►
Description
Councilwoman Helen Gym (At Large) and partners announced The Dreamers Initiative, a new fundraising campaign to provide financial assistance for DACA-eligible youth at City Hall on Monday, September 11, 2017.
In attendance:
Councilwoman Helen Gym (At Large) Philadelphia City Council
Miriam Enriquez, City of Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs
Sundrop Carter, PA Immigration and Citizenship Coalition / PA is Ready!
Bob Brady, Congressman, 1st District Pennsylvania
Rob Reed, Office of Pennsylvania Attorney General
DACA recipients
BACKGROUND:
The Dreamers Initiative, a project of the PA is Ready! coalition supported by The Philadelphia Foundation, will assist undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children and are impacted by the sudden reversal of the federal policy known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). Immigrants with DACA work permits that expire before March 5, 2018 are facing a tight deadline to apply for a one-time renewal, and many will find the $495 application fee a challenge. Until September 25, donations to the Dreamers Initiative through the PA is Ready! fund at The Philadelphia Foundation will cover the cost of these fees. Any remaining funds raised will be used to support PA is Ready!'s work providing increased access to legal assistance and "know your rights" education for immigrant families. Clinics and workshops will be held in the coming weeks to assist with DACA applications.
Link: https://www.philafound.org/OurWork/Updates/ViewArticle/tabid/96/ArticleId/54/Support-Pennsylvania-Dreamers.aspx
A
A
The
dreamers
initiative
has
been
created.
This
is
a
new
fundraising
campaign
to
provide
financial
assistance
to
daca
eligible
youth.
As
many
of
you
know,
immigrants
eligible
to
renew
their
daca
status
before
March
5th
2018,
like
I
said,
are
facing
a
really
tight
deadline
for
that
one-time
renewal,
and
it
has
to
be
done
by
October
5th
2017.
As
a
result,
beyond
the
dreamers
initiative
which
will
lend
financial
assistance
and
I'm
gonna,
let
the
Councilwoman
really
get
into
more
of
the
details
on
that.
A
Many
of
our
local
nonprofit
organizations
are
holding
clinics
and
information
sessions
to
help
those
seeking
help
with
their
daca
status.
I
cannot
stress
enough
how
important
it
is
to
seek
help
before
the
deadline
to
ensure
no
opportunity
is
missed.
Furthermore,
I
cannot
stress
enough
how
important
it
is
to
seek
the
right
kind
of
help
to
assist
our
Philadelphia
community.
The
city
has
put
together
a
daca
section:
aren't
our
immigration
action
guide?
A
The
guide
will
be
updated
as
information
becomes
available
and
if
you
have
questions
about
daca
or
you
need
to
find
a
clinic
near
you,
please
go
to
the
action
guide
as
well
as
the
pic
website
to
all
of
our
immigrant
communities.
Philadelphia
continues
to
be
a
welcoming
City
to
our
Philadelphia
daca
recipients.
I
say
to
you
that
remember
that
there
are
people
that
want
to
help.
B
Thank
you
very
much
Miriam
here
in
challenging
times.
We
stand
here
together
to
show
that
a
collaboration
among
Pennsylvania's
federal
state,
local
electeds
makes
a
difference
and
ignites
change.
I'm,
proud
to
stand
with
the
mayor's
office,
Mayor
James
Kenny,
to
unveil
the
dreamers
initiative,
a
special
fund
of
the
cities
foundation,
the
Philadelphia
Foundation
and
telling
our
Pennsylvania
dreamers
that
they
will
not
face
the
challenges
ahead
alone
and
at
the
highest
levels
of
our
city
and
our
state
and
our
nation
that
we
are
with
you
and
we
are
fighting
for
you.
B
The
dreamers
initiative
was
a
conversation
that
started
last
spring
immediately
among
our
immigrant
communities.
