.jpeg)
Thanks
to the President's announcement that he will take administrative action
on immigration, I have real hope. The president's action will provide millions
of working people and families with the opportunity to come out of the shadows
and into the light of our economy and society without fear.
Those
who can benefit from this administrative action should use iAmerica.org - a new
resource offering informational tools and interactive opportunities to become
full participants of our nation's democracy.
Visit
iAmerica and share it with a friend now ➞ iAmerica.org.
(There's no application process that exists yet, but once there is, this will
be a trusted resource to receive accurate information).
Go to www.iAmerica.org
Undocumented
immigrants looking to qualify for President Barack Obama’s new “lawful action”
program were warned by the Mexican Consulate in Sacramento on Monday about
dishonest attorneys and immigration consultants – known as “notarios” – who
make false promises, take their money and run.
Backed by a group of
lawyers, clerics and immigration advocates, Consul General Carlos González
Gutiérrez said the new process will be implemented gradually, starting next
year, and that it’s too early for anyone to be paying fees.
Under the president’s
announcement Thursday, undocumented immigrants can be granted three years of
immunity from deportation if they can show proof of residency and have clean
records with law enforcement. The fee to apply is roughly $465.
After watching Obama’s
announcement with two of his teenage children, “We felt fantastic,” Quintero
said. “I can get paid and get a better job. Now I make $350-$400 a week as a
janitor and landscaper, and volunteer as a campus monitor at Rosa Parks
Elementary.”
Because five of his
six children were born in Sacramento, Quintero will probably qualify for what
is now called DAPA – Deferred Action for Parental Accountability. It and
another existing program, DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, have
been extended or expanded under Obama’s announcement.
Consul General Gutiérrez
said his Natomas office would become ground zero for thousands of undocumented
immigrants in 24 Northern California counties who are seeking work permits and
documents allowing them to remain in the country without fear of deportation
for at least three years, as outlined in Obama’s action.
Gutiérrez announced
the consulate would stay open an extra hour a day – from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
– offer free workshops with immigration specialists starting Dec. 3, provide
one-on-one legal advice, and nearly double the number of appointments for
Mexican immigrants to obtain consular IDs, which can be helpful in applying for
the DACA and DAPA programs. The consulate also will provide financial support
on a case-by-case basis for those who can’t afford the $465 fee.
Under the two new
programs, more than 1 million individuals in California could qualify, said
Rodrigo Baez, legal affairs consul. “This is not a permanent solution. It just
stays the fear of deportation.”
Amagda Perez,
executive director of the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation and
supervising attorney for the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic, said many will
qualify for temporary work permits, driver’s licenses, relief from deportation
– and perhaps most significantly, the right to travel back and forth from the
U.S. for humanitarian reasons such as a seriously ill family member.
“Some of the really
sad stories we hear are, ‘My mother was dying, and I just couldn’t leave the
country,’” Perez said. Now, undocumented immigrants who qualify under the new
programs can apply for Advanced Parole, a program that allows them to leave the
country for up to one year and return, she said.
Immigrants who are
here on temporary visas and overstay them won’t qualify, Perez added.
The first step in the
DAPA and DACA process is to collect documents showing a continuous five-year
presence in the U.S., Perez said.
“Medical records,
birth certificates for U.S.-citizen children, pay stubs, tax records using the
federal government’s 110 forms and rental documents will be very helpful,”
Perez said. Residents in rural communities who have been paid in cash will have
a harder time, but church and school records, proof of farmworker training
programs, citizenship or English-as-a-second-language classes will help, she
said.
Those applying for
DACA cannot submit anything to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service
website until Feb. 18, Perez said. For DAPA, applicants must wait 180 days,
until May 20.
Applicants should not
seek out immigration consultants now, but “just collect your documents and hold
tight,” Perez said.
The California Rural
Legal Assistance office and other organizations accredited by the federal Board
of Immigration Appeals also will be assisting applicants in completing the
process, she said.
For general information,
contact the Consulate General of Mexico office, at| 2093 Arena Blvd. in
Sacramento, by calling (916) 329-3500. The consulate also will provide a mobile
app, “Mi Consulmex,” and answer questions at (855) 463-6395 or make
appointments at (877) 639-4835.
EXPANDED PROGRAMS FOR
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
As outlined by
President Barack Obama last week, two programs have been expanded or extended:
Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is extended for children brought here
illegally by their parents. It covers those who arrived under the age of 16 and
have either graduated from high school, are trying to get their GED or have
been discharged honorably from the U.S. military. It requires continuous
residence from Jan. 1, 2010, instead of June 15, 2007. If applicants have not
been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor such as a DUI or three or
more misdemeanors, they may qualify for a three-year deferral from deportation,
three years of work authorization and can qualify for a California driver’s
license after Jan. 1.
Deferred Action for
Parental Accountability (DAPA) will enable undocumented
parents of U.S.-born children to apply for a three-year deferral from
deportation and work permit. The parent needs to have lived in the U.S. since
Jan. 21, 2010, and have no felonies, serious or multiple misdemeanors. Also,
their children need to have been born in the U.S. on or before Nov. 20, the
date Obama announced the program.
Cost: $465 ($380
filing fee and $85 photo/fingerprints fee)
Source: Bee research.
From; The Sacramento Bee. Stephen Magagnini.
No comments:
Post a Comment