Almost 600,000 young immigrants have applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Their applications and approvals have generated unexpected and exciting legal, financial, career, and other new opportunities for these DREAMers and their families. For example, more than half of successful applicants have since opened their first bank account. Nearly two-thirds got a new job. And 15 to 20 percent of all applicants learned they were eligible for a green card.
Yet an estimated 1.3 million potentially eligible immigrants have not yet applied for relief under DACA. Many do not meet the educational requirements. Others cannot afford the application and legal fees. Still others have simply not heard of the program—or are waiting for comprehensive immigration reform. Assuring these hard-to-reach and high-need populations receive the transformative benefits offered by DACA is the next challenge in the program’s implementation.
Join us for this discussion to learn how a diverse range of funders and advocates are working to reach and support those who have not yet applied.
Explore
- Who has applied for DACA and what benefits applicants have accrued
- How securing DACA status can help other family members
- Strategies for removing obstacles for prospective applicants
- How funders and advocates are working to reach and support those who have not yet applied
A Philanthropy New York Members Briefing with the Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees and Grantmakers for Children, Youth, and Families.