On June 2012, President Obama announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA, or Deferred Action), which allows eligible young undocumented immigrants to apply for work authorization and be safe from deportation for two years at a time. Deferred Action is not legal status or a visa, but rather a decision by the Department of Homeland Security to not remove or deport someone who does not have a legal right to stay in the U.S.
On August 6th, 2012 KIWA hosted a community forum on Deferred Action for our members to explain the program and application process. KIWA’s Voices of Justice, an undocumented youth support group, sponsored the event. We continue to education our members, neighbors, and friends about the Deferred Action program to make sure that our community can access all of its benefits.
Below is a compilation of current resources for undocumented youth that may be eligible for Deferred Action. Although KIWA is not currently assisting in application review, there are numerous community organizations in Los Angeles that are offering multi-lingual assistance. For all the DREAMers in our community, si se puede!
DEFFERED ACTION (DACA) APPLICATION HELP
FOR UNDOCUMENTED YOUTH
Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC)
1145 Wilshire Blvd., 2nd Floor, Los Angeles CA 90017
Tuesday & Thursday, 2:30pm – 7:00pm | Appointment Only
Processing fee: free
English – (888) 349-9695
Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) – (800) 520-2356
Khmer – (800) 867-3126
Korean – (800) 867-3640
Tagalog – (888) 349-9695
Thai – (800) 914-9583
Vietnamese – (800) 267-7395
http://apalc.org/
http://apalc.org/blog/administrative-relief-undocumented-youth-frequently-asked-questions
Public Counsel Law Center
610 South Ardmore Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Mon, Wed, Thurs 3:00pm – 9:00pm & Sunday 10:00am – 6:00pm | Appointment Only
Processing fee: $40 consultation, $110 for application processing; $600 total for full-scope representation
(213) 385-2977 x404
http://www.publiccounsel.org/pages/?id=0062
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)
2533 West 3rd Street, Suite 101, Los Angeles, California 90057
Mon thru Fri 10:00am – 4:00pm (orientations, tickets 9am)
Processing fee: $40 (CHIRLA members), $80 (non-members)
(213) 353-1333
info@chirla.org
http://chirla.org/DreamPD
Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)
2845 W. 7th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Mon thru Fri, 8:30am and 3:30pm; 9:00am – 12:00pm (screenings) | Saturdays 9:00am
Processing fee: $150
(213) 385-7800 x136
haguilar@carecen-la.org
http://www.carecen-la.org/
Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) Immigration Legal Assistant Project
300 North Los Angeles Street, Room 3107 (3rd Fl), Los Angeles, CA 90012
Mon thru Fri 8:00am – 12:00pm & 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Processing fee: $20 consultation
(213) 485-1873
http://www.lacba.org/showpage.cfm?pageid=423
Catholic Charities
1530 James M. Wood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015
Mondays 2:00pm
Processing fee: none
(213) 251-3501
http://www.catholiccharitiesla.org/who-we-are/news
EVENTS ON DEFFERED ACTION (DACA)
Deferred Action Educational Forum
Miguel Contreras Learning Complex | 322 S. Lucas Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Saturday, August 25th 9am – 5pm
Sponsored by: Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia, World Vision, California Dream Network, Dream Resource Center, United We Dream
DEFERRED ACTION FEE HELP (SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS, LOANS)
http://www.missionassetfund.org/programs/lending-circles/lending-circles-for-dreamers
http://www.publicinterestprojects.org/funds-projects/special-projects/fund-for-dreamers/
OTHER DEFERRED ACTION RESOURCES
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States. USCIS is responsible for administering all aspects of the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” (DACA, Deferred Action). All official Deferred Action forms may be found on the USCIS website below.
To Get Legal Help for your Deferred Action Application
http://e4fc.org/resources/gettinglegalhelp.html
http://unitedwedream.org/resources/deferred-action/warning-on-lawyers-and-notarios/
Own the Dream – Online DACA Eligibility Assessment Tool
Own the DREAM is a national campaign to help aspiring Americans brought to this country as children take advantage of the opportunity to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and work permits. The campaign will join the resources of United We Dream and its partners to offer assistance to a significant number of the hundreds of thousands of DREAMers eligible for this opportunity to stay in America to complete their education and contribute to the economy.
Our website features an online tool to help you determine whether you are eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Visit our website below:
http://www.weownthedream.org/#
http://www.weownthedream.org/events/location.2012-08-01.California
Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC) DACA Guide
Our mission is to help undocumented students achieve their academic and career goals and actively contribute to society.
http://e4fc.org/dacaguide.html
Korean Resource Center & NAKASEC
900 Crenshaw Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 680-5725 | 323-937-3718
http://krcla.org/en/Deferred_Action
DREAM Team Los Angeles
Founded in 2009, DREAM Team Los Angeles (DTLA) aims to create a safe space in which undocumented immigrant youth and allies empower themselves through education and shared experiences. Through these shared experiences, individuals develop as efficient advocates for their own rights and those of the larger immigrant community. DTLA is a grass roots organization that welcomes anyone who is interested in being part of the work, both in L.A. and nationally; we do as part of the immigrants rights movement.
We hold meetings every Monday at 7pm | 675 S. Park View St. Los Angeles, CA. 90057
http://dreamteamla.org/deferred-action-resources/
U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu
4401 Santa Anita Avenue, Suite 201, El Monte, Ca 91731
(626) 448-1271
