#undacamented

According to the Migration Policy Institute, in 2013 the Philippines was the fourth largest country of origin of an immigrant group in the United States after Mexico, India, and China, accounting for 18.5 million immigrants in the United States, or 4.5 percent of the total 41.3 million immigrants in the country. One in four Filipino migrants are undocumented.

There are currently 22,000 DACA eligible Filipino residents in the United States, but only 6,000 have applied. A few factors account for the discrepancy of 16,000, including fear of giving out information to the government, an inability to pay application fees, and an inability to prove eligibility because of lacking documentation.

“A lot of people don’t have the same records one would have if they were documented, for example pay stubs, credit card statements, regular doctor visits, etc.” Amir Rasoulpour, a Long Island City based legal partner of the immigration law firm Torregoza Legal, said in an email. “Some people entered and went right to work rather than school so there are no records showing when they came.”

Queens is home to about 47000 Filipinos, or more than half of New York City’s Filipino population, documented and undocumented. It’s unclear how many of DACA-eligible residents there are, and how many have already applied.

Rasoulpour, who used to work for the Woodside nonprofit, Aid Center of Queens County, was invited to the town hall to provide the legal context for DACA, answer technical questions and clarify who can and who cannot apply for a renewal.

“If your work authorization is expiring between September 5th and March 5th of next year, you can renew. Those are the only people,” Rasoulpour said. “If your work authorization expires, say, March 6th you can’t renew.”

New York Stands with #Dreamers.

The Trump administration has sent mixed messages about DACA. During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump said he would end the "illegal executive order'' for DACA recipients, sometimes known as "Dreamers." The term refers to the 2001 proposed DREAM Act that would have granted them legal status.

The president is being lobbied to, alternately, preserve the program and fulfill his campaign to end it. But media outlets reported on Friday, Aug. 25, he is likely to end the program soon.

To be eligible for DACA, among other requirements, undocumented youth must have:

Arrived in the U.S. before their 16th birthday

Be under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012

Have continuously resided in the U.S. since June 15, 2007

Be currently in school or have a high school diploma or General Educational Development certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States

Not been convicted of a felony or significant misdemeanor or three or more other misdemeanors

I wish men governed this Earth the way God governs the skies and galaxies because if they did, then every one would have a fair piece of justice and mercy. An equal contribution of these two things would provide every one with an equal chance of happiness and progression.

But, this is not the case. 

I am accepting that men have erased these Godly rules and principles from their books. Instead, they choose to rely on their ever changing notion of justice.