Thread: Dream-Act students will pay $465 fee for legal status document

Dream-Act students will pay $465 fee for legal status document

By Stephen Dinan
The Washington Times
Updated: 2:12 p.m. on Friday, August 3, 2012

The Homeland Security Department said Friday that illegal immigrants will have to pay $465 to apply for legal status in the U.S. under President Obama’s administration Dream Act, with the fees going to make sure no taxpayer funds are used.

Illegal immigrants will be able to begin applying Aug. 15 under the program announced in June by President Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, which will apply to illegal immigrants age 30 and under who were brought here before age 16.

In another key decision, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas said the agency will generally not use the information from the applications to try to deport illegal immigrants who don’t qualify unless they lie on their application, have serious criminal records or are otherwise deemed threats to the country.

That move is likely to draw fire from critics who say the Obama administration is knowingly turning its back on illegal immigration, but an administration official, who briefed reporters on condition that he not be named, said they made that decision in order to try to convince illegal immigrants to come forward.

“Information contained in the request will not be used for immigration enforcement purposes,” the official said.

Driving without a license would not rise to the level of a criminal offense where the information would be used, nor would having worked in the U.S. under a false identify. But gun offenses, sex offenses or drunken-driving convictions would rise to the level where the information would be shared with deportation authorities.

Officials couldn’t say how long processing would take since they don’t know the volume of requests or how long background checks will take.

The official who briefed reporters said 1,200 illegal immigrants who were already pending in the deportation system have been granted deferred action.

The legal status — and a work permit — will last for two years at first, but can be renewed again, meaning those who qualify can remain in the U.S. without fear of deportation, and with the right to work.

The specific conditions are that an illegal immigrant: was under 31 years of age on June 15, when the president announced the policy; came to the U.S. before age 16, has been in the country continuously for five years; and has graduated high school, earned a GED or was honorably discharged from the military.

Convicted felons and those with multiple misdemeanors would not be eligible.

Those are generally the same requirements as the Dream Act — legislation that never passed Congress but that would have granted a full path to citizenship to young illegal immigrants. Mr. Obama’s order does not confer those same citizenship rights.

Officials said in very rare cases illegal immigrants who are well below the federal poverty line can request an exemption from the $465 fee.
Cesar Vargas, a former law school student who would be eligible for the Dream Act, said the administration’s move was welcome, but not enough.

“Of course, the administrative directive is just the first step and we will keep pressuring both Democrats and Republicans to ensure a modern immigration process is enacted next year,” he said.

Dream-Act students will pay $465 fee for legal status document - Washington Times

I.C.E.News Release

August 3, 2012
Washington, DC

DHS outlines deferred action for childhood arrivals process

USCIS to begin accepting requests for consideration of deferred action on August 15, 2012

WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security today provided additional information on the deferred action for childhood arrivals process during a national media call in preparation for the August 15 implementation date.

On June 15, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced that certain people who came to the United States as children and meet other key guidelines may be eligible, on a case-by-case basis, to receive deferred action. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is finalizing a process by which potentially eligible individuals may request consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals.

USCIS expects to make all forms, instructions, and additional information relevant to the deferred action for childhood arrivals process available on August 15, 2012. USCIS will then immediately begin accepting requests for consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals.

Information shared during today's call includes the following highlights:

• Requestors – those in removal proceedings, those with final orders, and those who have never been in removal proceedings – will be able to affirmatively request consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals with USCIS.
• Requestors will use a form developed for this specific purpose.
• Requestors will mail their deferred action request together with an application for an employment authorization document and all applicable fees to the USCIS lockbox.
• All requestors must provide biometrics and undergo background checks.
• Fee waivers cannot be requested for the application for employment authorization and biometric collection. However, fee exemptions will be available in limited circumstances.
• The four USCIS Service Centers will review requests.

Additional infomationegarding the Secretary's June 15 announcement will be made available on www.uscis.gov on August 15, 2012. It is important to note that this process is not yet in effect and individuals who believe they meet the guidelines of this new process should not request consideration of deferred action before August 15, 2012.

