Our friends at the Centro Comunitario U.S. (CEUS) are offering free seminars to provide information about President Obama’s Executive Action that will provide legal status (but not citizenship) to some of the 11 million people who are living and working here without papers. The programs he has announced are called Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) and an expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
The CEUS seminars are held on Friday nights, January 23, 30, and February 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at 4214 Kennedy Blvd., Union City. People who attend will learn who is eligible for the programs, what documents will be required to submit an application, and what to do if you have a criminal record of any kind.
The leaders of the seminars will also caution people about believing offers currently being made by unscrupulous lawyers and notaries. Applications for DACA will not be available until February 18, and for DAPA not until May 19 so it is not possible to submit them at this time. .
The meeting is open to all immigrants and is free. For more information call 201-617-2466.
The seminars are conducted in Spanish.
CoFiA is inviting bilingual volunteers who are interested in assisting immigrants in completing the applications to let us know. We will try to arrange training sessions and organize times when assistance can be provided. Call Margaret at 201-833-1737 for more information.
CoFiA will hold an informational session on Monday, February 23, 2014, at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Palisades Park, with Attorney Michael Wildes, a well-known immigration lawyer, as speaker. More information to follow.