In 2012, President Barack Obama enacted the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This program offers young undocumented immigrants who came to the United States with their parents protection from deportation. Under DACA, these children were given opportunities just like American children. They were allowed to go to school and further their education so they could work.
President Donald Trump did away with this program in September, leaving hundreds of thousands of immigrants anxious about their future. In fact, ending DACA has affected 689,000 immigrants between the ages of 15 and 36.
But not all hope is gone yet. Congress has until March 5 to come up with an alternative. But if Congress doesn’t meet that deadline, DACA recipients will lose their ID cards, work authorization and educational benefits. This means they won’t be able to drive, work or attend college. Those caught driving without a license can be deported. After March 5, 918 immigrants will face deportation daily.
Of the 689,000 people in the DACA program, 20 percent are in middle school or high school. Forty-four percent are high school graduates. Eighteen percent are in college and 4 percent have a bachelor’s degree. More than 30 percent hold down a job while in school. Approximately 400,000 are employed, many in mid-skilled jobs. Many work as teachers, social workers, managers and health care workers.
The DACA program is not an alternative for U.S. citizenship. It simply delays deportation for a period of two years. It offers recipients the ability to work, attend school and live in the United States. DACA requests are not being accepted at this time.
It was available to immigrants who came to the U.S. before their 16th birthday. Applicants had to be between the ages of 15 and 31 as of June 15, 2012. They must have lived in the U.S. since 2010. They must currently be enrolled in school, have a GED or be honorably discharged from the military. Applicants must also have no felonies on their criminal record and must not be considered a safety threat.
Young immigrants are also known as DREAMers, taken from the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. It takes a lot of courage for young people to admit they are undocumented immigrants, but by coming forward, they can get a Social Security card and other documents so they can pursue the American dream.
DREAMers face an uncertain future. To qualify for deferred action, they must take the appropriate steps in a timely manner. Without the right application materials, they could be deported.
To qualify for DACA, it’s important that you seek legal assistance right away to secure your residency in America. The knowledgeable immigration attorneys at Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC can help relieve your anxiety so you can focus on success. To get help with your immigration and citizenship needs in Illinois, give us a call today at (312) 332-2550 for a case evaluation.
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We sincerely thank the entire team for the professionalism, responsiveness, patience, and dedication shown throughout our case. From our very first visit, Justin reassured us that everything would be all right. Thank you, Khiabett, for your expertise, professionalism, and calm guidance before and during the interview, which greatly reduced our stress and gave us confidence. We also deeply appreciate Kamila's hard work, patience, and responsiveness throughout the process. For sorting…
I would like to sincerely thank Attorney Justin Burton and PL Kamila Lada for support with my adjustment of status case. I have been working with the firm for over a year now, and I have received nothing short of exceptional services and support throughout various cases for myself and family members. Highly recommend consulting and retaining this firm.
We have been in the dark with our case for over 2 decades, while working with other big firms who just kept me in the dark and sat on our case without making any effort to move it forward until I met the wonderful team at Kriezelman & Burton. AO and JP are truly God-sent angels who with their knowledge, collaboration, sense of direction and outside the box thinking, managed…
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We hoped and prayed for this day, not knowing if it would ever come. Deportations are incredibly scary and overwhelming. We wanted to give a very special thank you to Jennifer Peyton of Chicago for securing this victory for us! With Jennifer on our side we were able to get our loved one back. On behalf of our family, thank you. When we started this journey, we had hoped and…
Matthew Kriezelman, first of all, thank you very much; you and your team are the best immigration lawyers in Chicago. I had a great experience—your professionalism was outstanding, and you were always there whenever needed. I give you five stars for the wonderful work you and your team did. Thanks again.
Hay momentos en la vida en los que una familia siente que el mundo se detiene. Nosotros vivimos uno de esos momentos y, en medio de la incertidumbre y el miedo, tuvimos la fortuna de encontrar a la abogada Sheila McNulty y al paralegal Rafael Rodríguez . Nos escucharon con empatía, nos guiaron con paciencia y defendieron nuestro caso con un profesionalismo, una dedicación y una calidad humana realmente excepcionales.…
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