Executive Action – Immigration Reform What You Need to Know By CM Regina Romero Ward 1

President Obama’s executive order comes with a number of changes that will bring some relief to millions of immigrants living in the United States. The new program coming from this executive order is called Deferred Action for Parents (DAP), which allows undocumented parents of the United State Citizens or Legal Permanent Residents (green card holders) to register with the government and get work authorization if they came to the U.S. before January 1, 2010.

Applying for the program will protect immigrants from being arrested and deported for three years and can be renewed. The program will also allow provide immigrants an employment authorization document that will allow immigrants to work legally, as well as apply for a social security number and a driver’s license. In order to prepare for the DAP program potential applicants should carry proof of identity, proof of when you came into the U.S., and proof of immigration status.

The President’s executive action has not gone into effect, so there is nothing to apply for at the moment. Beware of false advertisements, “notarios”, and attorneys who charge an unreasonable amount of money saying that they can file your application.

We all have a shared interest in building a strong economic future for our nation. We cannot do that by leaving millions of individuals in the shadows, and we cannot do that with a broken immigration system. I applaud the executive action on immigration initiated by President Obama last week. But there is still work to do. These first steps will provide relief to millions of hard-working individuals and their families across our nation. It is now up to Congress to follow suit, avoid obstructionism, and take action by passing comprehensive immigration reform. We need a system that works for all.

iAmerica partners with Mi Familia Vota to ensure the immigrant community is well informed about President Obama’s executive action. For more information about executive action, go to http://iamerica.org/