As
always,
it
is
our
immigrant
communities
who
lead
the
charge,
the
mayor
and
myself,
and
then
this
summer
we
began
to
have
more
significant
conversations
with
our
allies
and
with
the
Philadelphia
foundation
around
a
fund
that
has
already
been
in
play.
The
the
PA
is
ready
campaign.
B
This
fund,
as
Miriam
explains,
will
cover
the
$495
daca
application
renewal
sees,
which
must
be
in
cash
as
a
money
order
for
income
eligible
Pennsylvanians.
As
we
know,
there
are
some
21,000
daca
recipients
in
Pennsylvania
up
to
5,000
in
Philadelphia.
This
is
four
already
recognized:
Pennsylvania
daca
recipients
who
work
whose
work
permits
already
are
in
existence,
they're
working
Pennsylvanians.
They
pay
their
taxes,
they're
raising
families,
they
run
businesses,
they
go
to
school
and
they
contribute
not
only
to
the
cultural
vitality
of
life.
B
This
is
not
the
time
to
wait
and
hope
for
better
things.
This
is
the
time
to
join
our
immigrant
communities
in
standing
tall.
We
are
seeking
donations
to
show
our
dreamers
that
they
matter
and
that
we
care
and
we
won't
fight.
We
won't
stop
fighting
for
them
each
and
every
day,
not
because
it's
just
about
them,
but
actually
it's
about
us.
B
It's
about
us
and
a
fundamental
challenge
to
the
very
ideals
of
which
our
government
is
founded,
and
we
are
proud
to
stand
with
our
dreamers
with
our
immigrant
communities
and
with
the
organizations
that
have
long
supported
them.
They
were
the
ones
that
brought
the
DREAM
Act
and
the
dream
actually
executive
order
into
being.
They
were
the
ones
who
fought
for
Philadelphia
to
become
a
sanctuary
city,
and
they
continue
to
be
the
ones
to
hold
us
in
challenging
times
to
the
highest
ideals
that
this
nation
must
must
value.
B
My
father
came
to
this
nation
with
a
handful
of
dollars
in
his
pocket,
a
dream
in
his
heart
and
renamed
himself
golden
gym.
When
asked
for
his
new
name,
he
more
than
anyone
else.
I
know
never
lets
go
of
a
dream
of
a
nation
that
can
always
be
better
and
when
one
branch
of
government
is
in
chaos,
we
can
show
that
others
will
step
forward
to
maintain
and
stay
coordinated,
who
will
come
together
and
solve
problems
even
or
perhaps
especially
when
they
are
of
our
own
making.
So
I
want
to
thank
the
mayor.
B
I
want
to
thank
the
Philadelphia
foundation,
congressman
Brady,
governor
wolf,
Attorney
General,
Josh
Shapiro,
for
your
support
and
to
our
immigrant
communities.
We
will
start
with
our
dreamers,
but
we
will
fight
for
your
parents.
We
will
fight
for
your
siblings
and
we
will
fight
to
put
the
nation's
11
million
aspiring
citizens
on
a
road
to
citizenship.
Thank
you.
I'd
love
to
I'm,
proud
to
introduce
Sundra,
Carter
executive
director
of
the
Pennsylvania
Immigration
and
Citizenship
Coalition.
C
Well,
thank
you,
everyone
for
coming
out
this
morning.
You
know.
Last
week's
announcement
ending
daca
was
I,
think
heartbreaking
for
all
of
us
who
work
with
immigrant
communities,
but
it
was
not
a
surprise.
We
have
known
since
the
day
he
was
elected
that
this
president
does
not
value
or
respect
immigrant
and
refugees
in
this
country
and
in
light
of
the
rescission
of
daca
I.
Think
it's
really
time
for
all
of
us
allies,
including
elected
officials
and
public
figures,
to
really
step
up
and
do
more
than
make
symbolic
statements.
