SRLP’s Director of Immigrant Justice Project, Sei Young Pyo, explains how the benefits of DACA is beyond the reach of many TGNCI immigrants.
“DACA is not at all a program that helps what I would say are the most vulnerable of the very vulnerable population of undocumented youth,” explained Sei Young Pyo, who provides legal services to low-income trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) clients at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. DACA recipients fit into society’s definition of the “good immigrant” working hard to better themselves and society. Yet as Pyo explained, “Survival crimes are huge for immigrants who don’t have community or economic support.” If they have a criminal record or could not complete high school, undocumented TGNC folks can be relegated by lawmakers into the category of “bad immigrants” who don’t deserve benefits like DACA.
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