Tuesday, June 4, 2013

A DREAMer's story: FALDEF Client, John Quidilla




Hi my name is John Quidilla. I live here in Plano, Texas with my family.

I moved to here in March 1999 with my family for my father’s work with a Visa. I finished middle school, high school, and started college here.  On July 20, 2008 my father passed away.  Along with this my family’s Green card process was stopped. My mom and siblings were able to retain their legal status, but my application for a student Visa was denied. My family and I thought it would be best for me to finish college here and go from there.

In November of 2011 I was picked up by I.C.E. early morning at my home. I was detained and taken to a detention center to be questioned. I waited in a holding cell for a couple of hours but was released on bail and allowed to go home later that day.

My mom searched for lawyers and found FALDEF. She called them to ask for help and they agreed to work on my case. After 3 court dates, President Obama’s executive order and 8 months after filing for DACA, I finally get my Employment Authorization card.

Thanks to the help and support of FALDEF, Phil-Am Chamber of Commerce of Texas, friends and family that I am still here today.