C
So,
in
addition
to
this
fund,
which
I
hope
everyone
is
going
to
take
out
your
phone
or
go
home
and
get
on
a
computer
and
donate
immediately
again,
it's
four
hundred
and
ninety
five
dollars
is
the
suggested
donation.
You
can
find
details
about
the
many
events
that
are
be
hosted
across
the
city
so
that
every
single
daca
eligible
person
has
access
to
the
support
they
need
to
get
their
renewal
application.
C
In
on
time,
there's
one
tomorrow
night
hosted
by
highest
Pennsylvania
Wednesday
night,
hosted
by
juntos
Thursday
nights,
hosted
by
Aquinas
Center
just
here
in
Philly,
and
you
can
go
to
our
website
at
pa
immigrant
org,
to
continue
to
find
those
events
that
are
being
hosted
around
the
state
and
I'm
going
to
keep
my
remarks
very
short,
because
there
is
an
amazing
group
of
people
standing
behind
me
who
are
young,
undocumented
Pennsylvanians,
who
are
really
the
leaders
of
this
movement
and
I
would
rather
have
them
talk
than
me.
So
I
believe.
C
D
Good
afternoon
everyone,
my
name,
is
Chris
Powell
and
I'm,
a
daca
recipient.
With
the
recent
news
that
happened
last
week,
my
daca
expired
in
January,
so
I
need
to
renew
mine's
like
yesterday,
so
I
would
appreciate
you
guys
for
donating
to
this
phone.
So
I
can
get
some
money
to
renew
my
dog
because,
as
a
single
parent
of
two
kids
living
paycheck-to-paycheck
$495
is
not,
in
my
account
just
sitting
there
waiting
for
me
to
use
it
to
renew
my
daugher.
D
E
My
name
is
Carolina
masa
daca
recipient
mice
does
not
expire
till
next
year,
but
many
of
my
friends
expires
in
the
next
upcoming
months
and
like
to
pick
it
back
up
what
she
said.
It's
not
about.
We
don't
have
the
money.
A
lot
of
us
are
students
who
are
going
back
to
school
either.
We
just
started
back
in
school
or
going
in
January,
and
we
have
to
pay
for
books
and
supplies
and
that's
a
lot
of
money.
E
But
on
top
of
that,
there's
a
lot
of
single
parents,
people
who
are
their
families
financial
support,
because
their
parents
can't
work
for
a
health
reason,
but
because
of
that
they
don't
have
the
funds
to
pay
four
hundred.
Ninety
five
dollars,
because
they're
paying
pay
paid
to
check
to
check
and
it's
not
necessary
so
because
we
only
got
less
than
what
a
month.
We
need
your
help.
E
E
E
School
is
very
expensive
and
even
though
I
work
and
pay
taxes
I
don't
as
dreamers,
we
don't
get
any
any
aid
back
from
the
government.
So
it's
very
hard
for
a
lot
of
us.
A
lot
of
us
are
living
paycheck
to
paycheck
and
we
need
your
help.
Like
I
said:
I,
I
don't
fall
in
that
category,
where
I
could
renew
my
daca
now,
but
there
are
a
lot
of
people
standing
by
me
and
out
there
who
are
not
able
to
make
it
today
and
I
am
speaking
out
for
all
of
them.
Please
help
us.
F
Hello,
Thank
You
Helen,
our
goal
as
Greater
Philadelphia's
Community
Foundation,
is
to
be
a
turn
to
resource
for
those
in
our
community,
working
together
on
important
needs
and
opportunities.
As
you
have
heard
eloquently,
the
need
in
this
case
is
immediate.
The
Philadelphia
foundation
is
pleased
to
partner
with
the
pas
ready
coalition,
the
city
of
Philadelphia
and
all
those
who
are
here
today
to
support
the
dreamers
initiative
on
behalf
of
our
president
and
CEO
Pedro
Ramos.
We
want
to
thank
everyone
who
has
already
stepped
up
to
make
a
donation.
