With the Supreme Court upholding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA), DREAMers can now renew their two-year permit for deferred action.
It costs $495 to renew a DACA application and during a time of job loss and a global pandemic, that amount seems increasingly more difficult to pay. The Ames Sanctuary Interfaith Partnership (ASIP) launched a social media campaign for their GoFundMe to help DREAMers pay the fees.
Maria Alcivar, the co-chair of ASIP, said the funds help all Iowans, regardless of immigration status.
“We're not only doing a service or taking action for the undocumented community or the DACAmented community, we're also taking action for everyone," Alcivar said. "DACAmenters, DREAMers of IA are an essential part of our economy, our community.”
Alcivar said DACA recipients work all over the state, including in nursing homes, clinics and hospitality. All of these either help the overall health of the state or boost the economy.
ASIP has raised $1410 out of its $5000 goal. Molly Hanson of Des Moines donated to the fund.
“They have to you know really work through a system that is expensive and confusing at times is really tough for a lot of families, especially now with COVID and the pandemic when we see Latinx families and communities really being disproportionately affected, financially and health-wise by the situation," Hanson said.
As of right now, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is not allowing any new applications for deferred action.
