National Partnership Launches Website on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
Online portal will assist aspiring Americans brought to the U.S. as children
New York, NY - August 17, 2012
A new website offers online tools to help Americans brought to this country as children apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This program, announced in June by the Obama administration, gives a two-year, renewable reprieve from deportation to undocumented immigrants who came to the United States before age 16, are in school, high school graduates or military veterans, and meet certain other criteria.
The site, Own the Dream or Únete al Sueño in Spanish, will offer assistance to the hundreds of thousands of young immigrants eligible for this opportunity to stay in America to further their education and contribute to the economy. As many as 1.7 million undocumented young people may stand to benefit from the program. The government began accepting applications on August 15, 2012.
The Own the Dream site offers an online self-screening tool for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals applicants so they can determine their eligibility for the program and a searchable directory of listings for free or low-cost nonprofit immigration legal services providers in all 50 states. The site also features a calendar of community events, such as information sessions and application workshops, as well as news about the Deferred Action program and frequently asked questions.
The site was developed by a coalition of immigrants rights groups eager to use technology to quickly and efficiently reach large numbers of young immigrants with information and self-help tools. It leverages a technology platform developed by Pro Bono Net, a national nonprofit that works to increase access to justice, which is used to support broad-based networks of legal aid, civil rights and pro bono lawyers.
We Own the Dream brings together many of the countrys leading immigrants rights organizations and uses innovative online tools to increase access and reduce barriers for DREAMers navigating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals process, said Matthew Burnett, Director of the Immigration Advocates Network. It will help ensure that potential applicants nationwide have access to high-quality legal information and referrals so that they understand their eligibility and can make informed decisions about whether to apply.
Own the Dream campaign partners include AFL-CIO, America's Voice Education Fund, American Immigration Council, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Asian American Justice Center, Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Educators for Fair Consideration, Farmworker Justice, Immigration Advocates Network, Mi Familia Vota, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, National Council of La Raza, National Immigration Law Center, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, PICO National Network, Presente.org, Pro Bono Net, Service Employees International Union, and United We Dream.
About Immigration Advocates Network
Immigration Advocates Network (IAN) is a collaborative effort of leading immigrants rights organizations designed to increase access to justice for low-income immigrants and strengthen the capacity of organizations serving them. IAN promotes more effective and efficient communication and collaboration among immigration advocates and organizations by providing free, easily accessible and comprehensive online resources and tools. IANs partners include the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project, American Bar Association Commission on Immigration, American Immigration Council, American Immigration Lawyers Association, ASISTA, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, National Immigration Law Center, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, Pro Bono Net, and the Advocates for Human Rights. For more information, visit www.immigrationadvocates.org.