Children of Illegal Immigrants Seek Relief Following Election

With the President's re-election it's spurring a new
interest in immigration law among children who came into the United States
illegally with their parents.  The Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals, or DACA, was announced by President Barack Obama earlier this
year.   “Individuals are feeling a bit more confident that this type
of relief will be available to them,” said immigration attorney Christi
Giddeon.

Giddeon
says more people are asking questions and considering taking advantage of DACA,
a program that offers two years of removal protection to those eligible.  “It’s for individuals who have arrived in the
United States as children, prior to their 16th birthday and are less than 31
years of age right now,” Giddeon said.

“It
gives them a little more time to see what eligibility is out there for them,”
Giddeon said.

According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association,
"Governor's of Arizona, Nebraska and Texas have issued statements or
executive orders denying certain state benefits, including drivers
licenses, to the benefits of this program."

Oklahoma has not taken any similar action.

“The
people who don't think this is a good idea, I don't think they stop and put
themselves in our shoes,” said Vera Altamirano. 
Altamirano was just 7-years-old when her parents brought her and her 3-year-old
twin sisters to the United States illegally. 
“They always worked, all the time, my mom and dad just worked and i had
to take care of my little sisters.”

Altamirano
says her parents were looking for a better life for their children and wanted
to do it legally, but 15 years ago that wasn’t an option.  “It’s a hard process, it really is,”
Altamirano said, “They would have done it the right way, but it is too much
money and...jobs are not good down there.”

Now
Altamirano has a work permit along with the rest of her family, but those
permits are not permanent.  Her sister is
facing a removal hearing when her permit expires soon.  The thought of being sent back to Mexico is
frightening.  “I’ve grown up here this is
home to me,” Altamirano said, “I can talk Spanish, I’m bilingual, I can read
and write a little bit, but other than that I would not know how to be there.”

With
her work permit she has been able to save enough to pay for college.  She hopes to be a radiology technician.  Her sisters are in school to be emergency
medical technicians.  However, without a “green
card” or citizenship, the sisters do not qualify for any student aid. 

Even
with a two-year deferment, Giddeon says it’s not enough time to complete the
citizenship process.  “I don't believe it
can be completed that quickly.  You would
definitely want to start with the green card process.” 

Giddeon
says fear is one reason why immigrants and children of immigrants don’t come
forward sooner to start the citizenship process.

The
program is not citizenship and people convicted of felonies or serious
misdemeanors are not eligible. 
Participants also have to go through a background check.  “I do believe that people that are here and
getting in trouble do need to be sent back,” Altamirano said, “But there are
many people, like my parents, all they do is work.”

“I
would love to be a us citizen and just be here and keep working and making this
country a better country,” Altamirano said, “In any way I could.”

Posted: Thursday, November 8 2012, 09:49 PM CST