Immigration Executive Actions Plan: National Latino Organizations Partner for 'Unprecedented' DACA, DAPA Campaign

By Michael Oleaga Feb 14 2015, 00:00 AM EST

A collection of national Latino organizations have formed a coalition to provide assistance for President Barack Obama's deferred action programs.

Ahead of the official start date of the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Hispanic Federation, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) announced this week a partnership for undocumented immigrants eligible for two deferred action programs. Along with DACA, the four Latino organizations will also provide assistance for the new Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program.

Since June 2012, the DACA program provides temporary relief for undocumented immigrant youths from deportation, and according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), more than 600,000 undocumented immigrants successfully applied for the program. The expanded DACA rules would allow undocumented immigrant youths who have been in the U.S. before Jan. 1, 2010 to stay in the U.S. for a renewable three-year period. The new DAPA program, announced by Obama last November, will grant eligible undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents to apply for a three-year stay in the U.S. and obtain a work permit.

According to a statement from LULAC, the Latino organizations' members, chapters, councils, affiliates and regional and independent groups will engage in an "unprecedented" campaign to maximize the number of undocumented immigrants to successfully apply for either DACA or DAPA.

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With the coalition, the outreach can influence more than two million Latino immigrants, nationwide, courtesy of local and national media campaigns including Spanish-speaking public service announcements. The partnership will provide one-on-one assistance to more than 150,000 applicants of the deferred action programs through a bilingual toll-free hotline and in-person support in over 40 immigrant integration centers.

"As a result of President Obama's Executive Orders, the country stands to benefit tremendously on many fronts," LULAC National Executive Director Brent Wilkes said. "Individuals will have the appropriate documentation to work, travel and live freely without the threat of deportation. Further, it is well documented that this type of immigration reform will result in a positive impact on the economy."

Technology will play a role with the coalition's campaign with an interactive website comprising of information, frequently asked questions and references about DACA and DAPA.

According to Wilkes, Obama has accomplished what he can do with immigration, but Congress still needs to work on immigration reform.

As Latin Post reported, Citizenship and Immigration Services -- the U.S. Department of Homeland Security immigration agency handling the DACA and DAPA application process -- is preparing for the launch of the deferred action programs. The USCIS confirmed Feb. 18 as the start date of the expanded DACA program, and its website has provided information in multiple languages including Chinese, Korean and Spanish. The DAPA application process will have a later start date, currently mid- to late May.