LOS ANGELES ? The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, will provide FREE legal assistance to undocumented youth (DREAMers) who seek to apply for deferred action status, which is both relief from deportation and work authorization.?
Beginning August 9, 2012, APALC will conduct clinics from 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday, during which DREAMers will be individually assisted by APALC staff and trained volunteers. Those who wish to attend the clinics need to make appointments by calling APALC at the phone numbers listed below.
On June 15, 2012, President Barack Obama announced the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)?s order allowing certain young undocumented immigrants to be able to apply for work authorization and be safe from deportation for a period of two years, subject to renewal. The Obama administration announced this policy shift after mobilization by DREAMers in Los Angeles and across the country who called upon the President to grant them administrative relief.
The Migration Policy Institute estimates that approximately 1.4 million young immigrants are potentially eligible for this deferred action policy. One out of 10 DREAM-eligible students is Asian American or Pacific Islander.
?As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I am excited about what the Administration?s new deferred action policy will mean for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,? Congresswoman Judy Chu said. ?The AAPI community accounts for one out of every ten DREAM Act-eligible students, and I?m grateful that the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) is helping to lead the charge in informing them about the new policy. APALC, along with their fellow members of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice and community organizations across the country, will play a pivotal role in implementing this new deferred action policy.? The work you are doing today will bring about brighter futures for these students tomorrow, and I can?t thank you enough for your efforts.??
?APALC stands with DREAMers and their families and is committed to providing free assistance for the deferred action process,? said Stewart Kwoh, APALC president and executive director. ?This is our collective first step in a multiracial movement to pass the DREAM Act and immigration reform.?
While legal assistance from APALC is free, the total cost of submitting an application for deferred action and work authorization is $465. More details on the application process are expected to be released on August 15, 2012 by DHS.
APALC has worked with DREAMer-led organizations, including Dream Team Los Angeles and United We Dream.? Both groups are working toward safeguarding the rights of DREAMers during the implementation of deferred action.
?Deferred Action will open the doors for me to be able to obtain my Spanish Court interpreter certification and work as an official interpreter to help my community,? said Marisol Granillo with Dream Team Los Angeles (DTLA).
?Together with partners like APALC, United We Dream is committed to developing a nationwide initiative to ensure an accessible and seamless Deferred Action process for our immigrant youth,? said Sofia Campos, chair of United We Dream.? ?Through efforts like APALC's free clinics and our new ?Own the DREAM!? campaign, we will assist our communities so they are not taken advantage of and we will continue our efforts towards immigration reform for all.?
For more information about DTLA and United We Dream, go to www.dreamteamla.org and www.unitedwedream.org.
For youth who meet the eligibility criteria to apply for deferred action, or have questions regarding their eligibility, are encouraged to contact APALC to schedule a clinic appointment at one of the following toll free telephone numbers:
- Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) - 800.520.2356
- Khmer - 800.867.3126
- Korean - 800.867.3640
- Thai - 800.914.9583
- Vietnamese - 800.267.7395
- English/Tagalog/Spanish ? 888.349.9695
To address specific questions about the process of applying for relief, APALC has compiled a list of frequently asked questions which are available in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Thai. To read these FAQs, click here:
http://apalc.org/blog/administrative-relief-undocumented-youth-frequently-asked-questions
APALC also has created a checklist for the deferred action process. To read the checklist, click here:
http://apalc.org/what-we-do/direct-services/immigration-and-citizenship/document-checklist-undocumented-youth
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