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ALC, APALC Applaud Decision to Order Relief for Undocumented Youth
Young immigrants who need support are encouraged to contact our offices
SAN FRANCISCO - The Asian Law Caucus (ALC) and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), the California members of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, applaud today's decision by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to allow young undocumented immigrants to gain work permits and be safe from deportation.
"In the coming weeks and months, we look forward to working with DREAMers and their families to ensure that they receive the full benefits of this historic opportunity, and encourage them to reach out to our organizations for support," said Hyeon-Ju Rho, executive director of ALC.
"Millions of immigrants have helped build the United States into the successful nation it is today," said Stewart Kwoh, president and executive director of APALC. "This relief will give young immigrants their chance to give back and contribute to America. We hope to work with all of the affected families and encourage them to contact our offices for support, and deeply appreciate the courage of the DREAM students in reminding us of this hope."
Youth who demonstrate that they meet the following criteria will be eligible to receive deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal and will be eligible to apply for work authorization, on a case-by-case basis:
- Came to the United States under the age of 16;
- Have continuously resided in the United States for at least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;
- Are currently in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
- Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety;
- Are not over the age of 30.
The policy goes into effect immediately, but U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expect to begin implementation of the application process within 60 days. For individuals who are in removal proceedings and have already been identified as meeting the eligibility criteria, ICE will immediately begin to offer them deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal.
More information on the new policy can be found on DHS's website, www.dhs.gov. Beginning Monday, individuals can also call USCIS' hotline at 1-800-375-5283 or ICE's hotline at 1-888-351-4024 during business hours with questions or to request more information on the forthcoming process.
Immigrants who think they may qualify for such relief and live in southern California can contact APALC for questions at (888) 349-9695 and at info@apalc.org. In addition, APALC can also be contacted in the following languages:
- Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) - (800) 520.2356
- Khmer - (800) 867.3126
- Korean - (800) 867.3126
- Thai - (800) 914.9583
- Vietnamese - (800) 267.7395
Immigrants in the Bay Area can contact ALC at (415) 896-1701 and alc@asianlawcaucus.org.
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The Asian Law Caucus was founded in 1972 as the nation's first legal and civil rights Asian American organization. Recognizing that social, economic, political and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, ALC 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 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Asian Law Caucus is a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice. For more information, please visit http://asianlawcaucus.org.
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