PHOTOS: A community outreach meeting held in Manhattan on September 19th gave community leaders and heads of different organizations an opportunity to share their concerns with policy advisors at both the Department of Homeland Security and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Opening up the meeting, which took place at 26 Federal Plaza, was Kareem W. Shora, Senior Policy Advisor to Department of Homeland Security. Shora came in from Washington DC in order to listen to communal concerns and make community leaders aware of the many strides being taken by the DHS to continuously improve community outreach and better understand any concerns and problems related to immigration, the Transportation Security Administration and Customs Border Patrol.

This meeting is part of an ongoing nationwide effort by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to help citizen’s better deal with TSA and immigration issues, which can often be fraught with bureaucracy and difficult to navigate. By giving community leaders and heads of organizations the opportunity to meet directly with DHS and ICE personnel, both departments will better understand the varying issues faced by different community groups and be better equipped to deal with any issues that may arise.

Rabbi Abe Friedman, a community liaison thanked the officials for their continued efforts on behalf of the Jewish community, particularly in light of the upcoming Succos holiday. In recent years, the TSA personnel have been extremely sensitive to the needs of Lulav and Esrog carrying travelers, Rabbi Friedman said. Rabbi Friedman also discussed other DHS and Customs Border Patrol issues and expressed his wish of having a long term, ongoing relationship with personnel at both of these departments.

Also in attendance was David Pollock of the Jewish Community Relations Council who has worked closely with the DHS for many years. TLS.