Calling all DREAMers 2012 (Audio-only)

Taken from the briefing Calling all DREAMers recorded July, 2012.

The DREAM Act was first introduced in 2007 and has subsequently been reintroduced annually since 2009.  The Act aims to provide conditional permanent residence to individuals who were brought to the U.S. as children to continue their education, leading to the possibility of permanent residence.  The Act, however, has yet to become law.  In furtherance of DHS’s recent use of prosecutorial discretion as well as the Obama Administration’s efforts to provide some immigration amnesty for DREAM Act eligible individuals, on June 15, 2012, Secretary Napolitano issued a memorandum outlining a directive for granting deferred action to qualifying young people, for a period of two years with the ability to also apply for employment authorization.  The immigration service is still in the process of finalizing the procedures for implementing the Secretary’s directive, which must be in place no later than August 15, 2012.

Lecture Topics  [Total Time: 01:04:20]

Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director of the National Immigration Law Center will discuss:

• An overview of Secretary Napolitano’s June 15 Memorandum, in the context of the Obama Administration’s efforts to transform the immigration enforcement system into one that focuses on public safety, border security, and the integrity of the immigration system
• The interplay of the Secretary’s directive in the memorandum and ICE’s enforcement priorities and the continued relevance of prosecutorial discretion
• Eligibility criteria for deferred action for young people
• How the directive will be implemented: proposed procedures for applying for Deferred Action both affirmatively through USCIS and defensively through ICE as well as when and how to apply for EAD
• What the Secretary’s memorandum means for the future of the DREAM Act and whether this directive will ultimately provide a path to permanent residence for qualified DREAMers

Don’t miss this important Free Briefing!

Presentation Material 

• Calling All DREAMers (Slide Presentation)
• Secretary Napolitano Announces Deferred Action Process for Young People Who Are Low Enforcement Priorities
• Deferred Action Process for Young People Who Are Low Enforcement Priorities