ROCHELLE –– DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, allowed children who came to the United States before June 15, 2007, under the age of 16, requirements to request deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, making them eligible for work authorization.
The current program will continue to March 5, 2018 and unless it becomes law 800,000 young people enrolled nationwide, 42,000 in Illinois, would start losing their ability to lawfully hold a job, buy a home, or join the military.   
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “Deferred action is a use of prosecutorial discretion to defer removal action against an individual for a certain period of time. Deferred action does not provide lawful status.”
The Rochelle League of Women Voters will host an Immigration Law and DACA informational night on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. The panel will be held at Rochelle City Hall with Attorneys Sara Dady and Bethany Hoffmann of Dady & Hoffmann LLC- Rockford. LULAC Rochelle president, Jacky Aguilera, will be present at the presentation to provide Spanish interpretation.

Dady and Hoffmann will explain immigration law and how it affects individuals and families and the uncertainty of DACA.
“It is important for our community to be informed of what the end of the DACA Policy means and how it affects its recipients,” explained Aguilera. “Also, immigration law is very complicated and our community needs to be informed of the changes, resources, and what other forms of relief may be available to our undocumented community.”
The League of Women Voters invites the public to attend this presentation and bring their questions about immigration law and its effects.
Aguilera encourages everyone regardless of their citizenship status to attend the presentation.
“As a community it is important to know all of the facts and to disseminate correct information. It is our responsibility as neighbors, friends, teachers, law enforcement officers, community leaders, and parents, to have a solid understanding of our immigration laws and help create a safe and secure environment for all of our community members regardless of legal status,” encouraged Aguilera.
For more information contact Adriana Milan at 815-561-2063 or Diane McNeilly at 815-562-5769.
Aguilera added, “Even though you may not think you are directly affected by changes in our immigration laws-you are! As long as we are members of this great nation all changes in our laws are important and should be of importance to every single person. Please attend the presentation this Thursday and receive important and accurate immigration facts.”