Free Legal Service for Communities Affected by Ruling on DAPA and Expanded DACA

BOSTON - Thursday, June 23, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced a free immigration legal consultation event will be held on July 23, 2016 at Madison Park High School in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the preliminary injunction that continues to prevent the implementation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive actions on immigration, announced in November 2014.

"I am disappointed that the preliminary injunction preventing the implementation of the executive actions on immigration known as DAPA and expanded DACA remains in place," said Mayor Walsh. "Millions of families in the United States and thousands of Bostonians have been waiting too long for some form of immigration relief. My Office for Immigrant Advancement is working with community organizations to hold a clinic in July to educate affected individuals and to determine eligibility for other forms of immigration relief."  

"We are disappointed that the Supreme Court's ruling continues to prevent DAPA and expanded DACA from being implemented," said Alejandra St. Guillen, Director of the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement. "Through our DACA/DAPA Outreach and Education Initiative, we are coordinating with community partners to make sure that our residents are well-informed and to prevent immigration scams. We will continue to support those who are eligible for the original version of DACA announced in 2012 to submit their applications and renewals."  

The free immigration legal consultation event will be held at Madison Park High School in Roxbury from 10AM to 4PM on Saturday, July 23rd. Interested individuals should call (617) 635-0008 for an appointment.  

Because the preliminary injunction remains in effect, applications for DAPA and expanded DACA are not available. However, applications and renewals for the original version of DACA, announced in 2012, continue to be available.  

Since DAPA and expanded DACA were announced, the City of Boston under Mayor Walsh's leadership has taken steps to offer information and resources to members of the immigrant community.  

In April, Mayor Walsh launched Immigrant Information Corners to provide information about resources and services available to help advance the well-being of the city's immigrant residents. The Immigrant Information Corners are located at the Boston Public Library's Central Library in Copley Square and 24 neighborhood branches. The launch of the Immigrant Information Corners is the result of a letter of agreement signed by Mayor Walsh and Leon Rodriguez, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in June 2015 to promote citizenship in Boston by providing materials on the naturalization process, warning residents about scams, and highlighting the benefits and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.  

In March 2016, Mayor Walsh joined 117 mayors, county executives, and local governments, as well as the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the executive actions on immigration in United States v. Texas, the lawsuit that led to the preliminary injunction preventing the implementation of expanded DACA and DAPA.