Thread: Mexican Consulate will hold 'Dreamer Day' on Thursday, Aug. 2 to help with immigratio

Mexican Consulate will hold 'Dreamer Day' on Thursday, Aug. 2 to help with immigration process

By ALEJANDRO CANO

Published: Thursday, August 2, 2012 10:05 AM PDT

In order to qualify for the deferred action on immigration which was announced by President Obama in June, young applicants will have to submit valid documents like birth certificates, certificates of baptism issued in the United States or passports.

In an attempt to help the applicants expedite this process, the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino will hold "Dreamer Day" on Thursday, Aug. 2.

Dreamer Day will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and consists of a time when people between the ages of 15 and 30 can solicit their passport or any other documentation needed to comply with the deferred action requirements.

Information about Dreamer Day was announced on July 26 during a deferred action community forum held at the Mexican consulate and attended by hundreds of Inland Empire residents.

"We don't know how many people will be benefited locally, but we think we'll have many; that is why we are preparing ahead so when the application date starts, they have everything ready," said Mexican Consul Carolina Zaragoza Flores.

According to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin accepting applications on Aug. 16.

To qualify, people would have to arrive in the country before they turned 16 years of age, be 30 years or younger, have continuously resided in the country for the last five years, have a high school degree or GED, and must have no felony convictions. Applicants who previously served in the U.S. Armed Forces must have been honorably discharged.

"Having a DUI (driving under the influence) conviction will make people ineligible to receive the benefits of the deferred action. Other crimes involve sexual abuse, domestic violence, drug possession, illegal fire possession or any other crime that is considered a national risk," said attorney Rosa Elena Sahagun during last Thursday's forum. "Even having tattoos affiliated with gangs could make people ineligible. This is the time to behave. It is time to start getting all documents ready."

According to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), to prove that people came to the U.S. under the age of 16 and have lived here for five consecutive years, they would have to submit as many as possible of the following: official school transcripts, report cards, immunizations or medical records, letters of recommendations from teachers, cell phone bills, bank statements, lease agreements, employment records or pay stubs, and utility bills.

CHIRLA also suggests people gather all school documentation to prove they went to school, and for honorably discharged soldiers they have to submit DD-214 form. CHIRLA urges people to start saving for processing fees.

Emilio Amaya, executive director for the San Bernardino Community Service Center, said that processing fees could total $600 -- money that can easily be saved if taken into consideration that some people spend more money in pleasurable and material things.

"If they have money for the play station or Wii, they should have money for processing fees. But they should also be careful about where they go and who they pay. People should be very aware of fraud," said Amaya.

For now, people should not request deferred action benefits and should not pay money to any attorney, organization, notary public or any other people for service. The application date begins Aug. 16.

Submitting the wrong documentation or trying to lie to immigration officials could result in deportation, added Sahagun.

"People should take extreme precautions against fraud. Notary public people are not legally authorized to do immigration work. But people should also be careful with attorneys. If people have doubts about a certain attorney, ask for a bar number, ask for references, don't be shy, your future may depend on the answers. If something looks or sounds fishy, go somewhere else and never sign any documentation without understanding the content," said Sahagun.

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This just isn't right. Now we will have even more competition in the workforce. It also sends a message that you can disregard our laws and your kids will be rewarded.