Every other Friday, junior Bryan Barajas volunteers at the Village Oaks School. He helps fellow immigrants apply for a chance in the land of dreams. This chance is given in the form of the Development Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, otherwise known as the DREAM Act.
President Barack Obama signed an executive order on June 15, that gives certain immigrants a legal status. This law went into effect in mid-August.
Barajas has been volunteering at Village Oaks for two months. The program started about five months ago.
Undocumented students were a big concern of the Lincoln Latin Leadership group.
“Parents asked questions and we didn’t have the answer so we went to find the right answer,” said Ileana Ortiz, co-president of Lincoln Latin Leadership.
The answer they found is to help undocumented students apply for the DREAM Act for free. El Concilio trained a group of volunteers who have passed on what they learned to other volunteers.
Barajas had struggled at first while helping people apply but picked up on it quickly.
His first time helping someone was when he still hadn’t even thought about volunteering yet. Someone who was applying at the same time needed help and there was no one to assist him, so Barajas stepped in. Although he wasn’t confident in the little knowledge he had about the DREAM Act, he was still able to help.
“It was hard at first, but it became easier every time I helped someone.” After two months of work experience, “I have memorized the process and am confident in what I do.”
Barajas found it easy to answer the questions that were constantly thrown at him since “everybody asks the same questions, even I used to ask them myself.”
He had applied for the act a few months before he started volunteering and had received a lot of help from the volunteers.
“The reason I help out is because they helped me and I wanted to help them back,” he said.
One of the few people that Barajas has helped is Lorena Molina. Even though he wasn’t assigned to help her he was “nice and helpful,” and “explained the process really well” making it easier for her to understand.
The process itself “was not hard but more frustrating,” said the sophomore, referring to the rigorous amount of paperwork she had to provide, like old water and electricity bills. She had to find proof that she has been in America before she turned 15 and that she has lived in America for at least five years.
“The hardest part about it is knowing where to go,” Barajas said.
Village Oaks is not the only place that offers assistance. There are other places that offer help like Catholic Charities, where junior Nayeli Ramos went to for help.
This opportunity to apply and to get a temporary citizenship is open to all but not many people go for it. And one reason is that “some people are scared that they might get deported if they aren’t accepted.” Ramos said. When applying a person’s record in America would have to be reported. And once they’re in the decision of whether or not a person is accepted is up to the government. “And if they don’t like it (the records) then you will become an easy target for deportation.”
But even so she still encourages people to apply for it.
“It’s a really good opportunity for those who don’t have the opportunity,” Ramos said. “(And) if you don’t take the opportunity now you don’t know when another one will come.”
