Thousands of Californian “dreamers” face legal limbo as the battle continues to protect this group of the population that remains undocumented and does not live a “via crucis” in their immigration process in the U.S., so the support of an “ally” is highly necessary for undocumented students.
Given this, the legal support program Find Your Ally (findyourally.com) offers free immigration legal services and case support to students, staff, and faculty on California community college campuses in person or virtually.
“More than 10,000 students have benefited from the program” since it was launched nearly four years ago, said Alonso Garcia, senior equity program manager for the California Community Colleges Foundation, during a briefing held by Ethnic Media Services.
García said that last year alone, more than 5,700 young people benefited.
Find Your Ally—offered through the Higher Education Legal Services Project—is an unprecedented state-funded effort to provide all students enrolled in California Community Colleges and their families with free immigration legal assistance, including the opportunity to have their DACA fees covered.
Students qualify either full-time or part-time, taking credit or non-credit courses, dual enrollment, and adult education courses.
Garcia said Californians who need reliable legal help can find it free of charge at any of the state's 115 brick-and-mortar community colleges.
The attorney's time, he said, is free and continues regardless of when the community college affiliation ends; services include support for legal permanent residency (green cards), and DACA Temporary Protected Status (TPS), among other services.
And, starting this November, it offers assistance with naturalization procedures and advance parole.
Between 50,000 and 70,000 undocumented immigrants are currently enrolled in a California community college, which highlights the importance of having reliable legal services to seek to change their immigration status in the United States.
Likewise, García assured that all the information provided remains private, since the legal teams, previously approved by California or the U.S. Department of Justice and with at least three years of experience in immigration work, work confidentially.
“I would encourage people to enroll in their local community college to get at least one credit so they can access services like ours and hopefully find a way forward,” said Manoj Govindaiah, an attorney with Oakland-based Immigrant Legal Defense.
The specialist explained that undocumented people generally face two major obstacles when it comes to accessing legal services: finding quality lawyers and being able to meet with them in person, which is why he highlighted the importance of this program.
“This program goes into schools…bringing support where it is needed,” Govindaiah said, noting that Find Your Ally also offers up-to-date legal advice, helping those who did not know they were eligible find pathways to change their immigration status.
For Kelly Fletes, dean of student services at Monterey Peninsula College, California's community colleges serve as gateways to higher education, accepting all who apply.
In that regard, she noted that community colleges are ideal for reaching out to newly arrived immigrants, many of whom often enroll in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes shortly after arriving.
“There’s a different level of anxiety that happens when you literally have to look out for yourself or watch your back because you or your parents could be deported or at risk of not coming home every day,” she said. “How could you possibly focus on your education?”
Added to this is the financial burden, as the cost of legal services is beyond the means of many students who, in most cases, work at the same time.
“I have students who have to work three to four jobs,” Fletes said, explaining that some of them already have significant debts for legal services that have not yet been completed.
Sabrina P, a beneficiary of the program, is well aware of the situation thousands have experienced, as she is a first-generation college student with undocumented status.
She, like many others, did not know if she could qualify for a change of immigration status, a worrying situation, since when they leave these community colleges they do not know if they will be able to work in what they invested so much time in.
“Every case is different… (but) now I can say that I am in the process of obtaining my green card. I can work and do other things that I was previously denied because I didn’t have any kind of papers. I can support my family a little better,” he said happily.
He reminded that anyone who wants to obtain this aid must do so immediately, since the process is long and the date on the original application influences the decision.
“I would suggest just not being afraid. Honestly, that’s the best thing you can do for yourself, because just asking won’t hurt anyone and maybe it will help you.”
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