No LGBTQ Exclusion in Immigration Reform

Copyright, Julio Salgado

The Washington Dream Act Coalition is pushing for LGBTQ inclusion in Immigration Reform. 

As the bill advances for a Judiciary Committee vote next week, immigrant rights activists like the Washington Dream Act Coalition will push for an LGBTQ inclusion in any path to citizenship. Read NY Times article HERE. 

It is up to all of us to stand up and share why it's important to make sure ALL families have a path to citizenship with dignity and respect. 

Whether you support marriage equality or not, real lives are at stake; families are at risk of being separated. 

This issue hits close to home. For Otts Bolisay and his partner LGBTQ inclusion would mean family unity:

"We'll be leaving the country again without any clear way to return unless laws or other things change."  

-Otts Bolisay and Ken Thompson- 

Read the full story HERE

DACA Resources for Washington Dreamers

I applied for DACA and did most of it myself, with the guidance of an attorney. 

I spent a total of $150.00 in lawyer fees. Even so, I wish I had had a page like this during the process. 

Applying, I found out you have to look really hard for resources; no one is going to do it for you (except here at the WDAC). Filling out your own application and using a lawyer just to review it will save you about $1,000.00. 

The bulk of the work is proving continuous presence five years back.  

DACA

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, provides a temporary work permit for eligible dreamers. Do I qualify?

Before hiring a lawyer for about $1,200.00, consider filling out the application on your own if:

• Your case is simple (no misdemeanors or arrests) 
• You have a lawyer who will look at your package before submission for a reduced fee; approximately, $200.00. Check the Colectiva Legal del Pueblo below

Colectiva Legal del Pueblo 

• Low cost, sometimes free legal assistance for DACA applicants
• Also, deportation defense, adjustment of status, asylum applications, TPS, VAWA, T and U visa applicants..  

The Korean Women's association, click HERE

•  Help filling out DACA applications by trained staff at reduced cost at multiple locations in WA. 

Progress 21-Community Loans, click HERE

• Get $465: $360 as a social loan 
• Then, get a $105 as a matching gift from Progress21
• Build your credit

NWIRP- Workshops and legal clinics,  click HERE

• Free clinics by appointment and occasionally, DACA workshops.

WDAC members attend We Belong Together Conference in DC

WDAC in DC

I had the opportunity to attend the We Belong Together conference in Washington DC through one of our partners, OneAmerica, from March 18-19. 

Not Alone

The purpose of this conference was to bring women active in the immigrant rights movement together to share their own personal stories with congress, advocate for women’s rights and stress the fact that families can no longer be separated. Our Washington State coalition met with congressmenbers and spoke on behalf of women’s rights being integral to immigration reform. Among the attendees of the conference was activist Sandra Fluke, political leader Mee Moua and labor rights leader Dolores Huerta.

Among the many different politicians that the group met, the vast majority of the representatives and senators were in support of the Dream Act and were excited to see it pass the state level, and advocate for it on the federal level as well.

Our movement

We at WDAC, want others to remember how both LGBTQ and Women’s Rights are integral in the intersecting communities found within the immigrant community. This conference was a highlight in remembering just how important they are to our movement.

#Not1more

This was just the first of more trips to come for those who want to continue being involved in the federal level. Now is the time to help fund raise and act as the Senate bill will be introduced shortly!

Immigration reform now! 

Update: Undocumented Student from Bellevue Battles Cancer and Tuition Hikes

Majority Leader, Rodney Tom
from Bellevue

Update 3/13/13: 

HB 1817, The Washington Dream Act passes the House with a historic 77-20 votes in favor. 

Now, it's up to the Senate. 

Contact Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom to bring it up for a vote. 


phone: (360) 786-7694
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2/18/13 Original post

Bellevue Dreamer, Luis Morales

Tomorrow, dreamers from across Washington will testify on the Washington State Dream Act. The bill means access to higher education for those who are struggling the most.
         
We already know that the rising cost of tuition is a pain in the rear for WA students with affluent families and a debt sentence for those who go the route of student loans.

Even those who get state aid still struggle. We don't know when tuition hikes will stop, but we know one thing for sure: tuition hikes are a tall wall that not everyone can climb.

WDAC Co-Founder Jessica Oscoy Back In School For Another Year

Jessica Oscoy (front-left) 

Congratulations to WDAC Co-Founder Jessica Oscoy for her academic accomplishments and being an inspiration to others working on pursuing their dreams.  

"Finally heard back from the last scholarship I applied to! These past two years, with the help of one scholarship, I have been paying for my own education.  Those who know me well, know how difficult this has been, but I am a great believer in simply thinking positive and believing things will work out for the best.  Thanks to LEAP, OMAD, and Foster I will be back in school for another year! There is definitely someone out there watching out for me : ) ~ Jessica Oscoy on Facebook