Time running out for DACA registration
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- At a DACA rally in California Senator Kamala Harris issued an urgent message to DACA recipients.
"Part of what we are doing is saying hey, everybody get your stuff in the mail by the end of today," said Harris.
She is referring to the application to renew status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA--also referred to as the Dream Act, because it allowed those brought here illegally as children, who grew up here to pursue their dreams of education and employment.
"This is a group of young people, who are in our colleges, in our graduate schools, medical schools, in our military," said Harris.
Efforts to reach these young people have been underway in the Central Valley, home to an estimated 20 thousand DACA recipients. The "Dream Resource Center" operated by the Fresno Unified School District, has been helping sometimes desperate recipients file the paperwork.
"As an educator, its heart wrenching--I've had families here. I've had students here in tears because there's uncertainty, they don't know what's going to happen," said Miguel Vega.
A series of workshops have been held by a variety of organizations to help get the renewals in by the deadline. But Evely Gomez, a DACA recipient who's been helping others reapply says there may be a growing mistrust of the government after President Trump changed the rules.
"It's that sense of betrayal, you really thought that there was some hope, and then they took it away, and now you have to wait again until that deadline in March, what's going to happen to us. It's really sad," said Gomez.
The numbers of those seeking help for renewal has been less than expected--help is still available, even with paying the nearly $500 renewal fee.
"It's very important the deadline is October 5th so any student, any person who needs to renew their DACA they have until October 5th Thursday to renew," said Vega.
"We have nonprofits that are providing scholarships to pay the renewal fee before the deadline."
