green spray paint markings showing up on sidewalks, which usually signals the beginning of the bioswale installation process. Avella said what follows the green markings is usually soil testing to determine the viability of a bioswale at the location.

Avella compared the testing process to an oil drilling operation, because of the disruption it causes residents. He said the invasive process has only encouraged community opposition to the project due to the damage that was being done to homeowners’ property.

Avella said the decision by DEP to offer certain opt-out provisions was a great first step but also incredibly insufficient. He said homeowners should not be forced to take a bioswale that they don’t want.

“The mayor and DEP cannot continue to force this upon these residents,” he said. “This community and the city as a whole deserve the right to a full opt-out no matter the reason. Installing a bioswale in front of someone’s home is a serious burden on the homeowner. It could cause environmental hazards from the untreated contaminated stormwater, it requires unnecessary maintenance by the homeowner and could reduce the value of the property.”

Avella, civic leaders and community members from throughout Queens have been protesting DEP’s rollout of the bioswales program for nearly two years. Avella said his biggest problem with bioswales has been the lack of transparency surrounding the program. He contended that Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration does not provide adequate information to residents regarding bioswales or inform homeowners that they will be getting one in front of their home.

Instead, residents have only found out about the program when they see the green markings in front of their houses. Avella said the homeowner would most likely be responsible for both the maintenance and damages to their bioswale, which could end up being an expensive matter.

Elaine Young, president of the West Cunningham Park Civic Association, said members’ experience with bioswales and the testing thus far has been abysmal.

“DEP is the most non-transparent city agency there is and when we have questions, nobody anwsers them, so we don’t trust that what they’re telling us is true,” she said. “We don’t trust that it won’t cause flooding, that it won’t cause environmental issues, we don’t trust them at all. I’ve seen bioswales in Corona where that were just pits of filth, the tree inside was broken, and they were just plain disgusting,” Young said.

Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmartinez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

The MTA board approved an amendment to the 2015-2019 capital plan to make 17 stations, including three in Queens, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant by installing elevators as well as redesigning stairwells and mezzanines to help the flow of people during busy hours.

About $200 million will go toward elevators and other ADA accessible improvements to the Astoria Boulevard station on N/W lines, Court Square to the G line and the Woodhaven Boulevard stop on the J line.

“We are putting an increased focus on accessibility with all of our planning moving forward, and this plan amendment is a direct result of that promise,” said MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota. “We have a lot more work to do, but this plan amendment – as well as our board working group on accessibility and the commitment of NYC Transit President Andy Byford — demonstrate our commitment to accessibility for all of our customers.”

The Astoria Boulevard station will have four elevators installed with two rising from the street to the elevated mezzanine and two more taking riders from the mezzanine up to the platforms.

The station will be closed in February 2019 for nine months as reconstruction brings improvements to the station along with the elevators.

This station overhaul will begin as similar work will be completed in June 30 on the 30th and 36th avenue stations on the N/W lines for infrastructure repairs which closed the two in October.

But while elected officials praised the coming of ADA-accessibility at the Astoria station, they voiced opposition to the closure of the 30th and 36th avenue stations.

“Our community has spent years advocating for elevators at the station to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, parents with strollers and seniors,” City Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria) said. “However, our community’s experience with the MTA’s 30th Avenue station closure has left us with many burdens, concerns, and unanswered questions. While closing the station will bring some negative effects to our neighborhood during the construction, including longer commute times and more crowded stations, the added accessibility features will bring essential long-term infrastructure improvements to the station. I will continue to hold the authority accountable on this and other similar projects.”

The 2015-2019 capital plan already includes $400 million to replace 69 existing elevators and escalators, though the MTA did not confirm before press time whether the escalator at the Woodside-61st Street station which has been closed for extended periods of time for repeated repairs in the past year would be included.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Jazz great Louis Armstrong’s love affair with Corona will be celebrated throughout May and June as Queens Library partners with the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College and the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona to bring events to all 62 of the system’s branches.

Free workshops, concerts, lectures, videos and surprise events will focus on the 50th anniversary of the release of Armstrong’s classic “What a Wonderful World,” which was inspired by the neighborhood around his home at 34-56 107th where he and his wife Lucille Wilson lived from 1943 to 1971.

“There is so much in ‘Wonderful World’ that brings me back to my neighborhood where I live in Corona, New York,” Armstrong recalled in a 1968 interview. “Lucille and I, ever since we’re married, we’ve been right there in that block. And everybody keeps their little homes up like we do and it’s just like one big family. I saw three generations come up on that block. And they’re all with their children, grandchildren, they come back and see Uncle Satchmo and Aunt Lucille. That’s why I can say, “I hear babies cry/ I watch them grow/ they’ll learn much more/ then I’ll ever know.’ And I look at all them kids’ faces. And I got pictures of them when they was 5, 6 and 7 years old. So when they hand me this “Wonderful World,’ I didn’t look no further, that was it.”