Requests submitted before August 15, 2012 will be rejected. Individuals who believe they are eligible should be aware of immigration scams. Unauthorized practitioners of immigration law may try to take advantage of you by charging a fee to submit forms to USCIS on your behalf. Visit www.uscis.gov/avoidscams for tips on filing forms, reporting scams and finding accredited legal services. Remember, the Wrong Help Can Hurt! An informational brochure and flyer are also available on www.uscis.gov.

For more information on USCIS and its processes, please visit www.uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423 or complete our tip form.

• U.S. Dept of Homeland Security

DHS outlines deferred action for childhood arrivals process

Now, just how in the heck are officials supposed to determine these people are really who they say they are? Illegals are NOTORIOUS for giving false information and getting by with it! Most importantly, we should NEVER reward illegal aliens with any kind of legal status - EVER!

OMG, heaven forbid that a illegal immigrantr get scammed.

And if you no speak english:

DHS Describe Proceso De Acción Diferida Para Los Llegados En La Infancia
08/03/2012 07:00 AM EDT

New immigration enforcement deferral application process to be self-funded

Fri, 2012-08-03 02:24 PM By: Mark Rockwell

The processing of children and young adults that are eligible for the new, deferred immigration policy announced by President Obama in June will be funded with the fees collected from applicants, according to White House officials.

The deferred action policy, announced by the president, makes younger people who came to the U.S. when they were children and aren’t older than 30 a lower priority for deportation and removal proceedings for immigration enforcement. Eligibility is based on other criteria, like school enrollment, length of residency and a clean criminal record.

The fee for the new application for the deferment is $465, said a senior administration in an Aug. 3 telephone briefing held by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency that is handling the new applications.

USCIS will make all forms, instructions, and additional information relevant to the deferred action for childhood arrivals process available on August 15, said Alejandro Mayorkas, USCIS director during the telephone briefing. USCIS will then immediately begin accepting requests for consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals, he said, but cautioned that the agency wouldn’t accept applications or requests before then.

The official said the staff that would process the forms, beginning Aug. 15, would be supported by the $465 fee. He said the staff to handle processing of the applications would be hired on an as-needed basis depending on the volume of applications received. There are no waivers for the fee, although in extreme instances, some people can apply for exemption, he said.

He declined to say how many staff had been hired in the run-up to the Aug. 15 opening date, however.

The deferral plan has proven to be controversial and potentially extremely popular. In announcing it in June, some White House officials estimated it could draw as many as 800,000 applications from parents of children and young adults looking to remain in the U.S.

The official said processing could take as long a month, depending on background checks and other activities. He said background checks would include a scheduled visit to USCIS offices for a biometric ID information. Criminals, people that lie about their background and threats to national security would be weeded out in the process, he added.

He warned that those caught in lies about criminal backgrounds would be subject to criminal prosecution and deportation.

New immigration enforcement deferral application process to be self-funded | Government Security News

Originally Posted by florgal

Now, just how in the heck are officials supposed to determine these people are really who they say they are? . . .

They have to produce a birth certificate and passport from their home country, U.S. school records, high school diploma/GED certificate, employment records, pay check stubs, etc. ,

all of which will be on sale soon at every taco shop in the country.

This is basically the US Gov selling the fake documents instead of the other crooks, one crook takes another crooks work.

Lets see, going on 13 years since the big illegal immigration invasion, still no justice.

And the crooks in DC wonder why wages aren't going up?

I have read story after story about how the economic collapse happened, but they always forget to mention the 40 million illegal invasion, which without the 40 million illegals the housing prices could not have skyrocketed because the demand would not have been there to keep building more and more houses. Seems even the people complaining about the criminals in DC causing the economic collapse always forget to mention the illegal invasion part of it.
Just look on Youtube, hundreds of explanations about how the economic collapse happened, but not one word about the 40 million illegals that needed a place to live, I guess I'll have to make my own. If you think about it, this was the first step because it made houses more expensive while lowering wages, so it was obvious that a collision was going to happen.

