New York State announces $450,000 in grants to assist undocumented immigrants

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Proud-to-be-from-New-York-State/481569831854860

Summary: New York will be making three grants of $150,000 each to the New York State Immigration Fund, the

Immigration Coalition and Make the Road NY. Funds will support clinics, workshops and legal services for young

undocumented immigrants across the state

(August 16, 2012) – As the new federal rules regarding "deferred action" status for certain immigrants come into effect this week,

the New York legislature has approved funding for three organizations which have developed programs specifically to assist

eligible individuals with this complex application process.

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The Department of Homeland Security began accepting deferred action applications from illegal immigrants on

August 15, 2012. This legal status is available to the children whose parents either entered the country illegally or

overstayed their visas. The new status option does not provide a path to US citizenship, but it does prevent

deportation if it is renewed every two years.

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Under the federal guidelines, applicants for "deferred action" status must have entered the country before the

age of 16 and lived in the U.S. since June 15, 2007. Applicants cannot have a criminal record and they must

either be in high school or have graduated with a diploma or GED.

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The New York state legislature has designated a total of $450,000 in grants for The New York Immigration Coalition, Make the Road NY, and Legal Services NYC in order to assist immigrants who may be eligible for deferred action status.

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A grant of $150,000 was awarded to the New York State Immigrant Action Fund and the New York Immigration

Coalition. These agencies have partnered to form the New York State DREAM Legal Services Network which brings

together community-based organizations, immigrant legal services groups and law firms to aid youth immigrants in

applying for deferred action.

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Another grant of $150,000 was awarded to Make the Road NY which will hire a youth immigration attorney and a

paralegal to assist immigrants who are applying for deferred action. Make the Road NY will also hold several full-service

clinics which will assist immigrants with compiling applications, supporting documents and fee exemption

requests as part of the screening and application process.

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A grant of $150,000 was also awarded to Legal Services NYC to support Community College CONNECT. This innovative citywide project will support low-income community college students by offering legal advice,

advocacy and community education. Legal Service NY will also offer legal education clinics about deferred action and paths to citizenship at Hostos and LaGuardia Community

Colleges.

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In addition to the New York State Immigrant Action Fund website at http://nysiaf.org/, a number of other sites are helping spread

awareness about state and federal regulations affecting the rights and socio-economic well-being of immigrants and refugees

in New York State. Among these is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Proud-to-be-from-New-York-State/481569831854860, a

Facebook fanpage that offers an online community where people can share their thoughts and comments about the latest New

York news and events.

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""We feel it is very important to get the news out about how changing regulations are affecting the lives of both immigrants and citizens in New York state," notes page administrator S.S. Ober-Lehn. "And Facebook's international appeal makes the

Proud to Be From New York State fanpage a natural destination for anyone who wants to learn more about the new deferred

action status and other news that affect New Yorkers."

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To find out more about current news and events in New York State, please visit

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