Happy Birthday, DACA! 9 Years of Resilience
Tuesday, June 15th, 2021
On the 9th anniversary of DACA, KRC would like to take a moment to share some of the ways in which our organization has worked over the years to stand with our undocumented community members, and highlight some facts about our shared history.
As an organization that has advocated for and provided programs to the undocumented of its community since its inception in the 1980s, KRC is seen as a trusted community resource. Since DACA's introduction on June 15th, 2012 to the end of December 2014, KRC has received more than 13,000 calls and office visits from community members seeking information and legal services related to DACA, carried out over 4,500 one-on-one consultations, and processed 2,192 DACA applications from 2015 to date.
KRC has processed the largest number of Asian-American DACA applications in the nation. By June 2014, South Korea ranked in the top 5th of countries of origin for DACA applicants. Based on its records, KRC estimates at least 30% of those who received DACA nationally were assisted by KRC directly or indirectly (in-person via website, and/or over the phone). KRC has developed and maintained a comprehensive database of over 2,000 clients it has served in completing DACA applications.
And as another year passes on this Obama-era program that was originally meant to serve as temporary protection from deportation for undocumented immigrants who arrived to the US as children, there has been little movement toward creating more permanent and viable pathways to citizenship for the hundreds of thousands of people who are living with this temporary status.
It is imperative that we push for more permanent solutions and accessible pathways to citizenship for not just DACA recipients, but for all 11 million undocumented people. And while the Biden administration has promised to pass legislation to do just that, there is still a lot of work to do. KRC is passionate about and committed to working towards more just and fair immigration reform and in the coming months; we will continue to fight for immigrant rights and raise awareness as we always have. If you would like to join our cause and sign up to be a volunteer, please fill out the form here. Also, please consider donating today to help support our legal services, organizing and advocacy efforts.
Additionally, in honor of this anniversary, KRC is excited to announce that we have received special funding to help DACA recipients with their DACA application fees for the month of June! Online applications will be opened every Monday in June at 8AM PST for qualified candidates to apply. If selected, a KRC Legal Services team member will be in contact with more information and to verify your eligibility.
As this special funding is limited, certain restrictions apply, and priority will be given to KRC members. For more information on eligibility requirements, please check out our website or call KRC at 323-937-3718.