President Obama will announce the details of his plan to extend Deferred Action to millions of undocumented immigrations Thursday evening, November 20, at 6pm MST. Deferred Action is essentially a determination by the government that it will not deport the recipient during a set period of time. It creates a quasi-legal immigration status during that period. Recipients of Deferred Action are also eligible for employment authorization if they can demonstrate an economic need. Hundreds of thousands have already benefitted from President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Although the details of the plan are not yet known, it should impact millions of immigrants within the United States.
It is important to note the announcement will not likely result in an immediate availability of benefits. It will take months for agencies charged with the implementation to determine exactly how his plan will go into effect.
Therefore, potential applicants should not pay anyone to file an application on their behalf until the process is in place. “Notarios” are not attorneys, and are not authorized to practice law in the United States. There will be other people trying to take advantage of undocumented immigrants, and so it is essential to seek information from reliable sources.
Applicants should seek legal advice from a qualified attorney to determine whether they may be eligible, and to learn what steps they can take to prepare to apply at a later date. There will likely be community workshops staffed by attorneys organized as well, once the process is in place to begin accepting applications.