F
G
Thank
you
very
much
for
being
here
today.
As
you
know,
around
800,000
students
are
daca
students.
The
majority
of
them
come
from
Mexico
and
I
want
the
daca
students
from
Mexico
to
know
that
they
are
not
alone.
The
consulate
of
Mexico
has
the
resources
to
help
them
to
renew
their
daca
permission
and
also
to
give
them
the
economic
support
to
obtain
the
new
daca
permission.
They
only
need
to
come
to
the
consulate
and
tell
us
what
they
need.
G
So
it's
important
that
now
we
are
knowing
about
this
new
fund
that
is
going
to
be
created
because
we
can
now
work
together.
We
at
the
consulate
we
have
been
receiving
young
daca
students
from
Nicaragua
El
Salvador
on
dudas,
so
at
the
consulate
now
we
can
send
them
here
so
that
we
can
go
together
and
that
all
can
we
help
these
daca
students.
They
are
not
alone.
Many
organizations
are
seeking
to
see
what
is
going
to
happen
with
these
daca
students,
but
not
only
the
organization
from
here.
Many
countries
are
concerned
about
these
daca
students.
G
We
are
the
consulate
of
Mexico.
We
are
the
official
boys
of
the
Mexican
government.
The
Mexican
government
is
not
going
to
live
alone.
These
daca
students,
just
let
them
know,
know
that
they
can
go
to
the
consulate
and
we
can
provide
them
with
the
economic
support,
according
to
the
situation
that
they
will
require
to
renew
the
DAC
permission
and
by
the
way.
Thank
you
all
of
you
that
have
shown
their
expressions
to
the
Mexican
government
after
this
earthquake
that
affect
the
states
of
Chiapas,
Chiapas
and
Oaxaca.
G
Thank
you
very
much
and
please
let
the
darkest
students
again
know
that
there
is
a
specific
application
that
is
called
me,
consume
X.
That
has
an
emergency
bottom.
If
they
push
that
button
immediately,
they
will
be
connected
to
the
closest
consulate
in
the
area.
They
are
so
that
we
can
give
them
the
legal
support
and
the
legal
advice
that
they
require.
Thank
you
very
much
and
thank
you
for
inviting
me.
B
We're
so
grateful
to
have
the
Mexican
Consulate
here
and
especially
console
Coerver.
Thank
you
so
much
for
your
partnership
on
this.
We
could
not
do
this
without
you.
It's
a
wonderful
honor
to
also
know
that
all
the
work
that
we're
doing
here
in
Philadelphia
is
also
being
amplified
and
led
at
the
federal
level
by
our
congressman,
Bob
Brady,
Thank
You,
congressman.
H
Thank
you.
Thank
you,
council,
lady,
thank
you
for
inviting
me
here
today.
It's
my
pleasure
to
be
here.
You
know
we
had
this
fight
going
on
in
Congress
for
the
longest
time,
I
was
a
total
supporter.
Every
time
the
DREAM
Act
came
up.
I
was
a
original
co-sponsor,
but
for
some
reason
now,
I
feel
a
little
better
about
what
is
happening.
We
had
a
meeting.
They
not.
We
had
a
meeting.
Our
leadership
had
a
meeting.
Our
leader,
Democratic
Leader,
Nancy
Pelosi,
met
with
the
president.
H
Republicans
wanted
to
do
a
CR,
continued
resolution
that
the
government
for
another
18
months
and
Miss
Pelosi
and
Senator
Schumer
said
why
don't
we
keep
it
open
for
three
months
and
they
said
why
she
said
to
the
president,
because
within
three
months
we
could
also
negotiate
the
DREAM
Act
and
he
wants
to
DREAM
Act.
According
to
him
he's
letting
Congress
do
the
DREAM
Act.
We
could
hold
their
feet
to
the
fire
in
three
months
to
be
able
to
get
this
DREAM
Act
done
and
get
it
passed.
