Today is the first day that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin accepting applications for the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” program, more commonly known as “DREAM Deferred Action.”
For young immigrants who entered the U.S. as children, grew up in the U.S., have pursued education and avoided criminal conduct, this program is intended to provide relief from deportation and the chance at a productive future that the often introduced, very bipartisan, and never quite passed “DREAM Act” has represented for the past decade.
Part of the idea behind the DREAM Act is that regardless of the legal or moral culpability undocumented adults have, children shouldn’t be punished for their parent's actions. Under current immigration law, the majority of young people who lack legal immigration status and have graduated from U.S. high schools have no way to legalize their immigration status while within the U.S. and no way to return to their home countries and apply to re-enter legally.
Today is not the solution promised by the DREAM Act. This is only a temporary fix. Congress would still need to pass the DREAM Act itself to provide any kind of pathway to these young people in limbo.
The DREAM Deferred Action program comes at a high cost. The application is $465 and comes with the risk and fear of making one's undocumented status public. Some young people may look at the limited benefits of two years of work authorization and relief from deportation (In spite of what you may have heard, the DREAM Deferred program doesn't allow access to public benefits or educational financial aid) and decide that this program isn’t for them, or isn’t for them right now.
Some may choose to wait until after the November election to get a better sense of the real DREAM’s potential. Some may just be too risk averse or too afraid to put themselves on the government’s radar for a completely discretionary and temporary program.
However, those who are interested in seeing how they could benefit from the DREAM Deferred program or who need help with the application process have strong allies to call on.
Here in Michigan, nonprofit immigration legal services providers are here to make sure those with financial need have access to high-quality, low-cost immigration legal advice regarding this program so that they can make an informed decision.
The Michigan Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (MCIRR) has developed statewide calendars with information about how to obtain individual consultations and assistance with application preparation and filing.
Advocates and community leaders with questions about the program or interest in sponsoring an information session should contact the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center at (269) 492-7196 or mirc@lsscm.org.
While we wait for the dreams and aspirations of undocumented young people across the country to be fully recognized and embraced, let's celebrate this step towards a great dream of hope.
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Learn More | Get Access to Low Cost DREAM Deferred Application Help
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By Susan Reed, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center Supervising Attorney and ACLU of Michigan Western Advisory Board Member