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Latin American Community Center launches new Family Immigration Services Program

Courtesy of the LACC

 

LACC’s family immigration services program will join Catholic Charities and the Service for the Foreign Born as the only providers of these kids of services in the First State.

Maria Mesias, LACC’s new immigration specialist, isn’t a lawyer, but she is able to do many of the same tasks as an attorney, at a much lower cost. For representing an undocumented person filling out forms for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) the LACC's fee will be about a tenth what a lawyer would charge.

 

"They are charging anywhere from $1000 to $1500 for DACA and our fees are $100 to $150," says Mesias.

The program is permitted to operate while it waits to receive accreditation and recognition from the Board of Immigration Appeals, a process which will take around a year and a half.

Mesias adds that once Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) goes through (it's temporarily blocked right now in a federal district court), she anticipates many people will try to use the Family Immigration Services Program. 

"When that happens, I know we’re going to see a large number of people," said Mesias.

Mesias says the program is also interested in advocating for immigrant rights and reform more broadly across the region.

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