Valley 'Dreamers' scramble to renew application before Oct. 5 deadline

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Time is ticking and some DACA recipients only have a few weeks left to renew their applications before it's too late. Dreamers whose status expired before March have until October 5 to renew.

Advocates with Centro La Familia services say they're hoping to help thousands through the process free of charge. Rosa Ortiz was one of the first in line to renew on Monday.

"I don't want to leave my family behind," she said. "I grew up here. This is the only place I know."

Mario Gonzalez with the organization says he believes there are thousands of people in the Central Valley who qualify for renewal, but so far, they aren't seeing many reapplying.

"It hasn't been a large turnout, not the turnout we expected to see," he said. "We're hoping a lot of people are submitting them on their own."

The effort comes after the Trump Administration announced to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program - igniting protests all over the state and country.

Advocates say the process while the process isn't complex, it is extensive - lasting anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to complete.

"Some parts of the papers, I don't understand, they help me with it," Jorge Sandoval said. "Like right now, I forgot to send my new address."

Gonzalez says despite the low turnout, the one thing they're seeing a lot of is fear.

"It's a job, it's a source of income, it's food on the table," he said. "We want to make sure every individual who has a job is able to keep that job."

While the future of DACA is still unclear, Gonzalez says they want to make sure everyone is prepared.