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Finding Hope in “DACA” – Interview with Jazmin
Creating belonging happens in so many ways in Sacramento.
Jazmin grew up believing she wouldn’t have the opportunity to graduate from college and start a full-time career. When she was a junior in high school, she met with the Immigration Legal Services team at World Relief Sacramento who helped her apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and walked alongside her through every part of the process.
We sat down with Jazmin and asked her a few questions about her experiences:
- Tell us about yourself and about your family.
I moved to California when she was 5 years old – my Dad came back to Mexico and picked me up from my grandparents’ house. Adjusting to the rhythm of school and learning a new language was incredibly difficult, and I grew up with a lot of stress because I didn’t think I would have the opportunity to go to college – it was a battle figuring out how I would be able to support my family.
But when I was a junior in high school, World Relief Sacramento was able to help me out. They filled out my DACA paper work and guided me through the entire process. Thanks to them, I attended and graduated Sacramento State with a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management and Engineering. My Dad was a construction worker, so I jumped into it with the best faith – I’ve now worked for company that I’m currently at for the past 5 years and have been able to help my family quite a bit.
This was all because of DACA; without that policy, I wouldn’t be able to have these same opportunities I do now.
- How did you meet the World Relief team?
My point of resource was the Mexican Console – they hosted workshops and World Relief Sacramento was one of the organizations that sponsored me. They gave me resources, sent my application, and paid fees – they walked alongside me through the entire DACA process. All I needed to do bring was myself, and they processed everything else and kept everything up to date. It would have been incredibly hard for me to do it by myself; I felt very secure with World Relief Sacramento handling everything.
- How has DACA helped you? And how has World Relief’s legal team helped you in securing your future?
Thanks to DACA I was able to go to college, I was able to work legally and start compiling 401K and savings and building credit, and ultimately, I was able to help my family. Right now, I am saving to buy a family home – immigrants buying property with a low-income background is impossible.
With World Relief Sacramento helping with the DACA process, it makes you feel like your case is always taken care of; I really appreciate them.
- What has been your overall experience as an immigrant in California?
I have a mixture of feelings. I think on the good side: it’s humbling. Just to know that you come from a different country and you’re trying to make it here. Because of DACA it’s not as limiting, without it it’s scary. I went through anxiety growing up without DACA because I couldn’t follow the traditional steps of going to college and would have to work illegally. It’s scary, it still is. It’s still all up in the air politically, but I’m trying to take care of the advantage.
- What changed in your day-to-day life after you were approved for DACA?
My routine – just going to school and finding a good job changed. My lifestyle and quality of life changed. I don’t feel like I was negatively impacted at all – without DACA, college would’ve cost three times as much – I graduated without debt and held a good job even before graduation. I never saw a dentist until started working full time – now I have so much better quality of life and insurance.
- What would you like people to know about the DACA process?
For the people applying for DACA, I’ve known a lot of people have had complications. I know DACA will eventually will expire – a lot of times you never know when the application is going to bounce back. Having resources like World Relief Sacramento ready and able to help is necessary – I always needed to be sure that this application is in good hands. It can be sensitive paperwork. DACA is important to have valuable resources.
For people who don’t know what DACA is, it’s not our fault that we’re in this situation (illegal), it’s needed for us to continue to live. And I know that DACA wasn’t given to everyone, which is unfortunate, but it’s special and appreciated. It’s a gift to a small portion of immigrants.
I hope that it shows people the benefits of giving immigrants legal status and I wish it was for everyone; I’m very grateful that I fall into the small group of immigrants given a chance. It’s proof that immigrants can give back to this country.
I consider it a success story for my parents; they brought their daughter not born here and gave her success being here. It truly is a success.
World Relief Sacramento’s Immigration Legal Services (ILS) team helps so many individuals like Jazmin fulfill their dreams and provide for their families. Consider becoming a monthly donor and help us continue creating belonging in Northern California – click here for more information.
What is “DACA” ?
by Anna Colby Staff Attorney, World Relief Sacramento
“DACA.”
The word gets thrown around in the news all the time, yet lately it has seemed to be used more as a political bartering tool than as a reminder of the real people immigration policies affect.
DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It is an immigration status program for people who were brought to the United States illegally as minors. Obtaining DACA status is not a permanent status for purposes of immigration in the country, but it has provided a way for Dreamers (DACA recipients or DACA-eligible individuals), most of whom have grown up for the majority of their lives in the U.S., to find protection from deportation and to get driver’s licenses, attend college, and obtain jobs. While Congress has repeatedly failed to pass a bill to provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers, studies show that about 75% of Americans support providing permanent legal status to DACA recipients.
