Head of UNLV Immigration Clinic sees Dreamer program on ‘borrowed time,’ with financial consequences spiraling through the community if it is eliminated. A Wednesday decision by a federal judge in Texas against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program paints a grim future for “Dreamers,” who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. DACA, an… [Read More]
Addressing mental health challenges for Latino communities
Editor’s note: This is the second installment of the KUNR series Mental Health in the Silver State. In the coming months, we’ll continue to explore how mental health impacts the lives of Nevadans. Jaime Gonzalez-Aguirre started working when he was very young, either helping his immigrant father with a taco truck or mowing lawns. When… [Read More]
Updating the Nevada Policy Tracker: Immigration issues in the 2023 legislative session
For the first time since the 2017 session, a Legislature led by a Democratic majority is working alongside a Republican governor to set policy for Nevadans. The Nevada Independent is tracking key pieces of legislation and policy debates on this page. Read further below for a summary of the most interesting storylines in the Legislature this year, and… [Read More]
Bill would allow DACA recipients to qualify for in-state college tuition in Nevada
A bill would allow DACA recipients to qualify for in-state tuition at all public schools and colleges after living in Nevada for a year. Recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program could qualify for in-state college tuition if lawmakers pass Assembly Bill 226. The proposed measure would apply to individuals with temporary protected status… [Read More]
‘All eyes are on Congress’ after latest blow to DACA program bars first-time applicants
Maria Nieto Orta was driving home to Las Vegas last week from a family vacation in Utah when she found out about a federal judge’s decision to close the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, to first-time applicants. “I just remember being super sad about it, and kind of sitting in silence… [Read More]
DACA celebrates its 9th anniversary
Local leaders and immigrant advocates marked the ninth anniversary of the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) by once again calling for congressional action on pending legislation that would create a path to citizenship for thousands of “Dreamers.” Tuesday marked the anniversary of the Obama-era DACA program, which protects an estimated 640,000 people nationwide… [Read More]
House approves bill to legalize DREAMers, TPS recipients
The House approved legislation this week that would provide a path to citizenship to about 2.5 million people brought to the U.S. illegally as children, including 12,000 in Nevada. The House also approved legislation to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented farmworkers, renewed protections against victims of domestic violence and removed the deadline to ratify… [Read More]
Judge orders full DACA restoration after the program hung in the balance for three years
Nevada DREAMers celebrated a federal judge’s decision Friday afternoon that requires the federal government to fully restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to function as it did prior to September 2017, when President Donald Trump terminated it. U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York ordered the… [Read More]
A Nevada family navigates voting for the first time
Researching and completing one’s ballot can be a complex process during any election, but it’s a totally new experience for first-time voters, especially those with language barriers. Reporter Natalie Van Hoozer spoke with Kenia Ramírez, a new voter who helped her whole family cast ballots for the first time this year. Natalie Van Hoozer: Kenia,… [Read More]
Nevada ACLU attorney on what’s next for DACA
Last week the Supreme Court voted to uphold the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, which grants a two-year work permit and protection from deportation to nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. KUNR’s Natalie Van Hoozer spoke with Holly Welborn, the policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada (ACLU)… [Read More]