Deferred action workshops help Madison residents navigate a complicated process

Madison Commons staffer Emily Genco visited the deferred action workshop on Nov. 16 and put together an audio slideshow of the event. The workshop was hosted by the Catholic Multicultural Center in conjunction with the Latino Support Network, Latinos United for Change and Advancement, Community Immigration Law Center, Jewish Social Services and Centro Hispano.

Deferred action allows individuals who meet certain criteria to apply for a two year work authorization that will protect them from deportation. Applicants must have been younger than 31 on June 15, brought to the US when they were under 16, continuously lived in the U.S. since June 15, 2007, and satisfy an education requirement. Honorable discharge from the military also fulfills the education requirement.

Genco spoke with two volunteers about the workshop. Eduard De La Torre is a sophomore political science major at UW-Madison, and Claire Culver is a senior at UW-Madison majoring in Spanish as well as Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies.