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By:
News Report, Elena Shore | |||||||||
| Posted:
Oct,31-2016 14:34:15
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SAN DIEGO--Two weeks before Election Day, immigrant rights advocates have an urgent message for undocumented immigrants: Now is the time to secure your future. "You start to become a part of the community, being able to get out of the house without fear of being pulled over and asked for your papers," said Ruben Alan Casas Espino about his experience with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The federal program, launched in 2012, allows those who came to the country before the age of 16 to get temporary, renewable protection from deportation, and access to a work permit and social security number. Casas Espino didn't finish high school, but he was able to apply for DACA because he has his GED (high school equivalency) certificate, which is enough to meet the program's educational requirements. Since his DACA application was approved in 2013, Casas Espino says his life has been "completely transformed." He spoke Friday at a media roundtable organized by New America Media in collaboration with Alliance San Diego and the statewide collaborative Ready California. "In a political climate marked by xenophobia, there's an urgency to make sure immigrants can seek programs to protect themselves," said NAM's Odette Keeley, who moderated the discussion. San Diego has the third highest population of undocumented immigrants in California,14 percent of whom are Asian. An estimated 38,000 are DACA eligible, though many don't know that they qualify. "My experience with DACA," said Itzel Guillen, immigrant integration coordinator at Alliance San Diego and a DACA recipient, "has allowed me to continue my education and pursue a career that helps others like myself. It has given me economic stability and the opportunity to contribute to my familys finances." Guillen encouraged others to go to qualified legal services providers and trusted non-profit organizations to see if they qualify. One of the biggest benefits, she said, is economic: With access to a work permit comes the ability to get higher paying jobs and jobs in her field of study. DACA recipients report an average wage increase of 45 percent, according to a 2015 study by Tom Wong of UC San Diego in collaboration with the National Immigration Law Center and the Center for American Progress. The Obama administration's attempt to expand DACA and create a new program for parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, called DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans) was put on hold after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its 4--4 split decision in June. However, the original DACA program remains intact. In a high--stakes election where immigration has become one of the hot--button issues, advocates said it is urgent for immigrant families to make sure they are taking advantage of DACA and other forms of relief. "Immigration is being used as a political tool, without a recognition of the impact that it has on our young people and community," said Richard Barrera, board vice president for District D of the San Diego Unified School District. "The idea that kids could go to school and come home and realize their parents could have been deported is a reality that traps our entire community," Barrera said. "That's unrealized potential when we have young people who can't fully engage in school." That's why it's so important for media to get the information out to their communities, said Keeley. Oscar Segovia, a Filipino father of a DACA recipient, said he first read about DACA in Filipino media. "I saw it in the Filipino newspapers," Segovia said. "I read about it, checked the instructions, reviewed the qualifications and filled out the applications." After getting DACA, he said, his son was able to go to school and work, and is now studying to be an engineer. "I've heard of so many people who are still in hiding and don't know what to do," said Segovia. "I am happy and grateful for this program." To request DACA, individuals must have entered the United States before their 16th birthday and lived here continuously since June 27, 2007; not have been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor or three misdemeanors, or pose a threat to public safety; and meet certain educational requirements.These include either being currently enrolled in school, graduated from high school, honorably discharged from the U.S. Coast Guard or Armed Forces or received a GED certificate. | |||||||||
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