DREAM act

President Obama offers temporary relief to DREAMers, 12% of which are Asian Americans .  Refer to the recent correspondence below by APALC (The Asian Pacific American Legal Center) for more information. 

APALC to Help Undocumented Youth, Warns of Potential Fraud
Neidi Dominguez (right) from DREAM TEAM Los Angeles speaks about DREAMer relief accompanied by APALC Executive Director Stewart Kwoh at a news conference on Tuesday.
In light of President Barack Obama’s recent announcement about temporary relief for DREAMers, APALC will help undocumented Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth determine if they qualify for relief from deportation from the country.

On June 15th, President Obama announced the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s order allowing certain young undocumented immigrants to be able to apply for work authorization and be safe from deportation for a period of two years, subject to renewal. The Obama administration announced this policy shift after organizing and mobilization by DREAMers in Los Angeles and across the country who called upon the President to grant them administrative relief according them temporary legal status.

The Obama administration estimates that approximately 800,000 young immigrants will be affected by this deferred action policy. AAPIs compose about 12 percent of these DREAMers.

To address specific questions about the requirements and process of applying for relief, APALC has put together an FAQ:

DREAMer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Immigrants who think they may qualify for relief and live in southern California are encouraged to start collecting their documentation and contact APALC for questions at (888) 349-9695 and at info@apalc.org. APALC also can 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

During a news conference this week, Immigration and Citizenship Supervising Attorney Joyce Noche warned of potential fraud from those trying to exploit undocumented immigrants. Individuals should not be paying anyone to apply for this relief as there is no process to apply yet.

“We are concerned there may be some immigration consultants who may say they can help undocumented immigrants but only after paying a fee,” Noche said. “We would warn community members not to contact these ‘notarios’ and instead call us for questions.”

Youth who demonstrate that they meet the following criteria will be eligible to apply, on a case-by-case basis, for deferred action and work authorization for a period of two years, subject to renewal:

• 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.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expect to begin implementation of the application process within 60 days.
APALC is committed to helping thousands of undocumented young DREAMers.  The Asian Pacific American Legal Center, a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, is the nation’s largest Asian American legal and civil rights organization and serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year.