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National Campaign to Restore DACA's Advance Parole
ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGN:
Since 2012, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients were able to apply for Advance Parole travel authorization for educational reasons, to exercise employment opportunities requiring foreign travel, and for humanitarian reasons to be with loved ones suffering from serious illnesses or facing imminent death.
But on September 5, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suspended the Advance Parole provision for DACA beneficiaries, after the Trump Administration ordered the termination of the DACA program. Even though multiple Federal Court orders have ruled continuation of the DACA program since January 2018, DHS and U.S. Immigration Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) continue to deny the ability for DACA recipients to apply for Advance Parole. As a result of this arbitrary and discriminatory administrative practice, DACA beneficiaries have been unable to be with their loved ones at critical moments and/or take advantage of important educational and employment opportunities abroad, and the consequences have been devastating.
We believe that continued denial of Advance Parole for DACA recipients is causing inhumane family separation.
For this very reason, we have taken it upon ourselves to lead the National Campaign to Restore DACA's Advance Parole. As part of our advocacy, we have taken a total of 90 DACA recipients, allies, and Dreamer moms from across the United States to Washington, D.C. during 3 trips this year in January, June, and November to defend and advocate for the restoration of DACA’s Advance Parole.
As a result of our advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C., we have succeeded in securing congressional support from a total of 170 representatives and senators who have signed a series of letters questioning the discriminatory lack of due process by DHS and its USCIS office and the arbitrary decision to suspend Advance Parole for DACA beneficiaries.
Moreover, since July 1, 2019, the CMSC launched the Advance Parole Application Assistance Program to help Dreamers apply for Advance Parole, as a way to challenge the discriminatory practice by the Trump Administration to systematically suspend and/or deny all DACA recipients’ applications for Advance Parole, and to establish grounds for class-action litigation on behalf of all Dreamers denied due process and court-ordered consideration of all I-131 applications.
Our campaign’s latest advocacy trip in Washington, D.C. took place from November 9-15, 2019, and included 30+ Dreamers that have filed their humanitarian Advance Parole applications since July 1 as part of our assistance program, to personally advocate for expedited approval of their I-131 applications.
Our campaign is essential because the Dream and Promise Act of 2019 is unlikely to be approved by the current Senate, and the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to rule on the future of DACA until next summer. Therefore, Dreamers remain in limbo and their dire need for humanitarian travel will continue to be denied Advance Parole authorization for an indefinite period.
December 11, 2018 – Congress members Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) and Nanette Barragán (CA-44) led a coalition of 14 Members of Congress on a letter urging (former) Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to restore the ability of DACA recipients to travel abroad with an Advance Parole authorization (View letter).
January 15-18, 2019 – The CMSC took a delegation of 20 DACA recipients from across the country to Washington D.C. to mobilize increased congressional support, and meet with numerous legislators to secure additional signatures in support of the campaign and their commitment to advocate for DACA’s Advance Parole restoration (Read More).
Feb. 12, 2019 – Senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein joined Rep. Alan Lowenthal and 35 other legislators from both chambers to send a letter to former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to allow DACA recipients to travel abroad with Advance Parole (View letter).
Feb. 19, 2019 – Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) led a coalition of 66 Members of Congress from both chambers on a letter urging Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to restore the ability of Dreamers to travel abroad (View letter).
April 12, 2019 – USCIS Response Letter to 66 senators and congress members that support the CMSC's Campaign to restore DACA's Advance Parole (View letter).
June 8-13, 2019 – the California-Mexico Studies Center (CMSC) plans to return to Washington D.C. with a delegation of 40 Dreamers to follow up on the congressional letters as well as to continue to advocate for the restoration of DACA's Advance Parole, and share human testimonies with legislators (Read More).
July 3-31, 2019 – Official launching of the CMSC's DACA's Advance Parole Applications Fund Drive to support Dreamers to apply for humanitarian Advance Parole and pay for their fees (Read More).
Nov. 5, 2019 – USCIS dir. Ken Cuccinelli Sends Dismissive response to letter sent by the CMSC, questioning USCIS’s continued denial of DACA’s Advance Parole (View letter).
Nov. 8, 2019 – Reps. Zoe Lofgren, Lucille Roybal-Allard and Sen. Kamala Harris lead bicameral letter directed to President Donald Trump (View letter).
Nov. 9-15, 2019 – A group of 40 Dreamers, allies and undocumented mothers travel to Capitol Hill to advocate for DACA and Advance Parole as part of the CMSC's 3rd phase of the National Campaign to Restore DACA's Advance Parole in Washington, D.C. (Read More).
December 16, 2019 – Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46) leads yet another bicameral letter directed to President Trump and supported by 34 legislators (View letter).
