Spring 2021 Newsletter

Client Story

“We arrived in this country in August 2002 to try our luck without having any idea of the immigration process. The immigration laws for us were a mystery. The person who gave us work from our country made us believe that by coming with work and doing some paperwork it would be easy to stay and live here.

Our children were 4 and 9 years old. They soon started school and in a matter of a few months they were bilingual. The years went by, and we were trapped in a situation from which there was little hope of getting out. We followed each legislation, each immigration reform proposal with all the hopes and always everything remained in nothingness and the bitter taste of continuing in the uncertainty.

Shortly after arriving here we applied for an ITIN and we always paid our taxes. Since we arrived, we worked hard, we learned English, we assimilated into our community, but we always felt like second-class citizens, with the fear that we would be deported or that a daily situation like a traffic stop would turn into a tragedy for our family.

Knowing that we didn’t have anything in our country to go back to, and everyone that we had were here, we continued to get ahead. With time we created strong friendships, labor, and community relationships. We saw our children grow with social conscious, knowing where they came from and who they were. They volunteered whenever they had the opportunity and worked for their community and their schools.

We made a goal that they would go to University, and if it was not possible here, then that would be the day that we would return to our country so they would have that opportunity.

When it was time for our son to graduate from high school, we had to pay all of his expenses out of our pocket as if he was a student from another state, and of course he did not qualify for any financial aid or student loans. It was a big sacrifice for our family and we still wonder how we did it. By his second year the in-state tuition rule for foreign students without legal status had passed, and the costs were reduced a little. In addition, that same year President Obama signed DACA and our son’s life, like many other students, changed. He had the opportunity to obtain a driver's license and a social security number, to open a bank account, and much more. It was with great excitement that we watched our son graduate in 2016 from Colorado Mesa University.

Following her brother’s footsteps, our second daughter was able to be a DACA recipient once she was old enough. She started her education at CSU Pueblo in 2017, and she has been a tireless worker to inform others about DACA and to highlight the importance of the program. This month she is getting ready to present her testimony before the Colorado House of Representatives to help approve the law SB21-077 (Remove Lawful Presence Verification Credentialing).

In 2015 my son married an American citizen and not only did the family grow, we gained a daughter and a grandson. My son had the opportunity to apply for an adjustment of status and went from having a work permit to being a resident, first conditional and then permanent. After three years he applied for citizenship and then he petitioned for us, his parents. Thanks to his generosity and love, first from our daughter-in-law and then from our son, my husband and I became permanent residents in December of 2020.

Our story has a happy ending. After 18 years we are finally able to breathe easy, to dream, and to travel to our country and continue with our lives in this country. Nevertheless, we won’t forget the past and all the families that are still waiting for a solution, who get up early every day to work hard, to send their children to study, to pay their taxes and contribute to the economy of this great nation, all without being recognized. For an immigrant, a simple process such as obtaining a driver's license is a challenge, sometimes having to wait weeks or even months to make an appointment.

We hope with faith for a definitive solution for all the immigrants like us, to only wait for an opportunity to get out of the shadows, to work and live in peace, the same as all the young people with DACA. We deserved it!”

-Anonymous Client

Scholarship Recipient

The San Luis Valley Immigrant Resource Center is proud to see its community members prosper and aim toward higher education. One of the most recent recipients of the SLVIRC’s scholarship was a young adult named Brayan Flores. Here is what Brayan had to say:

“This scholarship will help because my family and I have to pay my school without any help and this is helpful because it’s one less cost and thing to worry about. I hope that more people can take advantage of this because I know it helped my family and I immensely. I was able to get all the books I needed with this scholarship. I’m deeply grateful for the Immigrant Resource Center.”

SLVIRC’s Scholarship Program

SLVIRC received funding to offer scholarships up to $250 to pay for books and/or licensing for students. The scholarship award will give preference to a DACA recipient or undocumented student who is currently enrolled at the undergraduate or graduate level. SLVIRC is hopeful that this assistance will make a positive change in an individual’s life, as well as the community. Please call the office directly if you are interested in the scholarship.

COVID-19 Relief Efforts

In April of last year, SLVIRC started giving out rental, utility and food assistance to members of the immigrant community who were affected by the pandemic. SLVIRC provided rental and utility assistance for between 30-50 people per month on average, spending $51,728 on rental and utility assistance and $4,500 on food assistance last year.

These efforts to alleviate some of the pressure that COVID-19 has brought to the immigrant community did not end last year. We continue to provide food and rental assistance to the community as they continue to be affected by COVID-19. SLVIRC staff feel blessed to be able to provide assistance to the immigrant community during this very difficult time.

These efforts are still part of our daily work at SLVIRC. Every week, we put together boxes of food to give out to members of the community who need it. On average, we give out ten boxes of food every week.

