On Wednesday, February 9, 2022, we invited partner organizations to a live event on Facebook. They updated us on DACA, immigration policy, and local organizing efforts in Lake County and Illinois.
Our guests included Oscar Chacon from Alianza Americas, Esteban Carbajal from North Suburban Legal Aid, and Celeste Flores from Mano a Mano Family Resource Center. We are grateful to our partner organizations for joining us and providing us with updates on immigration both locally and federally.
The following are some key takeaways provided by our guest speakers:
On the federal level: Negotiations to include immigration relief through the spending bill have essentially died. However, we must continue pushing #POTUS to use administrative means to ensure protections for immigrant communities. Follow @alianza_americas for opportunities to learn more about these efforts.
On DACA: We are still waiting for #DHS to provide guidance on how DACA will continue to be implemented. For now, only renewals are being processed, and potential new applicants should seek legal guidance from an accredited representative or lawyer (check out @nslegalaid) to prepare for the potential opportunity of first-time applications to begin getting processed.
On local efforts: While we continue to push for permanent protection through legislative means, Illinois continues to fight for state-level legislation to make immigrants feel welcomed and secure. Follow @mamfrc_ for opportunities to join local campaigns through their Democracy in Action initiative.
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