They
wanted
18
months.
We
wanted
three
months.
H
Guess
what
the
president
agreed
that's
a
little
in
the
armor
that
we
have
three
months
to
deal
with
the
continuing
resolution
to
keep
the
government
open
and
also
be
able
to
put
the
DREAM
Act
together.
It's
a
total,
absolute
disgrace
that
800,000
people
will
be
let
go
out
of
our
country.
It's
totally
ridiculous.
I
appreciate
and
I
applaud,
counsel
a
two-year
effort.
I
want
to
be
able
to
know
I
heard
you
speak
too.
H
Fast
fell
off
the
foundation
about
your
website,
but
I
want
to
be
probably
hoping
not
to
first,
but
one
of
many
to
make
a
nice
sizable
donation
to
you
to
make
sure
we
could
help
these
young
men
and
women
stay
I
will
I
will
continue
and
continue
support
the
DREAM
Act
y-you
know
our
dreamers
are
their
nurses.
We
have
one
young
lady
right
here,
that's
going
to
be
a
nurse!
You
know
what
dreamers
are.
My
doctor
that
I
like
to
say,
save
my
life
is
a
dreamer.
H
We
have
first
responders
that
gave
up
their
life
quite
recently
with
a
dreamer
to
save
people
down
there
and
in
Texas
we
have
a
military
that
are
out
there.
Every
single
day
and
thank
we
should
also
mention
again
the
anniversary
Harbor
anniversary
of
9/11
is
today
we
have
people
that
are
in
our
military
fighting
for
all
of
us
and
we're
telling
them
that
they
can't
be
a
dreamer.
H
If
they
can't
do
the
right
thing
and
go
through
the
right
qualifications,
they
can't
become
a
citizens
of
this
great
country,
business,
leader
security,
people,
etcetera,
etcetera,
etcetera
on
and
on
and
on.
Well,
let
me
tell
you:
the
world
is
made
up
of
dreamers
and
we
have
many
dreamers
in
the
United
States
of
America
and
I
will
do
everything
in
my
power
to
make
sure
that
their
dream
comes
true.
Thank
you.
B
Thank
you
very
much
congressman.
That
means
so
much
to
us
to
have
you
here
and
to
help
you
helping
us
lead
the
charge
in
Congress,
because
it's
far
more
than
even
just
the
DREAM
Act,
we
need
a
real
legislative
reform
around
immigration
and,
finally,
today
I
wanted
to
bring
up
Rob
Reid
from
the
Pennsylvania
Attorney
General
Josh
Shapiro's
office,
who
will
talk
a
little
bit
about
what
the
state
attorneys
general,
not
only
here
in
Pennsylvania
but
across
the
country,
have
been
leading
around
this
issue
Rob.
Thank
you.
I
Hi
everybody
I
want
you
to
know
that,
and
many
of
you
may
know
that
last
Wednesday,
the
Attorney
General
for
Pennsylvania
Josh
Shapiro
joined
with
more
than
a
dozen
other
attorneys
general
from
around
the
United
States
in
filing
a
lawsuit
against
the
Trump
administration.
For
proposing
that
or
saying
that
they're
going
to
end
the
daca
program.
Now,
we've
heard
this
number
800,000,
it's
a
unbelievable,
stunningly
large
number
and
there's
over
5,800
people
in
Pennsylvania,
who
are
also
part
of
that
same
group.
That
is
going
to
be
in
theory,
if
not
in
theory.
I
I
would
like
to
just
say
one
other
thing
for
those
people
who
are
dreamers
that
the
office
of
consumer
protection
for
the
attorney
general's
office
and
the
number
I
have
I'm
even
going
to
give
a
number
it's
804
for
one,
two,
five,
five:
five:
why
do
I
tell
you
that,
because
often
time
in
a
situation
like
this,
when
people
feel
stressed
anxious
depressed,
they
will
go
to
somebody
who
says
I
can
get
you
help.
