EVENT: July 27, 2012 - FREE Legal Clinic

FREE Legal Clinics at the FALDEF office in NY (July, Aug and September). FREE Legal advice and representation to young people who qualify as DREAM Act students under the June 12, 2012 President Obama Directive for Deferred Action Status. Dream Act eligible young people granted 'Deferred Action" are eligible for work authorization.

DREAMers warned against scammers

Officials at the “Know Your Rights” seminar at St. Francis of Assisi Parish on 33rd Street in Manhattan on July 6.

(photo credit: Filipino Reporter)

More and more DREAMers, the young immigrants covered by the administrative relief announced last month by President Barack Obama, are reportedly being taken advantage of by unscrupulous immigration attorneys and notary public telling them they must pay as much as $4,000 to move ahead with deferred action.

Various stories and reports are running rampant across the country.

Know Your Rights Seminar at St. Francis of Assisi - July 5, 2012

“Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

(photo credit: Steven Raga)

In these words of the patron saint of peacemakers, The Church and Friary of St. Francis of Assisi hosted a forum on July 5^th that honored their mission of being a “WITNESS to our faith by ministering to everyone, especially those who are poor, alienated or oppressed”. The Philippine Consulate General of New York (PCGNY www.pcgny.org ), in cooperation with the Fil-Am Defense Fund (FALDEF www.faldef.org ) presented a “Know Your Rights Seminar” immediately after the weekday evening mass.

It was a resounding success. It was a perfect melding of the Consul’s mission of assisting and protecting its citizens in another country and FALDEF’s pro-bono mission of educating and defending the rights of those marginalized by society, particularly with regards to immigration. The attendance overflowed as benches were brought into the hall and yet some, who came later, had to stand while the young ones sat comfortably on the floor. Handouts disseminated by FALDEF gave basic information on the Obama Directive on Dreamers as well as dates for legal clinics at their FALDEF office (see below for details).

(photo credit: Dino Villa-Real)

A powerful and informative presentation by FALDEF President Atty. JT Mallonga allowed people to get a summarized idea of the Obama Executive Order on Dream Act. Being the lead attorney of the Dreamer, Jose Antonio Vargas who was on the cover of Time Magazine recently (www.dreamact.info ), it gave those in the room the sense of empowerment for them to ask questions anonymously during the Open Forum segment of the seminar. It was Consul Felipe Carino III who read the collected questions from the audience some of which were fielded by Atty. Mallonga, the Deputy Consul General Theresa Dizon de Vega and by Atty. Rio Guerrero of Guerrero Yee LLP who gave a presentation on Labor Rights. A delicious dinner was also served to those present thereby feeding not only their spirit but bodies as well.

In support of FALDEF, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) had its Executive Director Steve Raga, Director of Advocacy, and State of NJ Chair, Nimfa Tinana were present. They, along with other FALDEF members Angie Cruz, Phd, Joe Ramos and other volunteers, helped make the seminar the success that it was.

The ministering act of four organizations come together to serve the voiceless in the community is the kind of work that will one day achieve the impossible: the humane treatment of our brothers and sisters who are out of status. After all, though this was but one event, St. Francis life exemplifies that he lived what he believed, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

For those who are interested, the following are the pertinent information for the FALDEF & NaFFAA legal clinic sessions:

WHERE:      FALDEF office, Lovin Life Center, 4 West 43^rd St, Suite 505, NY, NY 10038

WHEN:         JUL 27, AUG 24, SEPT 28, 3-8PM

CONTACT: (212) 221-1888, Atty. JT Mallonga @ jtmallonga@faldef.org, Atty. Merit Salud efsalud@aol.com

*submitted by Marie Aunio, FALDEF's Special Assistant to the President

EVENT: July 6, 2012 Know Your Rights Seminar

6:45PM - 8:30PM

Seminar on your rights as an immigrant in the United States and the DREAMers initiative by Pres. Obama.

St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Damaso Hall, 129 West 31st St. NYC

sponsored by St. Francis of Assisi Parish Community in cooperation with FALDEF and Philippine Consulate General New York.