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DREAMers and Allies Unveil Removal Defense Guide for Youth Facing Inhumane Deportations
With the lack of administrative relief from President Obama, undocumented youth are forced to grapple with deportations that tear families apart
SAN FRANCISCO - As an alarming number of undocumented youth continue to face deportation, DREAM Act groups and civil rights organizations released an extensive guide today designed to help these young people advocate for themselves and navigate the nation's deeply flawed immigration system. The toolkit's publication comes as immigrant rights advocates are intensifying calls for President Obama to use his executive authority to halt the deportation of DREAM Act eligible students.
With over 60 pages of legal and organizing support from various successful public cases, the guide aims to provide undocumented youth, families, and lawyers with the essentials for deportation defense. "After years of working with undocumented youth facing deportation, we see how critical it is to be equipped with the right tools to fight a case," says Mohammad Abdollahi, co-founder of DreamActivist.org, the largest online community for undocumented youth. DreamActivist.org has handled over 30 deportation cases throughout the U.S. and continues to support youth facing removal proceedings. "Hopefully this guide will empower undocumented youth and their families to come out and organize for their right to stay in the country they call home," adds Abdollahi.
"After reading through this manual, I can't help but think how important these resources are for students like me," says Fiona, a 23 year old DREAM Act student facing deportation to the Philippines. Fiona plans on starting graduate school in the Fall. "I feel isolated and alone in this process, but knowing about the victories before me gives me hope".
"Our free online legal service has helped over 40 DREAM Act students in deportation so we understand how important this guide is. Our goal is to give these students a chance to understand the often complicated legal procedures that affect their lives," says Krsna Avila, student and legal services coordinator at Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC).
"Last year, we helped organize a campaign to stop the deportation of Steve Li, a local nursing student facing deportation to Peru. Before the campaign started, we knew of other successful cases, but didn't have a centralized location for resources," says Lisa Chen community advocate at the Asian Law Caucus. "As we continue to urge the President to begin fixing the immigration system right away, we hope this guide will be a valuable tool for other young people facing senseless deportation," adds Chen.
Copies are available online at: http://www.asianlawcaucus.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Education-Not-Deportation-A-Guide-for-Undocumented-Youth-in-Removal-Proceedings-2.pdf
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The mission of the Asian Law Caucus is to promote, advance, and represent the legal and civil rights of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. Recognizing that social, economic, political and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, the Asian Law Caucus is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice for all sectors of our society, with a specific focus directed toward addressing the needs of low-income, immigrant and underserved APIs. Visit: asianlawcaucus.org
DreamActivist.org is a multicultural, migrant youth-led,social media hub for the movement to pass the DREAM Act and pursue the enactment of other forms of legislation that aim to mend the broken immigration system. Visit: dreamactivist.org
The mission of Educators for Fair Consideration is to help immigrant students realize the American dream of college and citizenship. E4FC provides scholarships, legal services, mentoring, and professional internships to immigrant students who have grown up in the United States but face challenges due to financial need and immigration status. We also lead presentations at schools and organizations throughout California, train and empower students to tell their stories, and create educational materials that are used nationwide. Visit: e4fc.org
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