Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals workshops continue at Holy Cross Ministries in Salt Lake City

Intermountain Catholic

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Immigration continues to be a topic of interest in Utah. Shown is a 2013 forum. IC file photo

SALT LAKE CITY — Rosa was only 6 years old when she and her family moved to Utah from Peru. They shared a one-bedroom apartment with another family, and Rosa didn’t realize until she went to school for the first time that she spoke a different language than her classmates.

She adjusted quickly, learned English and worked hard in school. By the time she graduated, she was in the top 2 percent of her high school class. She planned to continue her education at the University of Utah, but when she enrolled she realized that her lack of legal documentation prevented her from applying for scholarships and internships. Instead of going to college, she worked two jobs.

Then, last year, the federal government announced that certain people who came to the United States as children without documentation could apply to the government to defer removal action; this also would allow them authorization to work. This was known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Believing that she qualified for the program, Rosa went to Holy Cross Ministries in Salt Lake City, which helped her apply for a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals work permit, which she received last year.

She is among the nearly 700 people that Holy Cross Ministries in Utah has helped so far in their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals workshops.

"We know this is one of the greatest opportunities for young people, to be able to integrate into the community, to have educational opportunities, to work and to improve their lives and their family’s lives. Because we know there is a lot of hope, we want to support them," said Holy Cross Sister Veronica Fajardo, who works in Holy Cross Ministries’ immigration department.

Holy Cross Ministries offers two types of workshops to help young people through the steps of the Deferred Action Program.

"We hold two workshops per month," said Sr. Veronica. "One of the workshops is almost a day long and the other is just a few hours, in which we help people who already have all their paperwork to sort it out. In the one that is almost the full day we help them fill out the paperwork, answer questions, and help with the whole process."

The workshops have been a nonstop effort of Holy Cross Ministries since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was implemented last summer.

"We keep having these workshops because there are still many young people who qualify and because a lot of times under the requirements they have to be at least 15 years old to be able to apply," said Sr. Veronica. "There are still a good number who are still applying for this benefit," she said, referring to the fact that each one-day workshop is attended by around 30 people.

At Holy Cross Ministries, potential applicants for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program meet with a qualified immigration attorney or an accredited representative to determine whether they are eligible. If they are, the Holy Cross Ministries workers review all required documents and help prepare the application, which the applicant then submits to the government for processing.

Many young people applying for the program have to save to pay the required fee, and the forms that they filled out previously may not be valid by the time they are able to pay the fee, Sr. Veronica said.

To help the young people applying for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Holy Cross Ministries has a team of seven people, as well as four lawyers. All of them are bilingual.

"Because we are accredited and certified by immigration, we can fill out all the forms and provide advice and information," Sr. Veronica said.

Among the requirements to qualify for the program are that applicants must verify that they have been studying in the U.S., that they arrived before June 15, 2007 and were in the country on June 15, 2012.

"To see that our communities succeed is our biggest driving force," said Sr. Veronica. "This [the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] has been one of the most positive things that has happened with immigration because this is an opportunity for young people to get out of the shadows. They can say, ‘I can get a Social Security card,’ get better jobs, educational studies, they can travel. It’s an opportunity to open many doors for them, and we want to support them in this process as much as we can."

To qualify for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a person must:

Have entered the U.S. before the age of 16 and before June 15, 2007;

Have been under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012;

Be currently 15 years or older;

Have continuously resided in the U.S. for at least five years;

Be currently in school, or have graduated from high school, or obtained a GED;

Have not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or three or more minor misdemeanors;

Not pose a threat to national security or public safety;

If eligible, applicants cannot have traveled outside the U.S. after Aug. 15, 2012 until their application is approved.

More information is available at http://www.dhs.gov/deferred-action-childhood-arrivals

Upcoming Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals workshops:

Friday, Feb. 14, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 21, 1 - 3 p.m. – Quality control and review of documents only

Both workshops will be at Holy Cross Ministries, 860 East 4500 South, Ste 204, Salt Lake City.

The workshop fee for a full application is $150; for an application review it is $50. The fee for a consultation with an attorney to determine eligibility for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is $20; the consultation must be done on the workshop dates. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services charges an application processing fee of $465. This fee includes a $380 fee for Form I-765 and an $85 biometric services fee. Payment to USCIS must be in the form of a money order in the exact amount.

Space at the workshops is limited; call 801-261-3496 to reserve a seat.