About 20 campus community members attended tonight’s forum on the Brownsville campus, where representatives from La Unión de Pueblo Entero (LUPE) provided information regarding new travel rules, labor protections and civil rights for DACA recipients.
LUPE was founded by the late American labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar E. Chavez in 1989 and established in the Rio Grande Valley in 2003 by Executive Director Juanita Valdez-Cox with the belief that when people work together, they can impact change.
“We are accredited by the [U.S. Justice Department] board of immigration appeals to be able to offer the immigration service as if we were attorneys,” said Tania Chavez, fund development and systems strategist for LUPE. “We’re not attorneys but we’re certified to do the immigration work as it is by the law.”
Renewing DACA
On Sept. 5, President Donald Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an executive order by then-President Barack Obama that protected nearly 800,000 people.
DACA provides young people who were brought to the United States as children with temporary protection from deportation if they can demonstrate that they meet several criteria, according to whitehouse.gov.
The change in the DACA program gives Congress six months to consider appropriate legislative solutions. However, new applications will not be approved, according to whitehouse.gov.
DACA recipients whose permit expires between Sept. 5, 2017, and March 5, 2018, have the opportunity to renew it for two more years, but they must do so before Oct. 5.
LUPE provides recipients with assistance to renew their DACA permits at a cost of $215. The organization will accept applications until Sept. 29.
Chavez also mentioned how the change in DACA will affect recipients’ driver licenses.
“In Texas, DACA would allow you to be able to get a driver’s license,” she said. “Driver’s licenses, the validity of that document is only valid until your DACA expires.”
Individuals whose DACA permit expires on or after March 6, 2018, will not be able to renew it.
The following are items required to renew a DACA permit, according to LUPE officials:
–DACA and work permit approval form
–DACA card
–Social Security number
–Two passport photos
–A $495 money order to cover the cost of renewal
“Be very cautious of people who are offering to do the [renewal] for free,” Chavez said. “Just because they’re willing to do it for free, it doesn’t mean they know what they’re doing.”
For a complete list of recognized organizations and accredited representatives to assist individuals in immigration proceedings, click here.
Travel rules
During the forum, Chavez and Javier Hernandez, a LUPE community outreach specialist, said DACA recipients are advised to not travel abroad on advance parole.
DACA recipients who are outside the country are advised to return right away while their advance parole and employment authorization document are valid.
“If you have advance parole and you’re currently traveling, you’ll be let back into the country until the date that your DACA expires,” Chavez said. “It gets a little tricky for all of your study-abroad kids who are currently on DACA. If their permits expire between Sept. 5 and March 5, they need to be in the United States for them to file the renewal process.”
She also told attendees because they live in an area surrounded by checkpoints, it’ll be more difficult to travel.
“As of yesterday, we got notice that every time a [DACA recipient] wants to leave the Valley, when you go through the checkpoint, you’re going to be detained,” Chavez said. “You will be fingerprinted and they will verify that, indeed, it is you on that card. They will also verify the validity of your DACA permit.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued the following statement: “When a DACA recipient presents themselves for immigration inspection, they will temporarily be detained for accuracy and verification of status. Once substantiated, the DACA recipient will be processed and released accordingly.”
Labor protections
If recipients’ DACA ends but they are allowed to keep their work permit, they have the right to work legally until their work permit’s expiration date, Chavez said.
Even when a DACA program ends, individuals have no obligation to inform their employer their DACA ended.
Moreover, employers do not have the right to ask individuals whether they are DACA recipients or how they obtained their work permits.
Employers do not have the right to fire DACA recipients, place them on leave or change their work status until after their work permit expires.
However, if an individual’s expiration date is nearing, employers may ask for an updated work permit but cannot take any action against employees until after the expiration date.
Civil rights
Chavez informed attendees that everyone, documented and undocumented individuals, have rights in the U.S.
She advised DACA recipients to not open the door for any law enforcement officer who visits their home.
“You have the right to remain silent, you have the right to not open your door,” Chavez said. “You have the right to ask for a warrant and if they don’t have a warrant, don’t open the door. … If you’re going to ask for a warrant, ask them to slip it under the door.”
The LUPE official also advised individuals to not sign anything presented to them if they do not understand what it is. She said they should consult a lawyer or accredited representatives before signing anything.
Chavez also told attendees DACA recipients should not present any false documentation and should always give their real name verbally as well as present an identification that will not reveal their nationality.
At the end of the forum, Chavez and Hernandez informed attendees that the change in DACA will not affect students’ admission status or financial aid in any way.
The only change a student may see is if he or she received a scholarship for being a DACA recipient.
An attendee, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Rider he appreciates the university providing the information forum.
“We remain informed through various communication outlets on what we can do regarding the DACA situation,” the attendee said in Spanish. “We are grateful to receive more information and clear up any doubts we had.”
Rebecca Gadson, associate vice president for Student Life and dean of students, said her department can provide additional assistance to anyone who could not attend tonight’s forum.
“We have been updating our dean of students’ website, under resources, to make sure that people are connected to any additional information that may become available regarding community resources,” Gadson said. “If [students] have any questions or are looking for any clarification, feel free to come by the office of the dean of students to be able to ask those questions.”
The next DACA information forum will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday in ELABN 101 on the Edinburg campus.
