Resources for DACA Advocacy
Immigration
On June 18th, just two weeks ago, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump Administration improperly rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. While the surprise ruling was a welcome victory, it was a fragile one. The Court also affirmed that the Administration has the power to terminate DACA if it provides a reasoned justification for the decision that adequately considers the impact on DACA recipients and other stakeholders. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the Administration attempted to do today.
This renewed effort to end the program will undoubtedly be met with legal challenges. And the administration’s rationale for continuing this misguided attack must account for the reliance interests of almost 650,000 DACA recipients, their 200,000 U.S. citizen children, and the communities in which they live. Dreamers’ contributions to this country are undeniable, especially now: more than 200,000 DACA recipients are essential workers, including 29,000 healthcare workers—data the Supreme Court considered in the case.
Even if, as we hope and expect, the courts halt DACA’s termination, the Administration’s persistence underscores the vulnerability of the program. We desperately need a more permanent solution, and it is imperative that Congress pass the Dream and Promise Act. Today, call on your senators to provide permanent immigration protections for Dreamers.
In the meantime, we have provided resources for DACA recipients and allies to navigate and mitigate the impacts of the Administration’s order—there is a way for each of us to do our part.
First and Foremost: How to Manage Immigration-Related Anxiety
Coping Mechanisms for DACA- and Immigration-Related Stress
United We Dream and National Latinx Psychological Association
This guide was made before the coronavirus, the Supreme Court’s decision, and the Administration’s attempt to re-terminate DACA upended lives, but it remains particularly important in the present context. Please take care of your mental health first.
Resources for DACA Recipients and Allies
DACA Renewal Guide
Home is Here
This guide provides step-by-step instructions and other resources to help DACA recipients apply for renewal and has a directory to help DACA recipients across the country access the nearest services and clinics. Now that the Administration has indicated their intent to end renewals, it is urgent that DACA recipients extend their protections for as long as possible.
Renew DACA and Explore Your Legal Options
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
The ILRC provides guidance on DACA renewals, legal consultations, and the latest changes to the renewal process in response to the coronavirus, the Court’s decision, and administrative action.
Practitioner and Community Resources for DACA
CLINIC
This resource bank clarifies the options available to DACA recipients should their status expire, including renewals and potential eligibility for other legal relief. CLINIC also offers explanatory videos in English and Spanish on the legal and societal implications of the case.
Stay Up-to-Date on DACA During Coronavirus
Informed Immigrant
Informed Immigrant is keeping DACA recipients informed on how to renew their status amid USCIS closures and the Administration’s rescission of DACA.
Access Benefits and Services Regardless of Immigration Status
Resources for Immigrants during the Coronavirus Crisis
Informed Immigrant
This database provides information in English and Spanish regarding the available emergency resources in each state. Informed Immigrant is updating this page weekly to include all assistance programs that do not ask about immigration status. Increasingly, states and localities are standing up cash assistance funds that are accessible regardless of immigration status. If you don’t see one in your area on the Informed Immigrant list, you can double-check your state/city’s Covid resource page.
Access COVID-19 Support as a DACA Recipient or as an Undocumented Immigrant
Immigrants Rising
This document aggregates resources to help both current DACA recipients and the undocumented navigate the health and economic burdens of the coronavirus crisis.
A Resource Bank for Dreamers
TheDream.Us
This resource library provides legal, educational, media, and other resources to equip both DACA recipients and allies with the information they need to secure the protections to which they are entitled.
Screening Tool to Identify Pathways to Legal Status
Immi
This online questionnaire translates individual answers into available options for pursuing legal status and accessing public benefits. This tool protects your information and makes your options easily understandable.
FAQs on How to Access Public Benefits
National Immigration Forum
This fact sheet clarifies which services and benefits are provided regardless of status and answers some of the many questions caused by the Supreme Court decision and the Administration’s subsequent attempt to end DACA.
