Five Years On, DACA Continues To Improve Lives

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Today marks the 5th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has given protection, peace of mind and financial stability to close to 800,000 young immigrants and their families nationwide.

California is home to more than a quarter of all DACA beneficiaries, with 222,000. In San Diego, there are about 40,000 people who might be eligible. Alliance San Diego supports this vital program and has partnered with trusted immigration attorneys in the community to offer free legal consultations for people interested in learning about DACA as well as other forms of immigration relief.

Itzel Guillen, Immigrant Integration Coordinator at Alliance San Diego and a DACA beneficiary, released the following statement:

"I graduated from high school three days before DACA was announced. At the time, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to afford to go to college, but I was very enthusiastic to be able to work and serve my community. For me, applying for DACA was a risk worth taking. I graduated from San Diego State University this year. I think many times, in the midst of the rhetoric, we lose sight of the real impact these policies have on people's lives. Although DACA provides temporary immigration relief, it is by no means a permanent solution. That's why we must continue to fight for immigration reform and for policies such as Senate Bill 54, "California Values Act," which helps protect immigrant communities in California."

For more information about upcoming workshops visit ReadyNowSanDiego.org.

About Alliance San Diego

Alliance San Diego is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) community empowerment organization working to ensure that all people can achieve their full potential in an environment of harmony, safety, equality, and justice. Our mission is to to provide a means for diverse individuals and organizations to share information, collaborate on issues and mobilize for change in the pursuit of social justice, especially in low-income communities and communities of color. We pursue this mission through targeted civic engagement programs and strategic coalitions that focus on specific issues and policy reforms.

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