More grants on the way for DACA recipients

While some five million undocumented immigrants wait to apply for immigration relief through President Barack Obama’s recently announced executive orders on immigration, more aid is on the way for undocumented youth who already qualify for immigration relief.

The Los Angeles-based Pilipino Workers Center has gotten a grant to help Dreamers pay for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It will also give Dreamers a chance to establish a credit score.

“We got a grant that we’re able to provide matching funds for the first 300 DACA participants of our Lending Circle program starting in January,” Aqui Soriano Versoza of the Pilipino Workers Center said. “So that means we are paying 33 percent or a third of the application fees.”

Under the Lending Circle program, applicants for DACA arrivals only have to pay a portion of the $465 application fee. They will pay back the rest in installments.

“What our program does is it actually spreads out the fees over 10 months. So instead of having to pay an upfront lump fee of $465, you can spread that out over ten months. But you don’t have to wait until you’re done paying that off to apply. Once you’re ready with your application you can already apply, get a check that goes towards directly to Homeland Security.”

DACA applications have slowly picked up in recent months. There are now some 5,600 Filipino Dreamers benefiting from the immigration relief.

While financial issues are believed to be a main reason some like Seth Ronquillo, who applied early, say it was worth the $465 he spent.

“I thought when I graduate college in 2014, I’d live some underground life, contributing to an underground economy, working under the table, getting paid under the table. But now with DACA, because of the advocacy that a lot of undocumented community members have really done, I’m not working under the table. I’m working as a regular California resident,” Ronquillo said.

Advocates believe that aside from financial relief, provisions in the Presidents recent executive order will encourage more Filipino Dreamers to apply.

The executive order extends the DACA benefits up to three years instead of two, and the age limit to 35.