Oct. 18, 2012
Contact:
518-486-9846
Twitter: @NYSDOS
Hashtag: #NYSNewAmericans
Department
of State Coordinates with Bar Associations to Provide Free Legal Clinics for
Youth Eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
The New York Department of State announced today a series of
free legal assistance events to benefit immigrant youth eligible for the new federal
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process. The Department of State’s
Bar Association partners are preparing their attorneys to staff DACA legal
assistance events using a specialized training video produced with the assistance
of New York Law School and the New York Immigration Coalition. The lawyers’
training initiative and the free legal clinics are part of the State’s
comprehensive program to ensure that New York’s eligible youth take full
advantage of new federal immigration rules without being exploited by scammers.
Estimates of the number of New York youth eligible for DACA
range from 40,000 to 80,000, but statistics released on Friday by the United
States Citizenship and Immigration Services show that less than 6,700 New
Yorkers have applied for DACA. Thousands of youth are still seeking guidance
and support as they navigate the DACA process.
“New York State is the only state government in the nation
with a comprehensive plan to ensure eligible youth in New York can take full
advantage of this federal immigration program, while protecting them from
fraud,” said New York Secretary of State Cesar A. Perales. “By energizing
private attorneys to provide free legal representation, the State is dramatically
expanding access to counsel for thousands of young people interested in DACA but
unable to afford an attorney.”
“New York’s DACA program represents the legal profession and
the New York legal community at its best. Attorneys and Bar Associations from
all ethnic stripes coming together for one common purpose – to provide pro bono
services to young immigrant adults – Americans in every sense of the word –
that ensures that they can emerge from the shadows and realize their dreams of
going to college and getting a job.,” said Fernando A. Bohorquez, Jr., Baker
Hostetler, Deputy Regional President Hispanic National Bar Association.
“The
attorney training materials are designed to both cover the requirements of DACA
and the evidentiary requirements as well as to help attorneys identify other
forms of immigration relief or derivative citizenship and to be able to handle
issue spotting such as the impact of criminal derivative citizenship and to be able to handle issue
spotting such as the impact of criminal convictions on eligibility,” said Lenni
B. Benson, Professor of Law, New York Law School. “By disseminating this video,
the State can dramatically expand the pool of attorneys qualified to assist
young people with DACA applications on a pro bono basis.”
Upcoming free legal clinics supported by the Department of
State include:
Talesca Center for Justice
1 West Main Street, 5th Floor
Rochester, New York
Saturday, October 20th
9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building
163 West 125th Street
New York City
Saturday, October 20th
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 pm
A full listing of upcoming lawyer trainings and free legal
consultation events are available at www.nysdeferredaction.ny.gov. Information and referrals also are available through the
New York State New Americans Hotline at: 1-800-566-7636.
Bar
Associations and community-based organizations participating in this effort
include: New York City Bar Association, New York Law School, New York Immigration
Coalition, Monroe County Bar Association, New York Youth Leadership Council,
Legal Aid Society of Rochester New York, Volunteer Legal Services Project of
Monroe County, Bronx YMCA New Americans Welcome Center, African Services
Committee, CitizenshipNow!, and the New York City branches of the American
Constitution Society, Asian American Bar Association, Dominican Bar
Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, Metropolitan Black Bar
Association, Nigerian Lawyers Association, and Puerto Rican Bar Association.