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NAKASEC & Affiliates Encourage Eligible Youth to Apply for DACA 1 and Announce Launch of National AAPI DACA Collaborative Website on 4th Anniversary

By August 15, 2016No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2016
Contact:
California: Jinkyung Park, jinkyung@krcla.org
Illinois: Nayoung Ha, nayoung@chicagokrcc.org
Virginia/National: Emily Kessel, eakessel@nakasec.org

NAKASEC & Affiliates Encourage Eligible Youth to Apply for DACA 1 and Announce Launch of National AAPI DACA Collaborative Website on 4th Anniversary

#AAPIDACA #DACAStrong

WASHINGTON DC— The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) and its affiliates, the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center (KRCC) and Korean Resource Center (KRC), shared upcoming/recent DACA events and joined partners in announcing the launch of the AAPI DACA Collaborative website on August 15, 2016.  This day marked four years since President Obama implemented the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Collaborative strongly encourages eligible young AAPIs to apply for DACA, which has been providing over 728,000 young undocumented immigrants with temporary relief from deportation and a work permit.  Out of the total number of DACA recipients, over 17,000 people immigrated from the top four Asian countries of origin (South Korea, Philippines, India, and Pakistan). There are roughly 1.5 million undocumented Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), many of whom are eligible for DACA. South Korea has the 7th highest acceptance rate for DACA and an estimated 9,000 of the 44,000 DACA-eligible Korean Americans have applied as of March 2016.

The existing 2012 DACA has not been affected by the Supreme Court’s 4-4 “non-decision” ruling in United States v. Texas on June 23, 2016. The Supreme Court decision does, however, mean that the court injunction prohibiting implementation of DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents) and expanded DACA remains in effect.

In 2015 alone, the AAPI DACA Collaborative members held over 400 legal service and over 500 outreach events. Collectively the collaborative received over 1,800 phone calls inquiring about DACA and over half of the callers were potentially DACA eligible. For more information on the Collaborative, please visit: AAPIDACA.org

NAKASEC will host a naturalization clinic and DACA Information Session with New American Civic Engagement Alliance (NACEA) on September 25th from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Washington Spencerville Korean Church (1700 Spencerville Rd, Spencerville, MD 20868). Community members interested in naturalization or DACA 1 application assistance should call NAKASEC’s office (703-256-2208) to schedule an appointment. NAKASEC also invited community members to join its Parent Association of DACA(DACA 부모님 모임). For more information, please call Young Mi (영미 씨) 703-256-2208 or shim328@nakasec.org

In California, community members interested in naturalization or the 2012 DACA application assistance should call KRC’s office (323-680-5725) to schedule an appointment from Monday through Thursday. KRC also provides financial aid consultation for undocumented college students. For more information, please call 323-680-5725.

In Illinois, KRCC has been fundraising for DACA scholarships. In partnership with KRCC, the Korean American Association of Chicago (KAAC) has been fundraising DACA Scholarship for a year and provided full application fees ($465) for 20 Korean American DACA applicants who have recommended by and processed their applications by KRCC and Korean American Community Services (KACS). KAAC also made a video for fundraising for DACA Scholarship and will have a Korean American golf outing event for DACA Scholarship fundraising on Wednesday, August 24 in Chicago, Illinois. Additionally, KRCC’s youth group, Fighting Youth Shouting out for Humanity (FYSH), organized its annual youth-led Coffeehouse on July 23 and raised over $1500, exceeding their fundraising goal. The funds go towards FYSH’s DREAM Scholarship, a scholarship to help undocumented youth pay for DACA application fees.

Ju Hong, National AAPI DACA Collaborative Coordinator, shared: “DACA had opened doors for me to affordable education and to travel back to South Korea to reunite with my ailing grandmother for the first time in over 13 years. I strongly encourage all eligible undocumented AAPI young people to apply for DACA and experience these benefits that others take for granted.”

NAKASEC’s Executive Director Dae Joong Yoon, KRCC’s Executive Director Inhe Choi, and KRC’s Los Angeles Director Joon Bang said: “NAKASEC, KRCC, and KRC encourage all eligible community members to make DACA 1 stronger by applying now. DACA is a program that has opened up doors to education, better paying jobs, and opportunities that others take for granted. The 2012 program is open and ready for new and renewing applicants. The announcement of DACA is a victory our community rightfully won and DACAmented leaders have spoken out about how DACA has positively impacted their lives and their future. Let’s continue to lift up the voices of the hardworking DACA recipients who are represented in all 50 states. We remain committed to engaging in DACA outreach, services, and events and working with the AAPI DACA Collaborative partners across the country to increase both initial and renewal applications rates among the AAPI community. ”

Individuals who meet the 2012 DACA guidelines may continue to come forward and file an initial or renewal request for DACA under those guidelines. For more information, see uscis.gov/daca. USCIS reminds the public about the risk of immigration scams, in case scammers try to exploit the situation. Get tips for protecting yourself and your loved ones at uscis.gov/avoidscams or in Spanish at uscis.gov/es/eviteestafas.

Click here to see the recent Migration Policy Institute report on DACA at Four.

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