As many of you know, I have been working as an immigration legal representative with Advocates for Human Rights, the Binger Center for New Americans, and the UMN Law School. In my conversations with immigration-focused colleagues, it has become clear that there is an immediate need for financial support to individuals renewing their DACA applications.

Experts state that DACA is likely to end as soon as February 2025. DACA is a bipartisan immigration policy that aims to give temporary protections and work authorizations to migrants who came to the United States as children. To maintain legal status, these migrants must reapply every two years to maintain DACA status. This is a policy, not a law, and therefore can be struck down with relative ease.

Most of the DACA recipients I work with are students who are working to establish a pathway towards citizenship in the country they have lived in for as long as they can remember. The immigration system has significant backlogs, and they are worried they will "fall out of status" before they hear back from USCIS about their applications. The $550 DACA filing fee (which recurs every two years) can be exorbitant, especially when it seems that filing will no longer guarantee any protections. I am working with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) to facilitate directed donations to those filing their DACA renewals before January 20. This is potentially where you come in!

I am looking to find individuals, families, or groups who would be willing to give a $550 gift to pay for a DACA recipient's filing fee, to help them stay legal migrants while they seek a more permanent residency solution. I am trying to eliminate the "red tape" that was often associated with my fundraising work at Seattle Opera so that none of the donated funds will go towards any administrative costs (I am volunteering with ILCM to create and coordinate these donations) and they will be directly disseminated to the individuals in need. This does mean that the gift is not tax deductible, and we will not ask recipients to provide any follow-up.

It's awkward for me to ask you all for money, but I really believe that this donation can do some immediately tangible good. As an immigration policy advocate, I am sure that there are some big battles ahead, which I am prepared to fight. This effort is a preemptive strike, an opportunity to make some real change.

Warmly,

Isabel