Tag: DACA

Dreamers worry Trump could end DACA Republican leaders urge Trump to act by Sept. 5

La Opinión photo courtesy of NAM

by Gabriel Sandoval

Aldo is worried, indeed afraid, that President Donald Trump may soon end or phase out a federal deportation-relief program, making it harder for him to live, work and study in the United States.

“My plan of getting my master’s, my plan of getting my doctorate, now looks very unrealistic,” said Aldo, a senior anthropology major at Chico State who requested that ChicoSol omit his last name.

Aldo is one of nearly 800,000 immigrants who benefit from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which grants temporary deportation relief, work permits and Social Security numbers to law-abiding people who were brought to the country illegally as children.

As soon as this week, Trump could make a significant decision on DACA, which was established under the Obama administration five years ago, according to multiple news reports. As a candidate, Trump vowed to eliminate the program early in his presidency. But since moving into the White House, he appeared to soften his stance on DACA and its beneficiaries, also known as “dreamers.” read more

Fear grips communities as immigrants prepare for new administration Information is empowering, rights advocates say

OneJustice legal fellow Maureen Slack and Orland Unified Student Support Services Secretary Neli Peña discuss the upcoming immigration fair.
OneJustice legal fellow Maureen Slack and Orland Unified’s Neli Peña at a planning meeting for the March immigration fair.

by Leslie Layton

Scared.

That’s how attorneys and immigrant rights advocates were describing their clients in the weeks preceding the inauguration of a president whose campaign was laced with hostile anti-immigrant rhetoric.

As a candidate, Donald Trump talked about massive deportations and vowed to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that has brought relief to hundreds of thousands of young adults who were raised in this country without legal status.

The best antidote for fear, say rights advocates, is preparation. In California cities, immigrants can usually find a qualified organization that offers free or low-cost services – including legal consultations and know-your-rights forums. But in rural California, those kinds of resources are often rare or nonexistent.

In response, several organizations have been taking their services on the road in an effort to reach rural immigrant communities. Immigration clinics are being held in small towns and cities where law students and pro bono attorneys discuss how to prepare for a new and unpredictable administration. read more

Trump presidency alarms immigrant community Advocates say take steps to prepare

photo by Karen Laslo

photo by Karen Laslo

by Leslie Layton

Immigrant rights advocates are bracing for an uphill fight in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential victory and encouraging people who could be harmed by an immigration crackdown to take steps now to protect themselves.

“We definitely have a fight ahead of us,” said Kamal Essaheb, director of policy and advocacy at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), “a fight against the criminalization of immigrants and people of color, a fight for true economic justice for a country where everybody, regardless of the color of their skin or immigration status, can seek opportunities to make their lives better. And immigrants, documented or not, will be a critical part of that fight.”

In a press conference Thursday organized by New America Media, advocates noted the alarm in immigrant communities following the election of a candidate who has promised harsh, punishing and elaborate measures to stop illegal immigration and deport unauthorized immigrants who are here. read more