Thread: School District Opens Office To Processes Requests From Undocumented Students

School District Opens Office To Processes Requests From Undocumented Students

By Adrian Florido

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

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SDUSD Opens Office For Undocumented Student Paperwork


By Adrian Florido
On Tuesday, the San Diego Unified School District began processing requests for transcripts needed by undocumented students applying for the federal deferred action program, also known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

SAN DIEGO — It’s been a few weeks since the federal government issued application guidelines for its Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which grants work permits and reprieve from deportation for young undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children.

The rush has begun among young people looking to apply, and on Tuesday the San Diego Unified School District opened an office to manage and process the flood of requests for school records from prospective applicants.

A key requirement for people applying for the federal program is proving they attended high school in the U.S.

Bea Fernandez, who is coordinating the district office, said San Diego Unified is expecting transcript requests from about 10,000 of the roughly 30,000 people estimated to be eligible for the federal program countywide.

Throughout Tuesday morning, young people trickled into the office at the Ballard Parent Center in Old Town, their parents tagging along, carrying files of documents they’ve gotten together since the government released the application.

Fernandez said some of her time has been taken up ensuring school documents meet federal requirements to the letter.

The name on an applicant’s birth certificate, for example, has to match the name on school records exactly. But in Mexico, it’s common to include a mother’s name on official documents, which is rare in the States.

“When I started school, my parents just put my first name and my last name. But on my birth certificate it has both last names,” said Jackie, a 19-year-old who asked that her name be withheld because she hasn’t been approved for the program. “So here I am trying to fix that.”

Fernandez said that, provided with proper documentation, the school district is willing to make those kind of tweaks to ensure applicants have the documents they need. The office does not help applicants fill out the federal application.

The office is located at 2375 Congress Street in Old Town, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

School District Opens Office To Processes Requests From Undocumented Students | Fronteras Desk

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

NEWS RELEASE: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Processing Location Set by SD Unified

NEWS RELEASE from the San Diego Unified School District, August 29, 2012

DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS (DACA) PROCESSING LOCATION SET BY SD UNIFIED
Parent Center in Old Town will Handle Requests for School Documentation Needed for Deferred Immigration Program

SAN DIEGO -- To help smooth the hundreds of requests it is receiving for documentation of school attendance, the district has designated its Ballard Parent Center in Old Town as the location for requests under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program beginning Tuesday, Sept. 4.

The center will only serve current and former students of the San Diego Unified School District and is located at 2375 Congress St. in Old Town. There is onsite parking available and it is served by the San Diego Trolley and MTS buses.

At the center, former students can apply to receive the documentation needed to apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Department for the program.

This service will not be available from the San Diego Unified School District until the office opens Tuesday, Sept. 4. The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The process will no longer be conducted at the district headquarters. Some schools may accomodate requests for a fee.

According to the department, residents without documentation "who came to the United States as children and meet several key guidelines may request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and would then be eligible for work authorization."

One of the guidelines is showing proof of school attendance. San Diego Unified staff will make every effort to provide former students with the documentation that may help them achieve this status with Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Applicants must bring an original birth certificate and photo identification and complete an application for the information. If the application is being made for another person, all the identification material must be presented, along with a letter from the individual authorizing the release of information.

Applicants should also know what years and the schools that they attended in the San Diego Unified School District. A list of those schools is online at http://www.sandi.net/schools .

There is no charge for processing and district staff will make every effort to provide the information the same day. For more information on the Ballard Center process, call (619) 209-4533.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has set up a website with information at http://www.uscis.gov/

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CONTACT: Jack Brandais • Communications Department • San Diego Unified School District • (619) 725-5570 (desk) • (619) 607-0477 (cell)



Posted by San Diego Unified School District News at 3:43 PM
San Diego Unified School District News Releases: NEWS RELEASE: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Processing Location Set by SD Unified