Legal experts urge undocumented students to visit campus resources as the deadline to renew their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status approaches.
Last month, President Donald Trump ended DACA, a program that deferred deportation for undocumented individuals brought to the United States as children. The program, which former President Barack Obama enacted in 2012, has helped thousands of undocumented individuals procure work permits, open bank accounts and obtain driver’s licenses in certain states.
Because of Trump’s decision, individuals whose DACA status and work permit expire between Sept. 5 and March 5, 2018, need to submit their DACA renewal request by Thursday, said Vivek Mittal, a managing attorney at the University of California Immigrant Legal Services Center.
“(Thursday) is a really critical deadline, if anyone’s eligible they should definitely apply,” he said. “It’s really important they talk to an attorney.”
Mittal said his office helps undocumented individuals with the DACA renewal application process and with other types of immigration relief. He added he thinks undocumented individuals not eligible for DACA should still schedule an appointment with the center to explore other options for relief.
He said other options for undocumented students include applying for a green card through a parent or applying for a special immigrant juvenile status, available to individuals under the age of 21 who have been abandoned or neglected by their parents.
Mittal added students who are not eligible to renew their DACA status can still attend college in California and receive some financial aid.
“Any UC student can continue to go to school, regardless of their immigration status,” he said. “The financial aid that’s available to (students) as an undocumented individual should still be available, because it’s through California state laws unaffected by the federal government.”
Mittal added UCLA has a number of resources available for undocumented students at the campus’ Undocumented Student Center, including financial aid and a lending library for books.
Victor Narro, a project director at the UCLA Labor Center and a professor in labor and workplace studies, said the Bruin Resource Center and student groups, like Improving Dreams, Equality, Access, and Success, provide resources such as legal representation and peer support for undocumented students at UCLA.
“The UC system has come a long way to provide services for undocumented students and their family members,” he said.
Rubi Martinez, a communications manager at the Dream Resource Center, which conducts research on immigration issues, said nonprofits, like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and Asian-Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles, are providing free workshops for undocumented individuals applying for DACA renewals.
“DACA renewals are now priority number one for these nonprofits,” she said.
She added LC4DACA, a nonprofit organization, is providing scholarships to help undocumented students who cannot afford the $495 DACA renewal fee.
“One (undocumented individual) who reached out to me was able to apply for the scholarship and receive confirmation that they would get the funding the same day,” she said. “There are a lot of resources available if you reach out.”
Narro said he thinks Congress needs to pass the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, a law that could provide undocumented individuals with permanent legal status.
“(DACA) benefitted 800,000 (undocumented individuals), but we still need to do something about the other 10 million who immigrated to this country,” he said. “Immigration reform has been an issue that we have tried and failed many times.”
Wording needs correcting. They are illegal aliens.
They are LEGAL. Just like anyone who is applying for asylum, they are legal resident.
The soon these kids return to their nations of origin the soon than can begin re-assimilation and re-integration. I wish them all the success once they leave the United States.
Really stupid !!….those kids have been here since kinder, they do not know any other nation any other Flag, any other Constitution, any other Land, this is their only Nation. Sending them back is a betrayal to their love for this Nation.
This is not their country – they were smuggled in by foreign nationals colluding with coyotes and traffickers. If they want to have their status adjusted they should either convince their parents to repatriate or turn them into ICE.
What the taxpayers have paid because of illegal immigration is the real crime.What I find most interesting is the all out BLITZ by the Democrats, MSM, every faculty member at any university in the country fighting to the death for illegal aliens? yes they put a warm and fuzzy name on it “Dreamers.”and no one seem to wonder why? future voters? can you imagine the Democrats ever being this interested or motivated in issues involving citizens! There is an estimated 800,000 DACA recipients in the US. That is 800,000 jobs American Citizens don’t have or will be in competition for.The MSM and Democrats would have us believe that all 800 thousand are not taking jobs Americans want (we’ve heard that lie for many years now.) This is another falsehood told to the American people. Democrats have actually changed the language. It’s not illegal alien its “Immigrant.” (like the lie there just ‘Kids”) there not all picking strawberries they take great Jobs. Good enough jobs to buy homes put their kids through college.
Why must the citizens of our country have competition for jobs, education in their own country from foreign nationals? Now Democrats and illegal alien activists admit DACA recipients have great jobs,are buying homes, paying taxes.
The GOAL, motivation (Democrats just haven’t figured this out yet) is for the American citizens to be employed, sending their kids to college, buying homes and paying taxes. It’s not the responsibility of
the citizens of this country to support, educate citizens from other country’s.Deportation will save jobs and decrease the expense of illegalaliens. There is also an incredible public safety issues.
“Some” of the costs of illegal immigration.
*The cost of educating illegal aliens children is staggering. From K-12 it costs taxpayers $122,000 for EACH illegal alien.
*Now city, and state officials are appropriating millions of taxpayer dollars for legal fees to to file law suits and in defense of illegal aliens being deported.
*2012 illegal aliens sent home $62 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin. This is why Mexico is getting involved in our politics.
*30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. Does not include local jails and State Prisons. At 21,000 per year expense per inmate in Federal Prison—U do the math.
*$3Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens, I repeat 3 MILLION a DAY to process Illegals in the Criminal justice system.
*$2.2Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as SNAP (food stamps),WIC, & free school lunches.
http://www.ojjpac.org/memorial.asp
http://www.illegalaliencrimereport.com/
This information is kind of confusing. If you have not received your Notice of Renewal from USCIS, you do not need to renew now, period. If you have received your Notice, yes, hurry up.
These aliens don’t need legal experts, they need travel agents.
DACAs are illegal aliens that applied for deferred deportation. DACA ended Sept. 5. It is time to start deporting.