Highlights of the celebration includes a variety of musical performances, including Grammy Award-nominee David Ostwald and his ensemble, The Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, which will play at the Langston Hughes Library in Corona on May 24 at 6 p.m., the Flushing Library June 14 at 6:30 p.m. and the Peninsula Library in Rockaway Beach June 29 at 6 p.m.

“While the song reflects Louis Armstrong’s feelings about the neighborhood of Corona and (the) borough of Queens, it also applies to the way many of our customers experience our libraries,” Queens Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott said. “It speaks of the joy of discovery and the satisfaction of learning that occurs each time people come to us for information that helps them succeed in their lives.”

Experts and archivists from the Louis Armstrong House Museum will offer lectures on the life and times of Louis Armstrong and his “undeterred love for Queens and its people” at the Glen Oaks Library May 18 at 1 p.m. and the Forest Hills Library June 25 at 6:30 p.m. The team will also deliver lectures in Spanish at the Jackson Heights Library June 2 at 3 p.m. and the Astoria Library June 4 at 5:30 p.m.

“The Louis Armstrong House Museum is thrilled to be sharing the legacy of the great Louis Armstrong throughout the borough of Queens and beyond the neighborhood of Corona he loved so much where the museum is based,” David Ostwald, the Chairman of the board and leader of the Louis Armstrong Eternity Band, said.

Following Armstrong’s death in 1971, his house on 107th Street was transformed into the museum, which now has a visitors center and a performance space.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Queens Library to bring ‘What a Wonderful World’ programming to all 62 library branches in the borough and in turn make the arts more accessible to everyone in Queens,” Queens College President Felix Matos Rodriguez said. “What better way to communicate our college’s mission to serve the students and families of our borough than through a celebration of one of America’s and Queens’ most-beloved cultural icons?”

For more information and schedules, visit connect.queenslibrary.org/2610.

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

The city Dept. of Environmental Protection announced a $12.7 million project to bring better storm sewer management to Glen Oaks is nearly complete to help the community manage water runoff from rain.

Up to 4,600 feet of new storm sewers have been installed in an 11-block section of the neighborhood mostly comprised of co-ops and condos and will redirect water from Royal Ranch through Glen Oaks and into Little Neck Parkway.

“The hills and valleys of the Glen Oaks neighborhood presented a rather unique engineering challenge and our team partnered with DDC to develop a drainage plan that we are confident will help to better manage stormwater, reduce flooding and make the roadways safer for everyone,” DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza said. “We are excited that the final work, roadway resurfacing, will be completed in the coming weeks and residents will be able to enjoy an improved quality of life.”

Bob Friedrich is the president of Glen Oaks Village, one of the largest co-op developments in the city with about 10,000 residents in 3,000 units covering 125 acres, according to DEP.

“We are at the bottom of the highest point in Queens so water really does have a tendency to rush through this community and create all kinds of problems,” said Friedrich. “After a big rain event we would have debris in the street we’d have to clean up. But I’ve seen the improvements. In the areas this project affects the flooding is gone. Years ago we used dye to track where the water lowed down the hill, and a lot of that water is now captured.”

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who has long opposed alternative methods for stormwater runoff such as bioswales, praised the effort of the city agencies to address the problem with improved infrastructure.

“Homeowners in this community have expended substantial time and resources over the years trying to contain the damage done by flooding,” Avella said. “It’s a great relief to know that their concerns have been addressed.”

The project brought 58 new catch basins to the area along with resurfaced roads and storm sewer pipes from 3.5- to 4-feet in width.

“In 2013, I wrote to DEP and DDC requesting that they address the flooding problem that has had a detrimental impact on the Glen Oaks area,” state Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside) said. “I am thankful to both agencies for completing this project, which will bring much needed storm sewers and catch basins to both Glen Oaks and Royal Ranch.”

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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By Andrew Schatkin

TimesLedger Newspapers

I would like to respond to your reporter’s article concerning the president’s travel ban.

In this article, the reporter quotes Attorney General Eric Schneiderman as saying that the president’s ban is discriminatory and undermines the state’s residents and businesses. He reports a coalition of 17 attorneys general have filed a brief opposing this ban. I find the statement in this article completely inaccurate as targeting the president as biased against Muslims.

For some years, there have been a series of violent attacks from probably a small minority within certain Muslim countries. The president does not include in this ban the most populist Muslim countries such as Indonesia, Algeria and Egypt. Hence, it is not a Muslim ban.

