DACA is Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a policy approved by President Obama that grants employment authorization to individuals that meet the following criteria:

• Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;
• Came to the United States before reaching their 16th birthday;
• Have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;
• Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making their request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS;
• Entered without inspection before June 15, 2012, or their lawful immigration status expired as of June 15, 2012;
• Are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States
• Have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will no longer accept or process first-time NEW applications after September 5, 2017.

If you have DACA and a Work Authorization permit that will expire between now and March 5, 2018, you CAN apply to renew your DACA. You must apply for a two-year renewal of your DACA by October 5, 2017. This deadline is very important and coming fast. We encourage all DACA recipients who quality for this renewal to contact a local immigration attorney or BIA organization IMMEDIATELY to initiate the renewal process.

For a list of Immigration Attorneys and BIA accredited organizations in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, click here

• DACA, AB540, and the California Dream Act are not the same. Please see table below to understand the difference between all three programs.
• Even if DACA is eliminated, this will not impact a student's eligibility to attend Cabrillo College or their eligibility to receive the California Dream Act or Board of Governors (BOG) tuition waiver. Please continue to pursue your education!

AB540 (Assembly Bill 540):

• Allows qualified students to pay resident fees at California colleges and universities
• This is not the same as the California DREAM Act. Students who wish to be considered for the CA DREAM Act must apply separately.

CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT

• The California DREAM Act Application allows students enrolled in eligible California Colleges, Universities, and Career Education Programs to apply for state financial aid
• This application is unrelated to DACA
• CA DREAM Act applications are reviewed by the state of California. Information from this application is not shared with the federal government

DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals):

• Grants two-year worker authorization and temporary relief of deportation
• DACA applications are reviewed by the federal government
• Provides temporary social security card for WORK ONLY
• DOES NOT GRANT U.S. CITIZENSHIP

Know Your Rights: General, National Immigration Law Center

Know Your Rights: If DACA Ends, National Immigration Law Center

Know Your Rights: Conozca Sus Derechos

Students with question about the status of their DACA applications or status, can stop by the DREAM Resource Program office at the Aptos campus (Building 100, Office 104) or schedule a free appointment with one of the organizations listed below. They have volunteers ready to help.

Santa Cruz County Immigration Project (SCCIP)

406 Main Street, Suite 203
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 274-3159

Catholic Charities' Immigration and Citizenship Program

656 Main Street
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 722-2675, Ext: 2

Advanced Parole grants DACA recipients the opportunity to obtain a permit to travel abroad for educational, employment, or humanitarian purposes.