New dreams for immigrants affected by President Obama’s action

Noemi Reyes was just a toddler when her family left the Mexican state of Oaxaca for a better life in California. In the two decades that have passed, Reyes said she has harbored a deep fear of being torn apart from her loved ones by deportation.

On Friday, that fear subsided more than a little for Reyes, who said she breathed a sigh of relief after President Barack Obama pledged Thursday to provide a temporary stay of deportation for an estimated 5 million undocumented immigrants living in the country.

“It’s been very stressful, not knowing and waiting,” said Reyes, a Santa Rosa resident whose undocumented parents would qualify for the reprieve because one of her brothers was born in the United States. She was granted a reprieve two years ago through a separate move by Obama, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

Her parents now can look forward to carrying out daily chores - “driving and walking around” - without fearing immediate deportation, Reyes said Friday.

It’s a feeling that will be shared by the thousands of immigrants in Sonoma County and the Bay Area who are expected to benefit under the new deferred action. It is expected to ease travel to their home countries and open up opportunities for education, work and other everyday connections to community life.

Some organizations and institutions already are starting to prepare for that emergence.

Rafael Vázquez, who works with immigrants as an outreach specialist for Santa Rosa Junior College, expects to see more undocumented parents pursue higher education.

“We definitely have a good number of individuals who would want to come over and join classes, including English,” Vázquez said. “They all tell me the same thing: ‘I want to go to college. I want it to be more accessible.’ ”

The college already has an open-door policy, but those formerly leery of filling out applications with their personal details may feel more comfortable now, said Kristin Shear, the student financial services director.

At other agencies, Obama’s action won’t change much.

Those eligible for the reprieve won’t qualify for benefits under the Affordable Care Act, Medi-?Cal or the CalFresh supplemental food program, according to Karen Fies, an assistant director for the Sonoma County Human Services Department.

“There will be no change to that,” she said. “They’re still not eligible.”

But undocumented immigrants may be more inclined to walk into a government building to apply for aid for their U.S.-born children if they no longer fear deportation, Fies said.

The Graton Day Labor Center is working on a plan to help those who may be affected by the presidential action. The center plans to hold clinics and bring in attorneys and other experts to help fill out applications. Staff also expects to raise money to help some people cover the application fee, which could be between $500 and $1,000, according to immigration attorneys familiar with similar processes.

The path to securing a reprieve from deportation is not an easy one, according to immigrant advocates.

Two years ago, roughly 2 million people were said to be eligible for deferred action under DACA, but only a quarter of them applied and were approved, said Jesus Guzman, a Graton labor center organizer.

“Clearly, there have been other obstacles,” he said.

Guzman said advocates would continue to press for a long-term immigration solution that would include the estimated 6 million undocumented immigrants who won’t be eligible under Obama’s latest action.

That group includes Isidro Vence Rodriguez, a Santa Rosa man who said he was happy some will get a reprieve; he will not qualify because all of his children were born in Mexico and he came to the country illegally as an adult.

“We need to continue to fight for the cause,” he urged a room packed with day laborers and advocates during a news conference Friday at the day labor center.

Pedro Carrillo, who also spoke at the news conference, said his 84-year-old father is dying from prostate cancer and a pulmonary disorder in Mexico. Because Carrillo appears to be eligible under Obama’s new order - four of his seven children were born in the U.S. - he hopes to visit his father, something he has not done in 21 years.

“I don’t think he’s going to last another year,” Carrillo said.

Under the new executive order, which Obama signed Friday before an appearance in Las Vegas, undocumented parents of citizens and lawful residents will be able to seek work permits and temporary protection from deportation for three years as long as they’ve lived in the country for at least five years. They also must pass a criminal background check and pay a fee and taxes.

“It should look a lot like the DACA application,” said Santa Rosa immigration attorney Richard Coshnear, who formed the nonprofit Vital Immigrant Defense Advocacy and Services.

He added that those who have U.S.-born stepchildren likely will qualify, too. The earliest application date under the new program may be May, according to experts.

Obama also promised to broaden the DACA program, extending eligibility to those who arrived in the country as minors before 2010, regardless of age. Coshnear expected those newly eligible immigrants to be able to start applying by February.

Coshnear has filed 400 to 500 applications with the federal government since DACA was rolled out two years ago. He expects to see as many, if not more, applications under the new plan.

“I expect we’ll be doing hundreds or possibly a thousand in this office,” he said.

Once applications are made available, he urged people to get help from trained individuals.

“Unfortunately, there is a long history in the U.S. of people taking advantage of immigrants,” he said.

Kathy Differding, director of immigration and citizenship services for California Human Development, which helps file DACA applications for a nominal fee, also cautioned applicants about people claiming they can file an application immediately.

“Until the dates have been stated, there’s no point to make an appointment with anyone. We don’t even know what forms will be used,” she said. “The main thing is nobody should be giving anybody any money (right now).”

Rene Reyes Aparicio, a Santa Rosa resident and father of a U.S. citizen, said the first thing he’d do once granted a reprieve from deportation is to seek permission to travel to his native Mexico. He left behind a daughter there 14 years ago. She is now 16 years old.

“I’ll finally be able to go see my daughter,” he said, tearing up Friday.

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.