Austin High School Partners with City of Houston to Offer Information on DACA

DACA initiative allows reprieve from deportation if certain criteria are met

October 19, 2012

Stephen F. Austin High School, in partnership with the City of Houston Office of International Communities, will hold a community meeting on the Department of Homeland Security's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.

The meeting will take place on Thurs., Oct. 25 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Austin HS auditorium (1700 Dumble). The event is free, and the public is invited.

The DACA initiative will offer a two-year grant of reprieve from deportation as well as work authorization for unauthorized immigrants who were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012 and who can demonstrate that they meet the following criteria:

  • Entered the United States before the age of 16
  • Have continuously resided in the U.S. since June 15, 2007, up to the present, and were physically present on June 15, 2012, and at the time of application
  • Are currently in school, have graduated from high school or earned a GED, or are honorably discharged veterans of the U.S. armed forces
  • Have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors or otherwise pose a threat to public safety or national security
  • Entered the country illegally or overstayed their visa prior to June 15, 2012

 "Schools are hubs for disseminating information." Austin HS Principal Jorge Arredondo said. "This is an important opportunity for us to ensure that our community is provided accurate and timely information so that they can make educated decisions. We are grateful to the COH OIC for helping us to serve our students and the larger community with this presentation."

Benito Juarez of the COH OIC added, "When partnerships like these between an educational institution such as AHS and the City of Houston, we can more effectively inform the community of programs that may benefit them."

According to the Migration Policy Institute, as many as 1.76 million unauthorized immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children could potentially be eligible for this program. In Texas, MPI estimates there are 210,000 potentially eligible immigrants.