supporting undocumented youth
DESCRIPTION
A workshop carried out with the IL Migrant Council's Education department.TRANSCRIPT
Supporting Undocumented Youth
Illinois Migrant Council workshop June 11,
2013
Ireri Unzueta Carrasco
Immigrant Youth Justice League
Who are undocumented youth?
Young people who reside in the US with out authorization from the government, and who either came into the country without inspection or through inspection but have lost their legal status.
Who is affected by immigration policies?
Pretty much everyone, from students to parents, to friends to loved ones, to educators, etc
What are some of the challenges you have encountered working with undocumented youth/families?
Challenges
The challenges can vary by state and by people’s individual situations, and many are caused or complicated by people’s immigration status.
Examples of difference by state
What are some of the solutions you have come up with to address these issues?
• Access to post secondary studies• Access to work• Creating environments that are
friendly to undocumented youth and their families.
Illinois Dream Fund
Scholarship awards will be paid directly to the school and not the student. 2 year institutions: Tuition up to $2,000. 4 year institutions: Tuition up to $6,000 (toward first Bachelors degree). To be eligible to apply for the Illinois Dream Fund Scholarship, an Undocumented student must meet the following criteria: • High school or college minimum GPA of 2.5 (on a 4 point
scale);• Have resided with his or her parent(s) or guardian(s) while
attending high school in Illinois;• Have graduated from a high school or received the equivalent
of a high school diploma (GED) in Illinois; after attending an Illinois high school for at least three years.
Illinois Dream Act
• Creates a private scholarship fund for certain undocumented students who reside and attend school in IL.
• Requires professional development activities for high school counselors to include information on undocumented students’ opportunities in postsecondary education.
• Makes the State’s 529 college savings and prepaid tuition programs available to Illinoisans with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers.
• Creates the Illinois Dream Fund Commission
• raise contributions for the Illinois DREAM Fund • establish a not-for-profit entity to administer the Fund • publicize the availability of scholarships from the DREAM
Fund, • select recipients. • research issues pertaining to access and success of
children of immigrants in higher education. • develop and run training programs for high school
counselors and admissions and financial aid staff.
Financial aid from colleges and universities
Have the students talk to College Admissions asking specifically about support for undocumented youth.
Though public institutions can be cheaper, private institutions can have more freedom with their money (though they might charge undocumented students as international students).
www.dreamersunidos.comCollege specific guide More resources are in your hand out.
Private scholarships
• Find them online
• Find them through asking other educators/students
• Advocate for undocumented youth to have access for scholarships not funded by the government
• Create your own
Other ways to finance education
• Fundraise!
• Online donations
• In person donations
• Bake sales!
• Etc
• Get a loan (with a resident co signer with good credit. However this can mean high interests rates and debt)
Access to work:Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
• Work permit is valid for 2 years
• It is renewable as long as funding is there
• People with DACA do not have lawful status but they are lawfully
here for 2 years
• People should be able to get driver’s licenses and social security
numbers
• Still no access to health care
• If people have left the country and come back after 2007, but it is
considered brief and innocent, they can still get DACA.
• Once DACA approved, if people need to leave the country they have
to ask for parole and file a form, plus pay the fee ($360).
Important things to note
Visit the USCIS website’s FAQ on Deferred Action for Childhood arrivals.
Have students visit the NIJC website so they can see if they need to speak to a lawyerdreamerjustice.org
If the application is denied people will not be places in removal proceedings unless fraud was committed or there is a threat to national security
There is a $465 fee which includes biometric service cost
If the young person is not eligible for a work permit,
• Some programs provide stipends that undocumented students qualify for, such as After School Matters.
• Help the student get an ITIN, they can use that to pay taxes (which is important to be able to apply for citizenship someday after we win more rights for immigrant communities)
• Help students create their own jobs- translation and interpretation, helping people learn english/spanish/etc, tutoring, baby sitting, etc.
Help them use their talents!
Creating a welcoming environment for undocumented/mixed status families
What are some things you have come up with in your own experiences?
Creating a welcoming environment for undocumented/mixed status families
• Have and undocumented student liaison as part of the staff.
• Have a training with all staff and give out a certificate that says they are allies to undocumented people
• Partner with organizations to have resources for the youth/families
Some more ideas…
You cant not tell who is undocumented, so make sure to make resources available, visible and accessible.
• Have visuals, like posters, buttons, stickers,etc that have positive messages about immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants in your work space
• Have videos/music that is undocumented immigrant friendly
• Connect them to other undocumented youth, and places to find stories like their own.
Good places to find stories by undocumented people:www.undocuhealth.orgwww.iyjl.orghttp://undocumenting.com/www.dreamersadrift.com
Create a plan of your own
