Deferred Action: New York Plans to Shield Immigrants from Fraud
On July 26, 2012, the New York Times issued an article on Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration’s plan to deter potential fraud and unscrupulous actions by individuals seeking to take advantage of persons who may be eligible for Deferred Action, based on the President Obama Administration’s June 15, 2012 announcement.
In a nutshell, the Deferred Action process allows certain individuals who were illegally brought to the U.S. under age 16, through no fault of their own, to remain legally in the U.S. (in 2 year increments) rather than face the impending threat of removal (deportation) from the country. For additional information on this process, please refer to MSA’s June 2012 Newsletter
With the expectation that there will be a large number of persons who will be eligible for the discretionary relief of deferred action, there is widespread concern that unscrupulous individuals will hold themselves out as immigration experts or consultants in efforts to charge exorbitant fees for services rendered. To combat this issue, Governor Cuomo has implemented a plan, which will include the use of a multilingual news media outreach campaign, community programs, and the mobilization of attorneys across to state to assist eligible persons remain the U.S. legally. The state of New York plans to set aside $600,000 for the team of immigration lawyers, to work with organizations throughout the state, who will assist those who qualify for this policy.
It should be noted that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is slated to commence accepting applications for deferred action by August 15, 2012.