Starting Aug. 15, kids who were brought to the United States illegally can apply for temporary legal status and work permits under a new Obama administration program. According to the Migration Policy Institute, up to 20,000 people could be eligible in Massachusetts.
Isabel Vargas, 20, said it was the day she’s been waiting for.
“I have all my paperwork together! And applying for this, just grabbing the application gave me hope that I do belong in this country. That I’ll be able to contribute. And it just gave me a sense that I belong here that I’ve never had in my whole life,” she said.
She was with a number of other undocumented immigrants meeting at Boston Legal Aid Services to get help and advice from immigration lawyers on filling out the forms. The work permits will essentially allow holders to come out of the shadows; they will be able to get driver’s licenses, open bank accounts, and apply for scholarships for college.
Vargas said the permit would change her life. She was brought to the U.S. illegally when she was 8, and said she’s been living in a constant state of anxiety:
“A lot of us live with a fear that we are going to get deported if we do any mistake. For me going to, being in a car with your friends, and if they go through a red light or something? There’s a fear. There’s a constant fear of getting deported and not being here.”
Immigrants who are under the age of 31 and were brought into the country before their 16th birthdays are eligible for the permits. They will be able to stay in the country legally for two years and work or go to school without fear of deportation.