PreK-12 Toolkit for Educators, Leaders, and Policymakers
Home is Here, Next 100, Ed Justice, A Union of Professionals, Chiefs for Change, United We Dream, ImmSchools, Immigrants Rising, Teach for America, National Immigration Law Center
This toolkit offers resources for educators, school administrators, and policymakers to best advocate for and support DACA recipients in their student body. It will be updated as needed in the weeks to come.
FAQs on DACA Termination and Access to Higher Education
Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration
This document answers questions about how students can continue to access financial aid and employment opportunities regardless of immigration status. This includes information on how states and institutions can ease the financial burden on undocumented students—and list the states that already do.
Covid-19 Guidance for Immigrant Californians
Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom
This resource guide lists services that are available to all California residents regardless of immigration status. It also provides information regarding public charge and coronavirus in a variety of languages. The document was published in conjunction with the nation’s inaugural cash assistance fund for undocumented immigrants.
Employment, Independent Contracting, and Professional Licensing FAQs
Resource Bank for Immigrant Entrepreneurship, Higher Education, and Legal Aid
Immigrants Rising
This list of resources supports undocumented entrepreneurs, contractors, and freelancers; it includes documents on accessing benefits as an immigrant entrepreneur and guidance on navigating national policies and California-specific benefits. Particularly relevant is this document covering long-term immigration remedies for undocumented youth.
Fact Sheet on Eligibility for Unemployment Benefits During COVID-19
National Employment Law Project
This article helps immigrants determine their eligibility for unemployment benefits during this time of crisis. DACA recipients deserve benefits—this resource will help inform and equip them to access needed support. As individuals’ immigration statuses shift, this document helps clarify which federal benefits remain accessible.
Navigating Work Permits, SSNs, IDs, and More After DACA
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
This document was written in 2017 to help DACA recipients know what to expect If the Court allowed DACA to be terminated. Now that the Administration has once again attempted to end the program, these practical FAQs have renewed relevance.
FAQs on DACA and Employment
National Immigration Law Center, United We Dream, and Advancing Justice—ALC
This document helps DACA recipients navigate the legal implications of employment without DACA or with a work permit that may expire. In these challenging circumstances, it is important for employers and employees alike to navigate the legal obstacles to keeping DACA recipients employed.
Webinar on Income and Career Options for Undocumented Students
Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, TheDream.Us, Immigrants Rising, Democracy at Work Institute
This webinar includes stories from undocumented professionals on how to advance your career regardless of immigration status, advice for undocumented students, and resources for educators.
Know Your Rights
Red Cards
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
These printable Red Cards detail the legal rights of every person, regardless of immigration status. In precarious situations, like if ICE agents go to a home, these cards can be presented to help ensure that no personal liberties are violated.
National Map of Local Entanglement with ICE
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
This interactive map that tracks local compliance with ICE by county, nationwide. Several states and cities have made commitments not to cooperate with ICE in terms of data sharing or local enforcement through the 287(g) program—see what your county’s practices are.
Advocacy Efforts to Ask the Administration to Keep Renewals Open and Refrain from Deportations
Resources for Allies: Data and Anecdotes about DACA Recipients’ Contributions
Center for American Progress
The above article highlights the immense economic and community-based contributions of DACA recipients across the country. The data used in this article was filed as evidence in the Regents of the University of California v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security case. Since the national landscape has shifted so dramatically in the past few months, here is an additional CAP resource that specifies the contributions of DACA recipients to the pandemic. Please read these and use the information to guide discussions in your own community.
Stand with DACAmented Employees
American Business Immigration Coalition
Please refer business leaders to the ABIC website, and urge them to support and advocate for the DACA recipients on their payrolls during this vulnerable time.
NowThis Video About the DACA Decision
NowThis
This video amplifies the stories of Dreamers and explains what the Supreme Court’s decision means for DACA recipients. Sharing this video on social media lends urgency and visibility to this important issue and urges Congress to pass the Dream and Promise Act.