DACA Renewal Period Ends Thursday

Thursday, October 5 is the last day on which the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will accept a DACA work permit renewal request. The application must be sent by mail, and fax or online renewals are not possible, according to UC Immigrant Legal Services at Davis. The renewal applies to those whose DACA (Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals) status expires between now and March 5, 2018.

Two groups in Santa Barbara, IMPORTA and Immigrant Hope, are authorized to offer help and information, and are filing renewals without charge. To make an appointment with IMPORTA Santa Barbara, located at 129 East Carrillo Street, leave a message at (805) 604-5060. Immigrant Hope, located at 935 San Andres Street, can be called at (805) 963-0166 for an appointment.

For UC students, legal advice is available by contacting the law school at UC Davis (ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu). At UCSB, the Undocumented Student Services website contains information on the DACA process.

Nearly $2.5 million has been raised by the Mission Asset Fund for the $495 application fee each renewal applicant must pay. The fund received 4,500 requests in its first week, paid with grants from Weingart Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, the California Endowment, and others. The California Endowment also provided a $750,000 loan guarantee to Self-Help Federal Credit Union toward interest-free bridge loans to community organizations that need resources to pay DACA application fees.

In Santa Barbara on Sunday evening, October 1, a postcard-writing session directed toward Congress is being held at the Unitarian Society by the Immigration/Refugee Response Team. They hope to send at least 1,000 postcards to senators and representatives, asking for their support on a vote expected in the spring of 2018 to put the DACA provisions into law. The postcard event and potluck takes place at 1535 Santa Barbara Street from 5:30-7:30 p.m.