En el último año fiscal, que finalizó en junio, 13.429 personas participaron en programas de alfabetización de adultos financiados por el Departamento de Juventud y Desarrollo Comunitario, lo que supone un descenso del 26 por ciento con respecto al año anterior. Sin embargo, más de 5.000 personas adicionales participaron en clases financiadas por el Concejo Municipal, que intervino para cubrir un recorte de varios millones de dólares el año pasado.

Una clase de inglés para hablantes de otros idiomas (ESOL) en St. Nicks Alliance, Brooklyn, el 5 de agosto de 2024. (Adi Talwar/City Limits)

Este artículo se publicó originalmente en inglés el 8 de octubre. Traducido por Daniel Parra. Read the English version here.

Durante años, el Departamento de Juventud y Desarrollo Comunitario (DYCD por sus siglas en inglés) de la ciudad ha colaborado con organizaciones locales para desarrollar programas de alfabetización para adultos, ayudando a los neoyorquinos a mejorar sus habilidades de lectura, escritura y comunicación para encontrar trabajo o continuar su educación.

El año pasado, el DYCD cambió la forma en que seleccionaba a los proveedores sin ánimo de lucro para los contratos de educación para adultos, y comenzó a utilizar Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (áreas de tabulación de barrios o NTA por sus siglas en inglés) para centrarse en las zonas con bajo nivel de dominio del inglés y de rendimiento educativo, y con altos índices de pobreza. 

Sin embargo, tras un año del nuevo sistema de contratación, el número de personas que participaron en estos programas, que incluyen clases de inglés para inmigrantes neoyorquinos, se redujo en un 26 por ciento.

En el último año fiscal, que finalizó en junio, 13.429 personas participaron en programas de alfabetización para adultos financiados por el DYCD, lo que supone un descenso con respecto a las 18.191 del año anterior y no alcanza el objetivo previamente establecido por la agencia de 14.312. 

Sin embargo, otras 5.000 personas participaron en clases financiadas por el Concejo Municipal, que intervino durante las negociaciones presupuestarias del año pasado para cubrir un recorte de $6 millones de dólares en la financiación del DYCD para programas de alfabetización de adultos en medio de la revisión del contrato. 

El año pasado, los defensores criticaron rápidamente los cambios en el contrato después de que la New York City Coalition for Adult Literacy informara que más del 70 por ciento de los proveedores existentes no se encontraban en una NTA y, por lo tanto, no podían optar a la financiación.

Los fondos discrecionales del Concejo —una inyección única de $10 millones— se utilizaron para mantener a flote los programas de proveedores de larga data que quedaron fuera de los nuevos contratos, tal como informó City Limits en ese momento. 

Anticipándose al impacto del recorte presupuestario, “el Concejo Municipal realizó el mayor aumento anual de la historia en la financiación discrecional para la alfabetización de adultos”, dijo Ira Yankwitt, director ejecutivo del Literacy Assistance Center (LAC por sus siglas en inglés). El LAC fue seleccionado para recopilar datos sobre las clases financiadas por el Concejo de la ciudad, y su informe de septiembre indicaba que participaron 5.290 estudiantes.

Los defensores y el personal de la oficina de la concejal Julie Won dijeron que, si se incluyen los participantes tanto en los programas financiados por el DYCD como por el Concejo, el número total de participantes se mantuvo en torno a las 18.000 personas en el último año fiscal, coincidiendo con años anteriores.

“Este número de estudiantes atendidos por el proyecto piloto nos lleva de vuelta a los más de 18.000 estudiantes atendidos en años anteriores”, dijo Farah Salam, directora de distrito de la oficina de la concejal Julie Won.

En el actual año fiscal 2026, que comenzó el 1 de julio, el Concejo volvió a asignar fondos para dos programas de educación para adultos: la Iniciativa de Alfabetización de Adultos del Concejo Municipal (su programa general de educación para adultos) y el proyecto Adult Literacy Forward del Concejo (la inversión más reciente de los legisladores en programas comunitarios, anteriormente denominado Proyecto Piloto de Alfabetización de Adultos del Concejo Municipal). 

