With President Obama poised to issue executive orders by the end of the summer to address unresolved immigration issues, a group of immigration activists are convening a press conference on August 20 to spotlight the plight of certain undocumented immigrants who have lived here for many years. The ultimate goal is to push the President to take broad action to allow individuals who did not qualify for DACA relief in 2012 when it was first implemented.
Under DACA (or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) those individuals who:
Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;
Came to the United States before reaching your 16th birthday;
Have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;
Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making your request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS;
Had no lawful status on June 15, 2012;
Are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; and
Have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety may qualify to have their potential deportation deferred for at least two years.
The purpose of this effort led by renowned activist, Jose Antonio Vargas, who came to this country originally from the Philippines when he was only 12 years of age, is to illustrate how other undocumented immigrants – expected to attend the conference – who have contributed to American life should be allowed to stay. Included among the other participants are people originally from Senegal, South Korea, Honduras, Germany and Mexico. Some operate businesses, one is caring for her grandchildren (whose parents have been deported) and all have lived most of their adult life and some of their youth in this country. However, none of them met the specific requirements established by DACA in 2012.
The press conference is sponsored by Define American and held in conjunction with the National Immigration Law Center.
The Shulman Law Group endeavors to ensure its clients be kept abreast of all significant developments relating to the process of naturalization to the United States. Edward Shulman, Esq, founder of The Shulman Law Group, LLC is a national speaker for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). AILA is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, and to advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice. In the course of Mr. Shulman’s involvement with AILA, he has been dedicated to educating other immigration attorneys about the import of helping intending immigrants to navigate a new cultural system. He meticulously follows all of the developments occurring in the battle over immigration reform so that he will be prepared to effectively assist his clients obtain residency if a new system is enacted.