I
can
give
you
help
today.
Well,
there
are
people
who
can
do
it.
There
are
people
who
can
do
it
right.
I
There
can
be
people
who
really
can
make
a
difference
and
then
there's
other
people
who
cannot
and
I
will
just
say
this-
that
there
are
in
in
some
countries
there
are
people
called
notarios.
I
probably
pronounced
that
wrong,
but
I
do
the
best
I
can
and
they
in
those
countries
are
authorized
to
assist
on
immigration
matters,
notary
publics
or
notaries
public.
However,
you
pronounce
a
plural,
do
not
have
that
authority,
they
are
unauthorized
to
practice
law
in
Pennsylvania
and
around
the
country.
So
you
have
to
make
sure
that
you
have
someone
who's
qualified
to
do.
I
It
is
doing
the
right
thing
by
not
charging
you,
but
if
you
have
concerns,
that's
why
I
gave
that
number
that
800
number,
because
the
Office
of
Consumer
Protection
has
seen
this
before
I
suspect,
given
the
size
of
this
that
we
may
see
it
again.
We
are
here
to
protect
you
and
I.
Want
you
to
know
we'll
do
everything
we
can
to
protect
the
dreamers.
So
thank
you
very
much.
B
So
I
just
want
to
acknowledge
a
few
people
who
are
here
today.
None
of
the
work
that
I
do
can
ever
be
possible
without
the
support
of
my
colleagues,
so
I
just
want
to
thank
and
acknowledge
councilman
Derek
green
who's
here
today
for
his
unwavering
partnership
and
support
of
communities
all
over
the
city
and
and
now
especially
today,
also
of
our
dreamers.
B
Philly
campaign
and
I
also
want
to
thank
rule
and
ow
and
her
team
at
the
Philadelphia
Commission
on
Human
Relations
for
upholding
civil
and
human
rights.
For
all.
You
know,
just
in
conclusion.
For
today,
it's
really
important
to
understand
that
dreamers
and
the
DREAM,
Act
and
daca
is
just
the
easiest
entry
point
at
which
anyone
can
enter
into
the
immigration
dialogue,
but
really
what's
at
play
here
is
something
much
larger
here
in
City
Council
last
spring,
we
passed
a
resolution
that
talked
about
the
human
right
to
work,
and
that
is
essentially
what
daca
is.
B
It
is
a
work
permit.
It
is
not
a
citizenship
in
the
United
States,
it
is
simply
a
permit
to
work
and
the
shutting
off
of
the
pipeline
that
allows
an
individual
to
earn
a
living
to
fulfill
their
livelihood,
to
give
them
a
chance
to
support
their
family
thanks
to
the
faces
of
the
brave
dreamers
who
have
come
forward
to
show
themselves
and
their
visions
and
what
they're
doing
should
I
hope
highlight
the
absolute
cruelty
of
what
it
means
to
deny
people
a
chance
to
earn
a
livelihood.
B
We
have
a
profound
problem
in
the
United
States
of
America
20
years
without
immigration,
reform
and
archaic
immigration.
Laws
that
have
you
know
are
wholly
incompatible
with
the
global
migration.
That's
going
on
changes
in
our
economy,
both
here
at
home
and
now
and
internationally,
but
there
is
no
question
that
shutting
off
someone's
right
to
earn
a
livelihood
to
fulfill
their
dreams
and
ambitions
to
cut
off
a
pipeline
to
work
is
one
of
the
cruelest
things
that
we
can
do.
B
Each
and
every
day
to
our
young
people
who
came
forward
today,
despite
the
terrorizing
nature
of
what
this
administration
is
bringing
raining
down
upon
them,
they
stand
tall.
They
stand
with
courage
and
it's
our
responsibility
as
a
nation
to
match
that
and
stand
with
them.
Thank
you
very
much.
Everybody.