More to the point, there have been a long series of jihadist attacks not only involving our country, but a number of European countries. A Jewish woman in France was set on fire and stabbed by Muslim jihadists. Let me state that I am fully convinced that most Muslim people are law-abiding citizens, except for a small minority in their societies who engage in these attacks.

I must state I recently had an email from a Christian woman in Pakistan who stated that she had been praying for the election of President Trump. For better or for worse, Christians are in a state of persecution in many countries.

Most recently in Palm Beach, there was a stabbing and homicide by a Muslim jihadist. Personally, I entertain no hate or prejudice to the Muslim community, who God significantly loves, values and cherishes. The president’s ban is a response on the ground of national security to protect American lives.

The article by your reporter ignores these attacks, which have consistently occurred over many years. In the face of this violence brought about by a thin minority in the present world, the president has no choice but to impose this ban on a practical basis.

Attorney General Schneiderman filed a suit in federal court to block the citizenship question for the 2020 Census. The purpose of this question is to determine the number of people illegally here in the United States. The president is concerned with illegal citizens who take jobs away from the most vulnerable persons in our society — including black and Latino residents — for low wages and no benefits.

The president’s actions toward persons here illegally here does not make him anti-immigrant, but anti-illegal-immigrant, and makes him a person who cares about the needy who reside in our country. Both of these lawsuits against President Trump brought about by the state attorney general of New York miss the point of the travel ban and citizenship question.

That point is the president cares about the lives of the American people and cares about the employment that they so desperately need. These poverty-stricken legal residents may be forced to join the army and then die in the battlefields of the Middle East.

Andrew Schatkin

Bayside

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By Gina Martinez

TimesLedger Newspapers

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s lawsuit against the Trump administration’s demand for citizenship information in the 2020 census has been amended and growing, with more cities, states and counties coming on board.

The lawsuit, filed last month in U.S. District Court in Manhattan was amended to add the state of Colorado and cities, including Central Falls, RI, Columbus, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pa., as well as Cameron County, Texas; El Paso County, Texas; Hidalgo County, Texas and Monterey County, Calif. as co-plaintiffs. The bipartisan coalition now includes a total of 18 States, including the district of Columbia, nine cities, four counties, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Schneiderman said requiring citizenship information on the Census would depress voter turnout in states with large immigrant populations.

“Demanding citizenship status would threaten both our fair representation and the billions in federal dollars that fund our schools, social services, and so much more,” he said. “The federal government has a fundamental obligation to ensure a fair and accurate count of all people in the country, period. For decades, administrations of both parties have upheld this constitutional requirement. Our growing coalition is sending a clear message: We won’t allow the Trump administration to recklessly abandon nearly 70 years of practice in an attempt to jeopardize the basic rights of those we represent.”

The amended complaint specifically highlights the billions of dollars at risk for states and localities around the country. Schneiderman said in New York alone, that includes $1.2 billion in Title I funds used to help students at risk and $781 million in special education funds for New York school districts, and $198 million in Child Care and Development grants. The complaint also highlights the extensive funding and resources plaintiffs have already dedicated toward encouraging participation in the 2020 Census. New York City had budgeted $4 million to hire staff and develop programs around Census participation, before the addition of the citizenship demand. Schneiderman said those funds are now insufficient to cover the type of public outreach necessary to encourage anxious residents, particularly in immigrant communities, to participate.

The census controversy began Dec. 12, when the U.S. Department of Justice requested that the Census Bureau demand citizenship information in the 2020 census form sent to every household in the United States even though the census is supposed to count all persons, citizens and non-citizens alike. The DOJ argued that the collection of citizenship information was necessary to ensure proper enforcement of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

But according to Schneiderman and 18 other states in a letter sent to the Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in February, the demand would have the opposite effect by driving down participation in immigrant communities. The potential undercount would deprive immigrant communities of fair representation when legislative seats are apportioned and district lines are drawn, the letter said.

Queens is the nation’s most ethnically diverse county, where nearly half of the residents are foreign-born.

Schneiderman’s lawsuit was brought under the Enumeration Clause of the U.S. Constitution, arguing that by asking for citizenship information, the Trump administration will impede an “actual enumeration” required by the Constitution. It was also brought under the Administrative Procedure Act, which allows courts to set aside unlawful or arbitrary and capricious agency decisions.

Schneiderman pointed out that the Census Bureau’s own research shows that the decision to demand citizenship information will “inevitably jeopardize the overall accuracy of the population count” by significantly deterring participation in immigrant communities, because of concerns about how the federal government will use citizenship information. Schneiderman and other lawmakers said these concerns have only been amplified by President Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and pattern of actions that target immigrant communities.