Usually when the history of DACA gets discussed it is within the context of President Obama’s 2012 signing of the original executive order, but actually the first version of the Dream Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) was introduced in Congress in 2001. Since then at least 11 versions of the Dream Act have been introduced in Congress.
None of them have become law.
In the past few years you may have seen in the news other proposed Congressional acts for immigration reform and DACA recipients, the most recent being the Build Back Better Act. In a few of these proposed Acts, Congress has met opposition from some of its own members, but most significantly, from the Senate Parliamentarian, who can decide whether the inclusion of certain laws is appropriate in a proposed bill. In September 2021 the current Senate Parliamentarian ruled that the Senate could not include what was essentially a broad, new immigration policy in a spending bill.
This instance of Congressional failure to act is only one example of the uncertainty that Dreamers have faced in the last decade. When DACA was signed by President Obama, thousands of people came out of hiding and willingly gave the government personal identifying information with the hope and promise of being able to live normal lives as Americans. Now some DACA recipients are living in fear that their information may be used against them. Because DACA was signed as an Executive Order, and not as a Congressional act, it may be rescinded by another presidential administration. Since 2017 the DACA program has been litigated in the federal court system as different states contend its legality. Without firm Congressional action, nearly 600,000 current DACA recipients[TO1] will continue to face uncertainty.
So, how you can you help?
Here at World Relief we believe strongly that Dreamers should be put on a path to citizenship. In the last 3 ½ years the Immigration Services department at World Relief Sacramento has completed 571 DACA applications for clients, and we continue to help Dreamers find other means to regularize their status. If you know someone who needs our legal help please send them our way.
Congressional action remains the best answer to the legal difficulties Dreamers face. With as much bipartisan public support as there is for Dreamers, we believe that both political parties can work together to provide a path to citizenship for this important community. You can help by letting your Congressional representatives and senators know how you feel by emailing, calling, and petitioning them. Electoral voices are powerful!
Thank you for your continued support of our mission and your support of the Dreamer community.
Anna Colby is currently a staff attorney in World Relief Sacramento’s Immigration Legal Services Department. In her free time, Anna loves to hike, compose music, and do themed movie/food nights with friends.
Refugee family settles in Winston-Salem after long journey from Afghanistan.
World Relief Triad works to integrate refugees and immigrants, like Ali, in their transition to the United States. But this is not the client’s first time being displaced. The first time, he said, was when he was about 10 years-old. His family and others fled their village to the mountains of Afghanistan.
“They displaced us from our area,” Rahmani, who speaks limited English, said. “We went to the mountains, and it was cold outside. We had to go to the mountains in order to be secure, in order not to be killed. We were hungry and thirsty.”
Ali goes on to share about his family’s journey from the airport in Kabul to Abu Dhabi, Philadelphia, PA, Virginia, and finally landing in North Carolina. Worry still grips him when he thinks about his family who has been left back in Afghanistan, however. The client went on to discuss the horrific outcome of what could await his family, and himself as a displaced person without a permanent path to citizenship.
“The Afghans that are arriving mostly are coming in with what is called a humanitarian parole status,” Rob Cassell, Executive Office Director, says.
This is a temporary status that is good for two years.
“There is no guaranteed path to permanent residency for these Afghans right now,” Cassell says. “They have to apply through the asylum process at this point.”
To read more of Ali’s story and learn about the current situation in Afghanistan, click the following link.
It’s Been a Hard Year. These 3 Charities Could Use Your Help.
Image: Matija Medved
by Tish Harrison Warren / New York Times
I confess that to me, Christmas shopping can feel mostly like another chore in a busy December. But I love to give gifts that make the world a better place. Years ago, I took up a practice of donating to worthy organizations in people’s names as a small addition to their material gift. Though I don?t do it every year, I really enjoy this kind of gift giving.
This year in particular, as the planet continues to be convulsed by the pandemic, the world needs an outpouring of generosity. New York Times Opinion invited its writers to celebrate nonprofits, NGOs or philanthropic efforts that they appreciate. This can help provide some direction and let you know about organizations that need support.
God tells us to welcome the stranger. It’s time to give immigrants a path to citizenship
Now a pastor in Boone, North Carolina, Aitken is grateful for his opportunity to become a permanent resident of the U.S. now. However, he recognizes that this is not the case for many immigrants. “In depriving many immigrants of clear pathways to citizenship, we rob immigrants of a chance to belong, and we prevent their communities from experiencing the transformative power of strangers becoming friends.”