Sin embargo, ha habido otros retos a raíz de los cambios en los contratos de DYCD. La asignación y distribución de fondos llevó más tiempo del previsto, y no todas las NTA (vecindarios seleccionados por la ciudad para recibir servicios según la nueva fórmula) contaron con programas, según explicó el DYCD.

En febrero, cuando City Limits informó que dos licitadores habían retirado sus propuestas, el DYCD afirmó que había seleccionado nuevos proveedores para cubrir esas áreas. Sin embargo, al final del último año fiscal, la ciudad no había recibido ninguna propuesta viable para dos NTAs de educación básica para adultos y equivalencia de secundaria, según el DYCD.

El DYCD afirmó que la agencia está trabajando para reasignar esas plazas a programas de educación bilingüe y clases de inglés para hablantes de otros idiomas.

El nuevo método de contratación también provocó retrasos en la selección de proveedores por parte de la ciudad, lo que a su vez redujo el tiempo disponible para poner en marcha las clases. 

Según el último Informe de Gestión del Alcalde (MMR por sus siglas en inglés), el porcentaje de participantes que cumplían los estándares de mejora en las habilidades lingüísticas en inglés en las clases de alfabetización de adultos también disminuyó, pasando del 59 por ciento al 54 por ciento.

“Debido a los retrasos en la adjudicación de los contratos y en el proceso de puesta en marcha del programa, los proveedores no dispusieron de tanto tiempo con los participantes para alcanzar los resultados”, explica el MMR. Algunos proveedores también tuvieron dificultades para cubrir sus plazas. El DYCD afirmó que a los proveedores que tuvieron problemas para cumplir sus objetivos este año se les ofreció la ayuda de un proveedor que podía ayudarles a mejorar su capacidad.

Una clase de conversación en inglés en la sucursal St. Agnes de la Biblioteca Pública de Nueva York en enero de 2020. (Adi Talwar/City Limits)

El DYCD afirmó que el número de plazas disminuyó porque el coste por persona aumentó para permitir una mejor programación. Sin embargo, también reconocieron que el programa tuvo un comienzo accidentado y los retrasos afectaron al número de personas inscritas.

“El DYCD se compromete a ayudar a los neoyorquinos a adquirir las habilidades de lectura, escritura y comunicación que necesitan para conseguir un trabajo, contribuir a su comunidad y continuar su educación. Nuestro Programa de Alfabetización para Adultos está haciendo precisamente eso, y estamos reforzando aún más este programa para proporcionar a los neoyorquinos las herramientas que necesitan para tener éxito”, dijo un portavoz del DYCD.

Recientemente se ha producido un aumento de la demanda de estos programas, ya que la ciudad ha acogido a más de 237.000 migrantes desde el año 2022. Alrededor de 37.000 de ellos siguen en el sistema de refugios de la ciudad.

Para ponerse en contacto con el reportero de esta noticia, escriba a Daniel@citylimits.org. Para ponerse en contacto con la editora, escriba a Jeanmarie@citylimits.org.

The post Participación en cursos de alfabetización para adultos e inglés disminuyó tras cambio en contratación appeared first on City Limits.

By TRAVIS LOLLER, Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Federal judges in two states on Friday will consider challenges to the government’s treatment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose mistaken deportation to El Salvador galvanized opposition to President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration policy and mass deportation agenda.

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In Maryland, Abrego Garcia has challenged efforts to re-deport him to a third country after the government admitted that a previous order prevents his deportation to his home country of El Salvador. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said recently that it plans to deport him to the southern African country of Eswatini.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has ordered government officials to testify Friday about what steps they have taken to remove Abrego Garcia to Eswatini or any other country. His attorneys have charged that the Republican administration is trying to illegally use the immigration system to punish him after the embarrassment of his mistaken deportation.

