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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joseph Rendeiro
(202) 776-1566
jrendeiro@nclr.org
Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting requests for deferred action from undocumented youth who meet certain criteria such as:
• Having arrived in the U.S. under the age of 16
• Having been under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012
• Living in the U.S. since June 15, 2007 and having been present on June 15, 2012
• Being in school or having obtained a diploma or a GED
• Not having been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more other misdemeanors, and not otherwise posing a threat to national security or public safety
NCLR (National Council of La Raza) applauds USCIS for getting this program up and running as quickly as it did and pledges to work to ensure that eligible candidates receive accurate information so that they can apply for this critically needed relief.
“August 15 is a momentous day for hundreds of thousands of undocumented youth who know no other home but the U.S., and for all the people who worked so hard to give these deserving young people the chance to contribute to this great country without living in constant fear of deportation,” stated Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “Our job now is to work with USCIS to make sure that these students have the information and support they need to get this relief. We are proud that so many of our Affiliates will be on the front lines to make this happen.”
Many NCLR Affiliates throughout the country will be working to provide information and assistance to DREAMers who request deferred action today and in the months ahead. Resources will be posted on the NCLR website and the Own the DREAM campaign website to ensure that Affiliates have accurate information to relay to the public about eligibility criteria and the application process, to prevent people’s falling prey to scams and notario fraud.
“We want to encourage all those who are eligible to come forward and request this vitally important relief. We also look forward to continuing to work with USCIS and our partners to ensure that our community has reliable information and can turn to trusted organizations to get answers to their questions,” said Murguía.
For updates and information about the deferred action program, please visit www.nclr.org/relief (English) or www.nclr.org/alivio (Spanish) and www.weownthedream.org.
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