Disappeared News

by Larry Geller

FACE (Faith Action for Community Equity) will hold a free informational workshop on the new Deferred Action program on Wednesday, August 29, at 6:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 1020 South Beretania Street in Honolulu. Immigration lawyers and community representatives will be on hand to answer questions and to provide reliable information. Potential applicants will be able to ask questions and receive informational materials.

President Obama and the Department of Homeland Security have announced a new program that could provide some undocumented persons who came to the United States as children a way to stay in the country and to get temporary work permission.  It has been estimated that there are over 3,200 potentially eligible youths here in Hawaii.

It is critical that potentially eligible young people not be scammed by frauds and unreliable rumors.  This workshop will allow people with questions to get the facts and start their planning now.  The workshop is being sponsored by Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE), Catholic Charities Hawaii and the Hawaii Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Below is a copy of some information distributed by FACE:

ATTENTION YOUNG IMMIGRANTS!

Deferred Action for certain young people

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on June 15 that certain undocumented young people may be able to avoid deportation through a new “Deferred Action” program will also allow them to apply for a work permit. Deferred action will be temporary – initially for two years.

There are several conditions to be eligible for Deferred Action. Some of these are described below. Details about the application process (possibly including other conditions) will not be known until mid-August, when the rules will be announced. Applications submitted before the new rules are announced will be rejected.

Do not “turn yourself in” before the rules are announced and the application process is in place.

News from the mainland indicates that some immigrants are being scammed by phony “immigration services” who take a payment in advance with a promise to submit the application and then disappear. Don’t be scammed!

Eligibility Requirements -- The applicant must:

1) have entered the U.S. before age 16,

2) be under age 31 on June15, 2012,

3) have resided in the U.S. continually for at least 5 years before June 15, 2012,

4) have been physically present in U.S. on June 15, 2012,

5) be currently attending high school, OR have graduated from high school or attained a GED certificate, OR is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. armed forces or coast guard. …continued…

6) have not been convicted of a felony, OR significant misdemeanor (such as DUI, theft, fraud), OR multiple insignificant misdemeanors OR otherwise pose a threat to the country or national security.

Documentation – following are the types of documents that may be considered in order to prove entry and presence in the U.S. While everyone is waiting for the rules and application process to be announced, applicants can begin assembling these documents in advance:

a) Birth certificate, passport or other document proving age on June 15, 2012.

b) records – financial, medical, school, employment, and military records which show entrance to U.S. before age 16 and continual residence in U.S. for past five years and presence in U.S. on June 15, 2012.

c) School records – diploma, GED certificate, report cards, school transcripts and other evidence of enrollment.

d) Documentation proving honorable discharge veteran of U.S. armed forces or coast guard.

Requests for Deferred Action will be reviewed case by case. Not all will qualify. Those who do not qualify due to criminal history will be subject to removal or other enforcement action. So be careful. If you have ever been arrested by police you should consult with a qualified immigration attorney before applying. Likewise, people already in immigration removal proceedings should consult a qualified immigration attorney.

Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE) and the Hawai’i Coalition for Immigration Reform (HCIR) will be scheduling “Teach In” information sessions in the near future and application workshops (after the application process is in place).

This memo may be shared with others, particularly with those who may be eligible for the Deferred Action program. For more information contact stanbain@facehawaii.org

Unrelated to the above, but perhaps of interest: DREAM Activist: I Infiltrated Florida Facility to Expose How U.S. Still Detaining Youth Immigrants (Democracy Now, 8/8/2012) (includes video)

Permalink posted by Larry @ 8/08/2012 08:31:00 PM