Meanwhile, attorneys in criminal court in Tennessee have made similar claims about human smuggling charges brought against Abrego Garcia in June on the day he was returned to the U.S. from El Salvador. The Tennessee judge has concluded that Abrego Garcia’s prosecution may be an illegal retaliation after he successfully sued the Trump administration over his deportation.

The smuggling charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. Abrego Garcia was not charged at the time, and agents did not begin investigating the stop until earlier this year after his wife sued over his deportation. The Friday hearing will determine what types of documents Abrego Garcia’s attorneys can pursue in discovery to try to prove their retaliation case.

Trump administration officials have waged a relentless public relations campaign against Abrego Garcia, repeatedly referring to him as a member of the MS-13 gang, among other things, despite the fact he has not been convicted of any crimes.

By ABDEL KAREEM HANA, WAFAA SHURAFA and MELANIE LIDMAN, Associated Press

WADI GAZA, Gaza Strip (AP) — A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect in Gaza on Friday, the military said, hours after Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal to pause the fighting and exchange the remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

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Tens of thousands of people who had gathered in Wadi Gaza in central Gaza started walking north after the Israeli military’s announcement at noon local time. Beforehand, Palestinians reported heavy shelling in parts of Gaza throughout Friday morning, but no significant bombardment was reported after.

The ceasefire marks a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, destabilized the Middle East, and left dozens of hostages, living and dead, in the territory.

Still, the broader plan advanced by U.S. President Donald Trump includes many unanswered questions, such as whether and how Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza.

Despite those questions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted in a televised statement Friday that the next stages would see Hamas disarm and Gaza demilitarized.

“If this is achieved the easy way — so be it. If not — it will be achieved the hard way,” Netanyahu said. He added that Hamas agreed to the deal “only when it felt that the sword was on its neck — and it is still on its neck.”

Israeli Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, an Israeli military spokesman, said that troops had completed their withdrawal to the deployment lines by Friday afternoon, a few hours after the ceasefire officially went into effect.

Israeli soldiers walk near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, after Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Earlier, an Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the withdrawal, said the military would control around 50% of Gaza in their new positions.

Shelling continued early Friday

In central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, Mahmoud Sharkawy, one of the many people sheltering there after being displaced from Gaza City, said artillery shelling intensified in the early hours of Friday before the military’s announcement.

“The shelling has significantly increased today,” said Sharkawy, adding that low flying military aircraft had been flying over central Gaza.

Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli military strike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, after Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Residents of Gaza City in the north also reported shelling in the early hours.

“It is confusing, we have been hearing shelling all night despite the ceasefire news,” said Heba Garoun, who fled her home in eastern Gaza City to another neighborhood after her house was destroyed.

The war began when Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking and 251 hostage.

In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

The war has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.

How the agreement is expected to unfold

Under the deal, Israeli troops have withdrawn to new positions in Gaza, and all 48 hostages still in captivity are expected to be released. Israel believes around 20 of them are alive.

In exchange, Israel will release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. A list of those prisoners published Friday by Israel did not include high-profile prisoner Marwan Barghouti, the most popular Palestinian leader and a potentially unifying figure. Israel views him and some others as terrorist masterminds who murdered Israeli civilians and has refused to release them in past exchanges.

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official and lead negotiator, said in a speech Thursday evening that all women and children held in Israeli jails will be freed.

“We declare today that we have reached an agreement to end the war and the aggression against our people,” al-Hayya said.

The hostage and prisoner releases are expected to begin Monday, two Egyptian officials briefed on the talks and a Hamas official said, though another official said they could occur as early as Sunday night. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named speaking about the negotiations.

All living hostages are expected to be released at the same time, followed by the bodies of the deceased, which could take more time.

Five border crossings are expected to reopen, including the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the Egyptian and Hamas officials said. That will allow aid to flow into the territory, parts of which are experiencing famine.

