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7/31/2019 Ten Things You May Not Know About Deferred Action
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339 Lafayette St, 3rd Floor Suite 304 New York, NY 10012
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10ThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutDeferredAction
byLaurenA.BurkeEsq.
1) WeDontKnowAnythingYet:
Thisannouncementwasmadejustdaysagoandanofficialwaytoapplyfor
deferredactionhasnotyetbeenmade.Dontbelieveanyonewhosaysthey
cangetyoudeferredactionalreadyanddonttrustthosewhoclaimtohave
alltheanswers(eventhisflierisbasedonthebestinformationwehaveand
isnotmeanttobeadefiniteaccountofanything.)Wesimplydonthaveall
theanswers.Yet.
2)
ItsNotAllGood.ButItsNotAllBad.TheDreamActdidnotpassanddeferredactionwillnotputyouonapathto
citizenshipbutthisalsoisntanattempttoroundupallundocumentedimmigrantsinthecountryandputthemintodeportationproceedings.DeferredAction,evenforaffirmativeapplications,hasbeenaroundandhas
beenusedforawhile.Thenewannouncementisextendeddeferredactionto
abroadercategoryofimmigrants.
3) YouAREPuttingYourselfAtRisk
AnytimeanundocumentedpersonputsforthanysortofapplicationtoUSCIS
theyareexposingthemselvestopossiblybeplacedinremovalproceedings.
ApplyingforANYtypeofrelief(deferredactionincluded)islikewavingto
immigrationandsayingHi!Iamhere!USCISreceivesthousandsofapplicationseverydayandapercentageofimmigrantswhodonotreceive
theirrequestedreliefarereferredtoICEfordeportationproceedings.Not
100%butnot0%eitherandthereisNEVERaguaranteethatyouwillorwillnotbereferred.
4) PRUCOLStatusandStoppingYourClockAreNotforNothing
IfDeferredActionisappliedthewayithasbeeninthepast,therearetwogreatbenefitsalongwithreceivingyourEAD.Thefirstisthatyouwill
becomeaPersonResidingUnderColorofLawmakingyoupossiblyeligible
forsomein-statebenefitsandexpandingyourabilitytoapplytosomecollegesandreceiveinstatetuitioninsomestates.FormoreonPRUCOLvisit
here:https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500501420
Secondly,ifthepastholdstruetothepresent,DeferredActionwilleffectively
stoptheclockofunlawfulpresenceforthosewhohavenotyetturned
eighteen,orforthosewhosevisas(ieavisitorvisa)hasnotyetexpired.For
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339 Lafayette St, 3rd Floor Suite 304 New York, NY 10012
646.484.8537 [email protected] nysylc.org
moreonUnlawfulPresence,seehere:
http://imminfo.com/Resources/CIS/unlawful_presence_memo.pdf
5) BeExtra-CautiousIf
Immigrantswhocouldbeconstruedaseverhavingbeenunluckyenoughtohavebeencaughtdoingsomethingwrong(mostteenagersIknowhave
jumpedtheturnstileatsomepointorranaredlight,noteveryonegets
stoppedfordoingso)shouldbeextremelycautiousinapplyingforthisstatus.Notonlymayyounotqualifyifyouhavecommittedcertaincrimesorhavea
record,butyouhaveahigherchanceofhavingyourapplicationflaggedfor
referral.Thesamegoesifyouhaveusedafalsesocialsecuritynumberinthe
past,haveanoldorderofdeportation,orapreviouslydeniedformof
immigrationrelief.ONLYmoveforwardwiththeseapplicationsifyouhavea
lengthyconsultationwithareputablelawyerandtellthemEVERYTHING.
6) TalktoaReputableLawyer
Actually,pleasepleasepleasejusttalktoalawyernomatterwhatandfindan
organizationyoutrustyouhelpyoufindonewhowillhelpyoufortheright
reasonsatareasonablerate(orforfree!)Thoughtheapplicationisnotout
yet,whenitis,nomatterwhatUSCISsays,thesewillbecomplicatedapplicationsinvolvingadvocacy,documentaryevidence,andpersuasive
abilitiessofindyourselfagreatattorneybeforeyouapply.
7) ItisAllDiscretionary
Thereisnowaytoknowornotknowifyouwilldefinitelywinand,asofnow,
thereisnowaytoappealadecisionmadeagainstyou.Youmaygetan
adjudicatorwholovesyourapplication,youmaygetsomeoneonanoffday.
Ifyoumeettherequirementsandhavenoissues,youSHOULDgetdeferred
actionstatus.ThatdoesnotmeanyouWILLgetdeferredactionstatus.Just
somethingelsetogointoyourcost/benefitanalysis.
8) ThereareThingsYouCanDoNow
IfyouareeventhinkingofapplyingforDeferredAction,youcanbeyourownadvocateandstartpreparingyourdocumentsnow.Ifyoudecidetoapplyyou
willbeclosetoreadytogoandifyoudontthereisnoharmdone.Some
thingstothinkaboutgatheringinclude:Allschoolrecords,alldiplomas,
collegeacceptanceletters,scholarshipsandawardswon.Recordsof
employment,volunteerwork,extracurricularactivtiesandsports.Allpreviousimmigrationapplications,yourpassport(s)andvisa(s)(ifyouhave
any),photosofyourselfatvariousagesshowingyouwereintheU.S.
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(landmarksaregreat!)lettersfromteachers,employers,friends,thatlady
whoyoubabysitfordownthehall,talkingaboutwhatarockstaryouare.
Bankrecords,cellphonebills,utilities,taxespaid.Oldcriminalrecordsand
dispositions.Basically,anydocumentfromyourentirelifeEVER.
9) ItIsYourPersonalChoice
ApplyingforDeferredActionwillcomedowntowhatmakessenseforYOUasapersoninYOURsituation.Weightheprosandcons,talktofamilyand
friendswhoyoutrust,andmakethedecisionthatisrightforYOU.
10)ThisisFarFromOver
Thousandsuponthousandsofindividualsarestillindeportation
proceedings.ThisdoesNOTputyouonthepathtoagreencard.Ifyoucan
intotheU.S.atage17,turned30before06/15/2012,orhadlessthanfive
consecutiveyearsofpresencewhenObamasannouncementwasmadeyou
donotqualify.DeferredActiondoesnotprotectourparentswhosacrified
everythingtohelpusescapefromcertaindeathorbringusthepromiseofa
newtomorrow.Wemust,andwewill,keepfighting.Thisisjustonetinytip
toeforwardinthelongroadahead.
