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Partner Spotlight: University of San Francisco, Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic
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The University of San Francisco School of Law’s Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic was established in 2015 to represent unaccompanied immigrant children and women with children who have arrived at the southern border and are transferred to Northern California and the Central Valley.
Under the supervision of the Secure Families Collaborative Legal Director, Jacqueline Brown Scott, Sonoma County residents receive pro-bono removal defense representation all phases of immigration proceedings, at the asylum office, the immigration courts, and adjudication offices of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
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Catholic Charities Offers Immigration Legal Services in Petaluma
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Good news! Catholic Charities will begin offering immigration legal services out of the Petaluma Family Resource Center on the first Thursday of each month from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. These services will be offered as a supplement to their main office in Santa Rosa as well as their pop-up offerings in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Lake counties.
Services will include:
- Family-Based Petitions
- Adjustment of Status for Refugees and Asylees
- Naturalization
- DACA
- Victims of Crime (U-Visa/VAWA/T-Visa)
- Green Card Renewals
- Work Permit renewal
- FOIA
Most of these legal immigration services are offered for FREE. CCDSR are currently covering the USCIS filing fee for DACA ($495). For Naturalization, the USCIS filing fee ($725) could be covered depending upon circumstances.
To participate, please come by the Petaluma Family Resource Center (200 Douglas Street, Petaluma, CA 94952) on May 5th or call (707) 578-6000.
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SFC Sponsors Roaming Legal Fair in Healdsburg
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On April 24, the Secure Families Collaborative sponsored our first Roaming Legal Fair at the Healdsburg Community Center in collaboration with the following non-profit organizations: Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), Corazon Healdsburg, Disability Services & Legal Center (DSLC), Immigration Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA), and Legal Aid of Sonoma County.
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This fair was designed to provide information regarding available resources in Sonoma County for our immigrant neighbors (whether a new arrival or a long-term resident). The providers gave a short presentation regarding their organization and available services. Afterwards, participants were able to visit their tables to collect information and ask questions.
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Thank you to all the amazing service providers who contributed to this event and we anticipate sponsoring subsequently legal fairs in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and Sonoma later this year.
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Biden Administration Announces "Uniting for Ukraine"
On April 21, the United States announced Uniting for Ukraine, which provides a pathway for displaced Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are fleeing from the Ukraine invasion. This plan will allow them to temporarily stay in the country on a two-year period of parole.
In order to qualify, Ukrainians must have a supporter in the United States who will agree to provide them with financial support for the duration of their stay in the United States. They will also be eligible to apply for discretionary employment authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
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Online Filing Available for DACA Renewals
USCIS announced on April 12th that individuals who previously received deferred action under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) may now file their renewal forms online.
Currently, this option is only available to individuals who have been previously granted DACA and will require creating an account on the USCIS webpage. Once the account is made, the individual will be able to file the required forms directly online, as well as pay fees and track the status of any pending USCIS immigration request throughout the adjudication process. There is no cost to set up an account and is highly recommened as it allows communication with USCIS through a secure inbox as well as the ability to respond online to Requests for Evidence.
During fiscal year (FY) 2021, USCIS received more than 8.8 million requests for immigration benefits and other requests, including 438,950 Form I-821D DACA requests. Since launching online filing in 2017, the overall number of forms filed online has increased significantly. In FY 2021, approximately 1,210,700 applications, petitions and requests were filed online, a 2.3% increase from the 1,184,000 filed in FY 2020.
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Individuals seeking legal assistance are encouraged to seek a reputable immigration attorney for a consultation.
Not sure where to go?
Call our SFC line (707) 856-4988 for a referral to a legal service provider.
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Take a Break with our Recipe of the Month:
Caldo Siete Mares
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While the idea of eating stew on a hot day might seem crazy, it's actually very common in Latin families that it has become its own meme. Therefore, we bring you this delicious seafood soup called Siete Mares. This Mexican dish (translated as the Seven Seas soup) supposedly gets its name from its seafood ingredients originating from each of the Seven Seas.
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Ingredients
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hr 20 minutes
Serves 6 people
- 2 pounds frozen seafood mix defrosted
- 1 pound large shrimp with shells on
- 1 white onion, cut in half
- 4 roma tomatoes
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- 2 guajillo peppers, stems and seeds removed
- 1 chayote squash, peeled and diced
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced in half moons
- 2 celery, sliced thin
- 2 jalapenos, minced
- 8-9 cups water
- 3 tbsp salsa de pato (yellow can) or chicken bouillon
- Handful of cilantro (have extra for garnish)
- Cooking oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Dried crushed chile de arbol
Garnish
- 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 8 radishes, sliced
- 2 limes, sliced into wedges
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced
- Crushed chile de arbol (optional)
Let’s Get Cooking!
- Preheat a large griddle or pan for a few minutes at medium heat.
- On one side, add the tomatoes, half of the onion (reserve the other half) and cloves of garlic with skins on.
- On the other side, toast the dried chile guajillo for 30 seconds per side or until they become aromatic.
- Remove the dried chiles and place them in a bowl with very hot water. Set aside for now.
- Continue dry roasting the tomatoes, onion and garlic for an additional 25 minutes. Remove the garlic after 15 minutes to avoid burning it.
- After 25 minutes, tranfer the roasted vegetables and softened dried chiles to a blender. Add 2 tbsps salsa de pato or chicken bouillon, 1/2 tsp pepper and 2 cups of water and blend until smooth. Salt to taste.
- In a large pot on medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once the butter is melted and bubbling, add in the other half of the onion (diced), jalapeno, carrots, chayote and celery. Season lightly with salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the blended tomato/ chile mixture and stir. Let it cook for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in 6-7 cups of water and mix in 1 more tablespoon of the salsa de pato or chicken bouillon. Once the soup boils, salt to taste.
- Let the soup simmer for 5-7 minutes, then add in the defrosted seafood. Stir gently and let it cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the shrimp and make sure they are well submerged in the broth. Let everything cook for 5 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
- Garnish and serve with tostadas, bolillo bread or tortillas.
This recipe uses frozen seafood mix, which can be found in any grocery store, and is recommended for new cooks. However for those wanting to maximize on this recipe's flavor, use fresh seafood such as baby octopus, mussels, crab legs, scallops and catfish.
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Updates from Our Partners
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The Clinic remains open for “remote” client consultation. Attorney Jacqueline Brown Scott maintains frequent communication with all clients and continues to update them on COVID-19 as it pertains to their case and its ramifications such as court date postponement. USF remains available for over-the-phone consultations.
For more information, please call (415) 422-3330.
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Corazon Healdsburg focuses on building a compassionate and just community by empowering and dignifying individuals and families, advocating against injustices, and uniting people to celebrate diversity.
Through the Collaborative's partnership, they will provide removal defense representation to Sonoma County residents.
For more information, please call 707-395-0938.
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The Immigration Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA) helps immigrants, refugees, and their families join and contribute to the community. IIBA provides high-quality immigration legal services, education, and civic engagement opportunities.
They will be able to provide affirmative legal services (such as family petitions and DACA) to residents in Sonoma County.
For more information, please call 707-266-1568.
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Catholic Charities provides over 3,000 legal services to immigrants across Northern California each year. With 10 Department of Justice-accredited counselors on staff, clients know the services they receive will help them accomplish their goals safely and legally. Services include: Family-Based Petitions, DACA, Citizenship/Naturalization, Green Card renewals, VAWA (including U Visa and T Visa), and more.
For more information, please call (707) 528-8712.
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