Tom Fletcher, the U.N. humanitarian chief, told reporters Thursday that officials have 170,000 metric tons of medicine, aid and other supplies at ready for transport into Gaza when they are given a green light.

The Trump plan calls for Israel to maintain an open-ended military presence inside Gaza, along its border with Israel. An international force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside Gaza.

To help support and monitor the ceasefire deal, U.S. officials said they would send about 200 troops to Israel as part of a broader, international team. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not authorized for release.

The U.S. would also lead a massive internationally funded reconstruction effort.

The plan also envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority — something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years.

The Trump plan is even more vague about a future Palestinian state, which Netanyahu firmly rejects.

Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Samy Magdy in Cairo also contributed

By CHRISTINE FERNANDO and SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press

National Guard troops were expected Friday to begin patrolling in Memphis, a day after a federal judge in Illinois blocked the deployment of troops in the Chicago area for at least two weeks.

The on-again, off-again deployments are the result of a political and legal battle over President Donald Trump’s push to send the National Guard to several U.S. cities. His administration claims crime is rampant in those cities, despite statistics not always backing that up.

Military personnel in uniform, with the Texas National Guard patch on, are seen at the U.S. Army Reserve Center, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Elwood, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

If a president invokes the Insurrection Act, they can dispatch active duty military in states that fail to put down an insurrection or defy federal law, but the judge in Chicago said Thursday she found no substantial evidence that a “danger of rebellion” is brewing in Illinois during Trump’s immigration crackdown.

The ruling offered a victory for Democratic officials who lead the state and city.

“The court confirmed what we all know: There is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois. And no place for the National Guard in the streets of American cities like Chicago,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.

In Tennessee, where Republican Gov. Bill Lee supports the deployment, the troops are expected to serve as “additional eyes and ears” across Memphis, supporting local, state and federal agencies, according to a city website.

The order in Illinois is set to expire Oct. 23 at 11:59 p.m. U.S. District Judge April Perry set an Oct. 22 hearing to determine if it should be extended for another 14 days.

In her ruling, she said the administration violated the 10th Amendment, which grants certain powers to states, and the 14th Amendment, which assures due process and equal protection.

It wasn’t clear what the 500 Guard members from Texas and Illinois would do next. They were mostly stationed at a U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, southwest of Chicago. A small number on Thursday were outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Broadview, which for weeks has been home to occasional clashes between protesters and federal agents.

Officials at U.S. Northern Command directed questions to the Department of Defense, which cited its policy of not commenting on ongoing litigation. The troops are under the U.S. Northern Command and had been activated for 60 days.

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U.S. Justice Department lawyer Eric Hamilton had said Thursday that the Guard’s mission would be to protect federal properties and government law enforcers in the field, not “solving all of crime in Chicago.”

The city and state have called the deployments unnecessary and illegal.

Also Thursday, a federal appeals court heard arguments over whether Trump had the authority to take control of 200 Oregon National Guard troops. The president had planned to deploy them in Portland, where there have been mostly small nightly protests outside an ICE building.

A judge on Sunday granted a temporary restraining order blocking the move. Trump had mobilized California troops for Portland just hours after the judge first blocked him from using Oregon’s Guard.

Two dozen other states with a Democratic attorney general or governor signed a court filing in support of the legal challenge by California and Oregon. Twenty others, led by Iowa, backed the Trump administration.

Chicago’s federal court issued other decisions this week related to immigration enforcement. In one, a judge said immigration agents have repeatedly violated a 2022 consent decree outlining how ICE can make so-called warrantless arrests. That decree requires ICE to show documentation for each arrest it makes for people besides those being targeted.

The president previously sent troops to Los Angeles and Washington.

In a California case, a judge in September said the deployment was illegal. By that point, just 300 of the thousands of troops sent there remained and the judge did not order them to leave.

Associated Press writers Ed White in Detroit, Geoff Mulvihill in Philadelphia, Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee, and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.