The Census Bureau rejected the addition of a citizenship question in 1980, saying “questions as to citizenship are particularly sensitive in minority communities and would inevitably trigger hostility, resentment and refusal to cooperate.”

Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmartinez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his support for the Effective Background Checks Act Tuesday, a measure authored by state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) which would extend the time for a check to be completed from the current three days to 10 days before a firearm could be transferred.

“I am proud to carry the Effective Background Checks Act and I am appreciative of Gov. Cuomo’s support,” Gianaris said. “This common sense proposal would save lives by keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals. I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation before the end of this session to ensure more preventable tragedies do not occur.”

Cuomo’s announcement came after he signed legislation to remove guns from domestic abusers and close a loophole in state law that will ensure domestic abusers are required to surrender all firearms, not just handguns.

“In a time when gun violence continues to relentlessly torment communities across the country while our federal government refuses to act, New York must lead the charge to end this epidemic once and for all,” Cuomo said. “With this legislation, we can sever the undeniable connection between domestic abuse and deadly gun violence, and continue to build upon the strongest gun laws in the nation.”

New York law had narrowly prohibited the possession of firearms for individuals either convicted of a felony or a limited number of misdemeanor “serious” offenses, excluding many misdemeanor offenses that are undeniably serious. The bill Cuomo signed expands the list of “serious” crimes that require the loss of a gun license and the surrender of all firearms to ensure no domestic abuser in New York retains the ability to possess a firearm once convicted of a disturbing crime.

“We know that individuals with a history of domestic violence are five times more likely to murder an intimate partner when a firearm is in the house,” U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) said. “This bill, to remove guns from domestic abusers, is just commonsense.”

Meanwhile, Gianaris introduced new legislation Monday mandating the Department of Criminal Justice Services establish a database tracking the state and county of origin of guns used in crimes in New York. This proposal would tackle the so-called “Iron Pipeline,” whereby guns purchased in states with lax gun laws are brought into New York and used in crimes, according to Gianaris.

“Stopping the ‘Iron Pipeline’ is possible if New York leads the way,” he said. “Despite having among the toughest gun laws in the country, our state experiences too many gun-related crimes due to firearms originating elsewhere. While the federal government will not take action to combat gun violence, New York should use data to expose states that are part of the problem.”

State Attorney Eric Schneiderman released a report in 2015 that found 74 percent of all guns used in New York crimes and recovered by police originated out of state, including 86 percent of handguns used in crimes. Gianaris’ new measure drew immediate support from Cuomo.

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

U. S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) called the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to end the temporary protected status designation for Nepali immigrants “heartless and senseless” in a joint statement.

“They are abandoning nearly 9,000 Nepalese citizens who have found safety and stability in our country,” the elected officials said in a joint statement.

The April 26 announcement came a day after the deadline by which DHS was to determine if it would extend or terminate TPS for the nearly 9,000 Nepali immigrants who were allowed into the country after surviving two earthquakes in Nepal on April 25, 2015 and May 12, 2015.

The expiration date for the TPS-holders, however, will be extended for 12 months.

Nepali TPS holders would have originally been expected to leave the country June 24 of this year, but DHS wanted the transition out of the United States to be smooth for the immigrants.

“The decision to terminate TPS for Nepal was made after a review of the environmental disaster-related conditions upon which the country’s original designation was based and an assessment of whether those originating conditions continue to exist as required by statute,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen.

Many Nepali individuals live in Jackson Heights, Ridgewood, Sunnyside, and Woodside and are restaurateurs, according to real estate magazine brickunderground.com.

“Nepalese citizens are not a threat but an asset to America, and they should be allowed to stay here,” the officials said. “This decision just further reinforces President Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda and disregard for America’s values.”

The southeast Asian country is in the Himalayan mountain range and in April 2015 it was struck by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which was followed by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake 17 days later, according to the Mayor’s office of Immigrant Affairs.

The earthquakes triggered landslides, collapsed buildings, and left hundreds of thousands of Nepali people without shelter, medicine or food, according to Oxfam, a global organization that tackles poverty.

Representatives of Oxfam have slowly been trying to build new latrines, install water systems and provide shelter for the Nepali people that are already displaced.

Weeks ahead of the DHS decision, Mayor Bill de Blasio sent a letter to Nielsen and Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan calling for a December 2019 extension for the Nepali TPS holders.

“Conditions in Nepal have not improved enough for the nation to reabsorb individuals who currently hold TPS status,” de Blasio said. “I urge you to recognize the extraordinary hardships caused by the country’s still incomplete recovery and extend Nepal’s TPS designation for an additional 18 months.”

Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.

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