Roe Borunda / The Collegian
The Secretary of Homeland Security released on June 15 that undocumented peoples who came to the United States as children and meet specific qualifications could apply for deferred action, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
If accepted, undocumented peoples would be eligible to gain employment in the United States and not face deportation for two years. Once the two years end, there is a possibility for a renewal process. Only those peoples who meet all the requirements are eligible for consideration.
In response to this, the Deferred Action for Dreamers Coalition has recently opened the Deferred Action Help Center to assist students in creating an application packet for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
“Our goal is to find the means to exhort students in central California to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Raul Moreno, of Fresno State’s migrant student services.
The center opened its doors to the public August 20 and is run mainly by volunteers, about 40 of who are Fresno State students. The center is sponsored by different community members and was brought together by the coalition.
The coalition is made up of agencies, immigration attorneys and community-based organizations. Moreno brought these different groups together, forming the coalition.
The center hopes to educate people who are looking to apply for deferred action and help them put their applications together. The center also will refer peoples to legal council, translators and places to perform background checks. On average, the center helps about 67 students a day.
“I’m very happy to help those who are in need of information about deferred action,” said Cristina Olea, a student in her senior year studying business administration.
Olea, as well as all the other volunteers, received extensive training to answer questions regarding the application process for deferred action as well as provide information to students.
The process proving that people meet these requirements can be difficult, says Moreno, which is why he feels it is important to provide not only information, but also examples of evidence to those seeking deferred action.
The process can be renewed after the two years. However, those who support this course of action hope that immigration reform will happen within that span, Moreno said.
To qualify for deferred action, applicants must have been under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012. The applicant must also have come to the United States before his or her 16th birthday and have been physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012. The applicant must also be in school, have graduated from high school, received a general education development certificate, or have been honorably discharged from the military.
The applicant must also have a clean record and may not pose a threat to national security in any way. It is advised, Moreno said, that those who do not have a clean record do not apply as all the information offered in the application process is subject to use by the Department of Homeland Security at its discretion.
There are many misconceptions about this memorandum, said Moreno, stating that it is not a path to citizenship or permanent residency and is not the same as the national Dream Act.
“The center is not political. Why this came about is none of my business,” Moreno said. “I work with students, and I just want to help students.
According to Moreno, there are roughly 300 undocumented students at Fresno State. Adriana Sanchez, a Fresno State alumna with her masters in international relations and three bachelor’s degrees, knows the struggles of an undocumented student all too well, having been one herself.
“As one of these students, I feel I have a need to give back to the undocumented community,” said Sanchez. “None of this would have been possible without help from the community.”
Sanchez is the scholarship and student services coordinator for the Education and Leadership Foundation.
“Students should know that if they have questions about DACA [Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals] or being referred to an attorney, the center offers these services free of charge and it’s walking distance from the school,” Sanchez said.
The center is located on 1551 E. Shaw Ave. Ste. 107 in Fresno. Those interested in learning more about deferred action or interested in seeing the full list of qualifications can visit www.uscis.gov/childhoodarrivals. For more information about the Deferred Action for Dreamers Coalition, visit www.DA4DC.org.