Five women and four men make up this Dream 9, deriving their name from
the Dream Act. These Mexican nationals had been illegally brought into
the country when they were young. They have spent most of their lives
in the U.S. Some of them returned to, and others were deported to Mexico.
They tried to reenter the U.S. at Nogales, in protest of the deportation
of hundreds of thousands of people in recent years. They were arrested
July 22, and they were held at Eloy Detention Center until Wednesday, the 7th of August. They filed for asylum. They said that because they have lived
for so long in the U.S., they and their families are targeted in their
native country. Immigration asylum officers found that these activists
have a "credible fear" of persecution if they are returned to
Mexico. These nine immigrants will get a hearing, where it will be decided
whether or not their asylum applications will be accepted.
This would be a rare occurrence, as about 98% of the asylum claims that
come from Mexican nationals are denied. This is despite the spike in such
cases in recent years. The results of the Dream 9's applications are
definitely something to watch for, though the process will likely take
years to finish.
The legislation after which these nine are named, the Dream Act, would
pave the way to citizenship for some immigrants who have been unlawfully
brought into the country as children. This is only if it passes, and it
is not yet a law. Currently, those who would qualify for the Dream Act
would probably qualify for deferred action. Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals means deferring
removal (or deportation) for 2 years. This deferred action can be renewed. If
someone qualifies for this, he or she can get a work permit. This is just
one of the recent changes in immigration. It is yet to be seen what other
changes there might be, as the Dream Act and the fate of the Dream 9 are
still up in the air.
As legislation shifts and new possibilities open up, our North Carolina
immigration attorneys stay up to date with it all. We can help take out
the uncertainty in the immigration process and help you achieve your goals.
If you need any legal help, do not wait to
contact Robert Brown LLC.