Morrison Assistance Fund

Matt grew up in the North of Ireland during the troubles.  From the Brandywell area of Derry he experienced anti-Catholic discrimination and the denial of civil rights.  He experienced Bloody Sunday when British Paratroopers murdered 14 people in his native city.  Resulting from Bloody Sunday he became involved in the military struggle against the British.  He spent 10 years as a political prisoner in Long Kesh.  After leaving prison he came to the United States, married and has 2 children and 1 grandson.  He subsequently became a registered nurse.  Matt fought against deportation and as a result of the peace process that deportation was quashed on the orders of the US Secretary of State.  In 2009 he was awarded Deferred Action Status.  The central element of that status is the right to have yearly work authorizations, however every year those work authorizations have come late, and as a consequence of that his employment was under threat.  Matt has spent the past 22 years working in the health field taking care of sick children, the mentally ill, truma cases and working hospice.  He works for a living, pays his taxes and his debts.  Currently his work authorization expired at the beginning of December and there is no clear indication of when his work authorization might be processed.  He has been put in a position where he cannot work; cannot earn a living and will be unable to pay his daily living expenses