September 5, 2017

Dear community members and friends,
We are reaching out as individuals from our Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities will be impacted by the recent decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which will roll out over the next six months.
Our friends from South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) noted today that approximately 5,500 individuals from India and Pakistan have received DACA and that approximately 6,000 individuals from Pakistan and 17,000 individuals from Indian are eligible for DACA; India is in the top ten countries for DACA eligibility.
These individuals and their family members may be looking for credible information on the status of DACA, their rights, as well as free immigration legal services. We are here to offer all of the above.
Many of our community members would have been eligible for DACA if their parents overstayed their visas and may be wondering what they should do next.
Here is what we know:

  • Your DACA and related work permits are valid until their expiration date
  • No new DACA applications will be accepted
  • DACA issuances expiring between now and March 5, 2018, must be submitted for renewal by October 5, 2017
  • Advance parole to travel abroad is no longer valid

Source: United We Dream and the National Immigration Law Center

We urge you to please reach out or pass along our contact information with any questions, concerns, need for free and confidential legal services, or a Know Your Rights forum.
Finally, we will be joining other communities impacted by DACA at the following events:

We hope you will join us in ensuring not only our communities but other impacted communities have support.
CAIR-San Francisco Bay Area: 408.986.9874
Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus: 415.848.7711
Sincerely,
Elica Vafaie                                                            Brittney Rezaei
Staff Attorney & Program Manager                 Civil Rights Attorney
AAdvancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus          CAIR San Francisco Bay Area
 
Brittney-Ossama-Abdelhamead