Ready California, a statewide collaborative working to ensure that the maximum number of eligible Californians benefit from DACA and DAPA, applauds a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to hear “Texas v. United States,” the lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of expanded DACA and DAPA, writes Elena Shore. (@Siliconeer, #Siliconeer, #newamericamedia, #ReadyCalfornia, #immigration, #DAPA, #DACA)

Announced by President Obama in November of 2014, these programs would allow millions of undocumented individuals to remain in the United States without fear of deportation and apply for a temporary work permit. Because of the litigation, DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans) and expanded DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) have been on hold since their inception.

“We are thrilled that the Court decided to hear Texas v. U.S., as it preserves the very real possibility that expanded DACA and DAPA will become available to qualified applicants later this year,” said Sally Kinoshita, Deputy Director of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, which leads Ready California. “These programs would improve the lives of over five million people nationwide – 1.5 million in California alone – by allowing them to continue building their lives and contributing to their communities without living in fear and uncertainty. Today’s decision brings us one step closer to providing protections that keep families together and strengthen our communities, and that is truly good news.”

Now that the Court has decided to hear Texas v. U.S., DAPA and expanded DACA could become available to qualified applicants later this year. However, as the programs remain currently on hold, Ready California is advising families of a number of steps they can take now to prepare and protect themselves, including: obtaining screenings from qualified legal service providers to check eligibility for DACA and other immigration relief options; avoiding fraudulent service providers; applying for citizenship if eligible; applying for a driver’s license under California’s AB 60; and enrolling undocumented children in Medi-Cal.PAGE-IMMIGRATION-02

Ready California is a cross-sector collaborative working to ensure that the maximum number of eligible Californians benefit from DACA and DAPA while strengthening the statewide infrastructure to respond to future immigration reform. For more information about Ready California, visit www.ready-california.org.