Holding communities with care

By Michelle Celleri, Legal Rights Director at Alliance San Diego

When I left my law firm to join Alliance San Diego, I couldn’t have imagined the amount of people I would encounter and the relationships I would build.

More than anything, I have been humbled by the profound impact those we serve have had on me. As the legal rights director, I work with a dedicated team that is providing hundreds of community members, including immigrants who originate from all over the world, with the information, resources, and assistance they need to protect their human rights.

An important part of our work is to help people move down the continuum from undocumented immigrant to documented immigrant, permanent resident, new citizen, and registered voter, all the while developing the leadership of community members to be active participants in our democracy. Over the last year, we have assisted more than 400 immigrants with applications to move them down the continuum. Nearly half have become U.S. citizens who will be eligible to vote in the coming election.

Now we have an opportunity to assist DACA recipients (young undocumented community members given temporary status) in a critical way on their pathway to citizenship. Currently, many DACA recipients are unable to obtain lawful permanent residency status because they did not have a lawful entry into the United States — a requirement by the US government. To gain that lawful entry, DACA recipients are eligible to travel abroad on Advance Parole and return, but many don’t have a qualifying reason for travel. This is where we can help! 

Alliance San Diego is launching a new DACA leadership workshop to assist DACA recipients in applying for Advance Parole to attend a transboundary Start With Dignity workshop that will take place in San Diego and Tijuana. We will not only assist with filing applications, but also conduct leadership training through a healing framework that elevates, claims, and protects inherent dignity. Our staff will also accompany participants through their border crossing during their return to the United States. This unique opportunity is now receiving applications, with only 50 spots to fill. 

Today we are inviting our supporters to invest in this program aimed to help DACA recipients claim their dignity.  A donation of $250 funds one day of the training and $500 funds the whole two-day training. Any amount you give will make a difference. Working together, we can build the collective power to hold our communities with care.