Fall Immigration Update: DACA Clinics and Phone Banking

As 2013 came to a close, Hope CommUnity Center’s immigration team worked diligently to support immigrant rights. They helped change the lives of individual immigrants and advocated on behalf of the whole local undocumented immigrant community.

Volunteers and Attendees at DACA clinic

Throughout November, they co-hosted DACA legal clinics with the Mexican Consulate in Orlando. These events provided assistance to young undocumented immigrants seeking entrance into the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) program, which would grant them temporary relief from the threat of deportation. At the first session on November 9, trained volunteers from Hope CommUnity Center and other organizations pre-screened potential applicants. At the second event on Nov 23, our volunteers supported lawyers and Mi Familia Vota volunteers as they advised qualified applicants.

Then in December, Hope CommUnity Center (in partnership with Mi Familia Vota) hosted a phone bank in support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Our volunteers called hundreds of voters and educated them about the issue. Residents who were receptive were urged to take action and tell their representatives to support immigration reform.