Texas Immigration Lawyer Blog

Baylor Law Helps Young Immigrants Apply For Deferred Action

RFA DEFERRED ACTION WACO

Listen to the KWBU story on the Baylor Law Immigration Clinic.

USCIS FAQs address Social Security numbers on DACA applications

Updated USCIS FAQs

USCIS updated its FAQs on DACA today and addressed the question of how to answer the questions about Social Security numbers on the I-821D and I-765.

New - Q9. How should I fill out question nine (9) on the Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization?
A9. When you are filing a Form I-765 as part of a Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals request, question nine (9) is asking you to list those Social Security numbers that were officially issued to you by the Social Security Administration.

Social Security Administration issues instructions for DACA recipients to obtain Social Security number

The Social Security Administration has issued instructions for DACA recipients outlining the procedure and necessary documents to obtain a Social Security number. 

Baylor University Law School Launches Clinic to Help Young Immigrants

Baylor Media Communications

WACO, Texas (Sept. 12, 2012) - Baylor University's Law School will begin operating a clinic to assist those who may be eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. An estimated 150,000 young unauthorized immigrants in Texas are eligible for relief from immediate deportation.

 The clinic is in response to President Obama's executive order which allows those who entered the United States as children to remain in the country and work without fear of deportation for a period of two years. It will operate from 6:30 to 10 p.m., Sept. 18, 20, 25 and 27 and Oct. 2 and 4 at the Baylor Law School campus, 1114 S. University Parks Drive.

 The Baylor Law School DACA Immigration Clinic is stepping up to help with cumbersome and sometimes confusing paperwork. 

Under the direction of Laura A. Hernandez, associate professor of law, and Waco attorney and Baylor Law alumna Susan Nelson, second- and third-year law students will assist applicants in filling out the paperwork needed to take advantage of the program.

 "The DACA program is aimed at those immigrants who are between the ages of 15 and 31," Hernandez said. "They are commonly referred to as 'Dreamers' after the Dream Act, which has not yet become law. These young people came to this country before they were 16, were educated in the American school system and for all intents and purposes are American. While the DACA program is not a path to citizenship, it is an opportunity for these immigrants to become lawful, tax-paying residents."

This the second clinic launched this month by Baylor Law to help members of the community with little or no access to legal services. Through a grant from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, Baylor Law also is providing assistance to military veterans. The Baylor Law School Veterans' Clinic begins Sept. 14 at the Mission Waco Meyer Center, 1226 Washington Ave.

 "At Baylor Law, we pride ourselves on developing both great lawyers and great citizens," said Baylor Law School Dean Brad Toben. "The immigration and the veterans' clinics are not only a way for our students to gain valuable experience, but perhaps more importantly, to also discover and understand the positive impact their knowledge and skills can make in the lives of people whose voices might not otherwise be heard." 

 

 

DREAMers Cautious on Deferred Action Offer

Miriam Jordan writes for the Wall Street Journal:

via lawprofessors.typepad.com

Texan Benita Veliz DNC's First Undocumented Speaker

Texas Tribune by Emily Ramshaw

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Benita Veliz, a 27-year-old San Antonio woman whose parents brought her into the country on a short-term tourist visa nearly two decades years ago, became the first undocumented person to address the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.

Veliz, who graduated from high school at age 16 as valedictorian and double-majored at St. Mary’s University on a full academic scholarship, was nearly deported to Mexico after being pulled over in 2009 for a traffic infraction.

The case was eventually dropped in 2011. But Veliz, who identifies herself as an American and has hardly any connection to Mexico, has become the poster child for a generation of young immigrants rooting for the DREAM Act, proposed legislation that would provide them a path to citizenship.  

“I know I have something to contribute to my economy and my country. I feel just as American as any of my friends or neighbors,” Veliz said in her Wednesday night address. “But I’ve had to live almost my entire life knowing I could be deported just because of the way I came here.”

Waco churches urged to join immigration reform discussion

Waco Tribune-Herald by Cindy V. Culp

Local activists are encouraging Waco churches to join a nationwide effort that seeks to move the discussion about immigration policy from the political arena to church pews.

The effort kicked off this summer with a symposium that explored what the Bible says about immigrants and how Christians should respond. Held at First Spanish Assembly of God Church in Waco, it drew representatives from 27 organizations, most of them churches, organizer Manuel Sustaita said.

Now, the fledging group is encouraging pastors to follow through on pledges they made at the event, said Lydia Bean, another organizer.

Nine said they would preach sermons this fall related to God’s heart for immigrants. Others vowed to hold voter registration drives or host guest speakers to educate members about immigration issues, she said.

The group plans to meet later this month to talk about possibly hosting a broader community event, Bean said. But for now, the focus is on encouraging congregations to discuss immigration issues. That sort of grass-roots effort is the best bet for prompting meaningful immigration reform, she said.

“I think it is very clear this is something God cares about . . . Politicians always have their finger in the wind and see how it blows,” said Bean, an assistant sociology professor at Baylor University. “Rather than trying to change the politicians, we’re trying to change the wind.”

 

Iris recognition being tested on immigrants in McAllen, Texas

Government Security News by Jacob Goodwin

The growing importance of “multimodal” biometrics in the security field -- in which more than one biometric method is used to capture identifying information about the same individual – is demonstrated by an important 60-day pilot program has just been launched by DHS at a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, TX.

The biometrics team at US-VISIT, which is part of DHS’s National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), began on July 31 what it calls a “limited production pilot” to test the efficiency, speed and operational effectiveness of two different types of iris recognition equipment as well as two different types of facial recognition gear. Using these biometric systems, Border Patrol employees will capture images of approximately 200 alleged illegal aliens per day (or about 12,000 aliens during the course of the two-month pilot), explained Will Graves, the chief biometric engineer helping to oversee the US-VISIT project. While the results from the facial recognition portion are important, Graves told GSN at a biometrics conference in New York City on August 1, “We are focusing primarily on iris recognition.”