The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) renewal process was the topic of an informational session Aug. 12 at the Chicago Commons Paulo Freire Family Center. The event was hosted by the Association of Latino/as Motivating Action ( ALMA ) in collaboration with the Chicago LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Coalition.
DACA is the result of an executive order President Obama signed in June 2012 that gives young undocumented immigrants who meet certain requirements temporary relief from deportation. DACA recipients must renew their status every two years so they can continue to have valid work authorization documents under the guidelines established by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Julio Rodriguez, ALMA's board president, gave an overview of what ALMA does and explained that they have been working closely with a number of organizations on the immigration issue for many years.
The history and benefits of DACA, the qualifications for DACA, how to apply for DACA renewal, frequently asked questions and other forms of immigration relief available to LGBTQ immigrants were the focus of the informational session.
Speakers included Cindy Agustin ( National Immigrant Justice Center ( NIJC ) DACA pro-bono coordinator ), Aneesha Gandhi ( NIJC LGBT Immigrant Rights Initiative staff attorney and co-chair of the LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Coalition of Chicago ) and Roberto Romero-Perez ( Immigration attorney, co-chair of LGBT Rights Committee of the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and co-chair of the LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Coalition of Chicago ).
Romero-Perez said that of the approximately two million youth that are eligible nationally 75,000 reside in Illinois. DACA is a discretionary program with many stipulations and there are a lot of reasons why applicants are not approved, Romero-Perez said. He added that DACA doesn't give undocumented immigrants legal status; however, people can apply for employment authorization, obtain a Social Security number, request permission to travel outside of the United States and be allowed to re-enter anddepending on the state in which they resideobtain a drivers license ( available in Illinois ). This program doesn't give individuals the ability to apply for federal financial aid to attend college, said Romero-Perez.
Agustin outlined the criminal issues that will render someone ineligible for DACA status, including having a felony, a significant misdemeanor or multiple misdemeanors or being a threat to national security or public safety. In addition to those, the application/renewal process can be a hurdle, as it can include fees ( $465 payable over two years ) possible exemptions, required documents and the timeline for renewal.
Any information that DACA applicants share with USCIS will not be shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Agustin added.
Gandhi talked about DACA and other forms of relief that pertain to undocumented LGBTQ immigrants including those who are victims of violent crimes and/or mental and physical abuse. Gandhi also noted that sexual orientation and gender identity are protected grounds under asylum law. Due to last summer's Supreme Court ruling striking down section three of the Defense of Marriage Act, undocumented LGBTQ immigrants who are the spouses of United States citizens or legal permanent residents are also eligible for relief from deportation, said Gandhi.
A Q&A session followed the presentation.
See www.immigrantjustice.org and www.uscis.gov for more information .