The pastor also spoke on the need for this issue to be resolved and met with a Biblical motivation; that should and can involve “both Democratic and Republican U.S. senators and representatives.” Quoting Ephesians 2:19, Aitken also speaks into the Biblical implications of the importance of home and belonging.
To read more of Aitken’s passionate stance on immigration, and the call he believes Evangelical Christians have concerning the matter, see the following article linked.
Surge of Afghan refugees is exposing housing issues in N.C.
By Alexis Bell, Spectrum News //
RALEIGH, N.C. — A recent surge of Afghan refugees coming to North Carolina has made it difficult to find housing for all the families, leaving some to stay in hotels.
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) North Carolina is helping some of the refugees coming to our state. Omer, the director of the Raleigh office, says they have seen 125 refugees since September. Fifty have come in the past week.
USCRI, Lutheran Services Carolinas and World Relief Durham are all helping people from Afghanistan in Raleigh and surrounding areas.
Welcome House Community Network — a supporting nonprofit of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Congregations — is stepping in to fill temporary housing needs. There are welcome houses in Triangle North, Raleigh, Henderson and Fayetteville. … [READ MORE]
Refugees, Advocates, and Nonprofit Organizations Stress the Need for Better Messaging on How Afghan Refugees Experiencing PTSD Can Access Mental Health Resources
By Mona Dougani //
This story originally published online at NC Health News.
Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, and Raleigh are starting to see Afghan refugees, who were displaced from their home country in August, resettle in North Carolina.
As the refugees arrive, other Afghan residents already in this state have lessons to share about some of the mental health challenges that often accompany refugees fleeing turmoil who are suddenly thrust into a new life in a foreign place.
Since the Taliban overthrew the Afghan government on August 15 and U.S. troops withdrew from the country 15 days later, many who had lived in the country and fled for safety reasons are being dispersed around the globe.
But a larger exodus from Afghanistan has been going on for two decades now.
Over the years, roughly 6 million Afghans have been forcibly displaced from their homes, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Of those 6 million, about 3.5 million are still living in Afghanistan, while 2.6 million are refugees living around the world.
North Carolina is expecting about 1,169 refugees in this most recent wave. Read more at the IndyWeek.
Todd Unzicker and Adam Clark: Christians must heed the call to welcome Afghan refugees and other vulnerable immigrants
By Todd Unzicker and Adam Clark //
Todd Unzicker, executive director-treasure of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and Adam Clark, director of World Relief Durham, spoke out about the importance of welcoming incoming Afghan arrivals and others who will resettle in North Carolina within the upcoming weeks and months. “More than 1,000 Afghans will resettle in North Carolina in the coming months after fleeing violence and oppression from the Taliban. When they arrive here, it will be up to North Carolinians to welcome them.
“This presents a challenge, but it is also an opportunity. We can and must answer the call to welcome our vulnerable neighbors from across the world. As Christian leaders, we think a big part of the responsibility for doing so falls to us and our fellow believers, to those of us who call ourselves the body of Christ.”
The Triad prepares to welcome nearly 1200 Afghan evacuees
World Relief Triad is excited to report that we are officially welcoming Afghan arrivals. As one of the many agencies welcoming nearly 1,200 afghan evacuees in the coming months, there are many needs.
Director of the Triad office, Rob Cassell, spoke on our offices’ integration services that will be provided. While there are many resources that have already been provided, the need is still prevalent.
“So, for the community to come around and help us give some direct support. Helping with housing, helping with food, helping with medical support is very important,” Cassell said.
Learn more about how you can respond here, and watch this piece to hear about World Relief Triad’s position as a partner to the community in welcoming their new neighbors.
‘We need the community to surround them’: Triad resettlement agencies prepare to help people who fled Afghanistan
Arrivals to the Triad area from Afghanistan will be welcomed by World Relief Triad.
Our Executive Office Director, Rob Cassell, spple on behalf of World Relief Triad’s involvement as an agency accepting Afghan parolees.
Various resettlement agencies across the Triad have been made aware of the possible arrivals. Those from Afghanistan are referred to as “humanitarian parolees.” Humanitarian parole is a status that some receive response to a crisis. It grants immigrants the ability to enter the country when otherwise they would not, such as with the arrival of Haitians and Cubans.
What this status means for these individuals, though, is that that they not receive the same rights and benefits as refugees, as Executive Director of World Relief Triad, Rob Cassell, points out as something to call upon Congress for in taking action.
“As things go right now, there are a lot of gaps to cover,” said Casell. “We all need connections. We all need people to help us. The success of these families and individuals will be based on their ability to make those connections and integrate into the community.”
Read more at News & Record Greensboro.
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