Illegal immigrants need $465 for DREAM, but no lawyer

By Alan Gomez, USA TODAY Updated 56m ago

Reprints & PermissionsAn estimated 800,000 illegal immigrants across the country can start gathering their birth certificates, high school diplomas and military records to show that they qualify for a new Obama administration program that can grant them deportation reprieves.

Starting Aug. 15, illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children (younger than 16), have graduated high school or served in the military can apply to receive a two-year deferment from deportation proceedings. At the same time, they can apply for a work permit.

The total cost for the application process will be $465, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas said Friday while explaining how the process will work.

STORY: Obama administration sparing some from deportation
While supporters have been relieved since Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the plan in June, they are now more concerned with illegal immigrants fearful of applying, or being taken advantage of by real or fake immigration attorneys.

Gerardo Salinas, 25, an illegal immigrant whose family brought him to Chicago from Mexico when he was 13, said he heard radio ads for lawyers offering assistance shortly after Napolitano's decision. He visited two attorneys, and they each said it would cost $1,700 for them to collect his paperwork and submit it to the federal government.

He refused to pay the fee. But Salinas, who went blind when he was 12, wants to be an immigration attorney and was stunned to see people taking advantage of this life-altering opportunity for young illegal immigrants.

"They're Latinos," he said of the attorneys. "They may not be undocumented, but they have relatives, friends who are or were undocumented. They should know how much we suffer to work, how much we suffer getting health care, with school. It's sad."

Similar reports have been pouring into the offices of civil rights groups and members of Congress for weeks. On Thursday, about a dozen congressmen came together to warn people who qualify for the deferment against attorneys, sometimes referred to as "notarios," seeking payment.

"Please don't be taken advantage of," said Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif. "You don't need an attorney."

Jacqueline Esposito, of the New York Immigration Coalition, said many are fearful that the government will use the program to identify and capture relatives who are illegal immigrants. But Homeland Security officials said Friday that information in applications will be confidential and will not be used to round up other people.

"There's a lot of skepticism about DHS and this administration," Esposito said. "We are assuring them that they're not putting their families at risk if they apply."

The members of Congress also warned potential beneficiaries of the program that if they attempt to defraud the system, it will not only hurt themselves, but the entire movement to grant them full legal status.

"Tell the truth on the applications," said Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., one of the original sponsors of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal permanent residency to young illegal immigrants. "There is nothing that will hurt our long-term cause or your individual situation more than misrepresenting critical facts on that form. It will come back to haunt you in ways you can't anticipate."

Homeland Security officials emphasized that point on Friday when outlining the plan. While they will not use the application process to round up illegal immigrants, they will pull out applicants who lie on their applications, pose a threat to public safety or have a serious criminal record.

Under the guidelines released Friday, illegal immigrants need to meet the following requirements to qualify:

•Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, and entered the United States before reaching their 16th birthday.

•Are currently in school, have graduated high school or obtained a certificate of completion or a GED, or are honorably discharged from the U.S. military or the Coast Guard.

•Have not been convicted of a felony, three or more misdemeanors or one serious misdemeanor, described as either driving under the influence or a range of gun, sex or burglary offenses.

Mayorkas would not say how much it would cost to hire additional staff to process the hundreds of thousands of applications. But an internal outline of the program obtained by the Associated Press estimated that it could cost up to $585 million, with user fees either paying for all of the costs, or coming up a little short.

Opponents of the program, including Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the guidance issued Friday leaves the door wide open for fraud. He said the program will divert funding and resources from Citizenship and Immigration Services officers working on legal visa applications. And he wondered how the administration could be working so hard to help illegal immigrants on a day that the national unemployment rate rose to 8.3%.

"Today's guidance undermines the rule of law and gives lawbreakers an unfair advantage over legal immigrants," Smith said. "When will this president's assault on the rule of law and the American people end?"

Illegal immigrants applying for DREAM only need $465, not a lawyer

Originally Posted by florgal

Now, just how in the heck are officials supposed to determine these people are really who they say they are? Illegals are NOTORIOUS for giving false information and getting by with it! Most importantly, we should NEVER reward illegal aliens with any kind of legal status - EVER!

Good question, something similar happened in 1986 when Reagan gave amnesty, illegal bought documents and used fake papers.