We are beyond thankful for every community member and foundation that have donated and continue to donate to SLVIRC, including the following:

The Colorado Trust
Caring for Colorado
Colorado Health Foundation
Latino Community Foundation
El Pomar
Community Foundation of the San Luis Valley
Merchant Logo
Amicas Pizza Microbrew & More

Immigration Updates

There have been many changes to immigration laws in the past few months that we want to make sure our clients and community are aware of.

On December 8, 2020, the court ordered full restoration of DACA, including initial applications. Since the restoration of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), SLVIRC has completed 5 initial applications and continues to complete renewals.

As of March 11, 2021, the Public Charge Rule has been permanently blocked. What this means is that people who want to apply for their family members are able to do so, even if they have received any government assistance in the past.

These two restorations increase the possibility of people being able to apply for an immigration remedy that had been blocked by the Trump administration. These are two victories for the immigrant community and for those that support an immigration reform.

In February 2021, President Joe Biden reversed former President Donald Trump’s ban on legal immigration and reopened the United States to people seeking green cards. He also signed three executive orders about immigration. The order seeks to reunite immigrant families separated at the border, investigate humanitarian issues at the border, and review the previous administration’s immigration policies for groups like undocumented essential workers, Dreamers, and Temporary Protected Status recipients.

On March 18, 2021, the U.S. House of Representative passed the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021, or H.R. 6, which will create a pathway to citizenship for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, undocumented youth, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.

In the Senate, instead of a bill similar to H.R. 6, two separate bills are under consideration that will give TPS holders, undocumented youth, and DACA recipients a pathway to citizenship. The Dream Act will create a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and undocumented youth. The SECURE Act will create a pathway to citizenship for TPS holders. Both the Dream Act and SECURE Act will need 60 votes to pass the Senate.

Under the legislation, about 2.5 million “Dreamers” would qualify for the pathway. Currently, no process to citizenship for Dreamers exists. It would grant conditional permanent resident status for 10 years and cancel removal proceedings if people meet certain requirements. Those requirements include being physically present in the U.S. on or before January 1, 2021, being 18 years old or younger on the initial date of entry into the U.S. and not having been convicted of crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assault or human trafficking.

Welcoming Maricela

In August 2020, Maricela Lucas started working at SLVIRC. It has been a blessing having Maricela at the office since she speaks English, Spanish and Q’anjob’al. Maricela was born in La Jara, Colorado but she grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in December 2018. Maricela is the new Crime Victim Housing Coordinator. Through this program, she will support survivors of crime to retain long-term housing, as well as to provide supportive services for clients’ needs.

Maricela is very optimistic in working with survivors of crime because she wants to help them live independently, safely, and happily. Maricela hopes that her work will help the Latino and Maya communities in Alamosa to acknowledge that domestic violence is very common in these cultures, and that it should not be a taboo to talk about it and that a victim has a right to leave an abusive relationship whenever.

Maricela worked at Alamosa County Department of Human Services as a child welfare caseworker and has witnessed the signs of domestic violence within families. She hopes that her position as the Crime Victim Housing Coordinator will help others view victims of abuse as victims and not be punished.

Here is what Maricela has to say about her experience working at the SLVIRC so far:

“I work primarily with victims of crime; however, many come into the office for other services. The majority of the clients have an immigrant background. I am very humbled to be able to help the immigrant community because I come from an immigrant family myself. It feels amazing to give back and help immigrants and their families because a lot of their struggles and life stories remind me of what my family had to endure and overcome due to their lack of immigration status when I was a child. I definitely have enjoyed working here so far, and I am excited to make a positive change in both the lives of victims of crime, as well as the immigrant members of the San Luis Valley community.”

COVID-19, Abusive Relationships, & Mental Health

COVID-19 not only has and continues to affect people economically; it distresses family dynamics. COVID-19 is triggering mental health concerns or intensifying existing ones and has created new barriers for those who already suffer from mental health issues and substance abuse. Many may be experiencing increased levels of alcohol and drug use, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. This in turn has negatively affected Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Stay-at-home orders, intended to protect the public and prevent widespread infection of COVID-19, have left many IPV victims trapped with their abusers. Children experiencing child abuse have also been negatively affected.

Mandated reporters, such as teachers, child care providers, and clinicians also have fewer interactions with children and families, leading to fewer opportunities to identify, evaluate, and report signs of abuse then they did prior to the pandemic. Significant barriers to reporting and addressing IPV exist and have been made worse by the pandemic, including the following.

Unclear Reporting Requirements: The lack of a clear, consistent, and streamlined process for reporting abuse can be disheartening for people seeking help through the legal system. Immigrant minorities, who have had negative experiences with immigration and local law enforcement, may be less likely than the dominant culture to seek help from the police when the abuse escalates.

Lack of Anonymity When Seeking Care: Anonymity and privacy are challenging in rural communities. Because of societal stigma, community members may be embarrassed if friends or family members find out they are seeking mental health treatment or are victims of IPV. A provider may be a friend or workmate, which also may make a person reluctant to reach out for help. Individuals may fear being seen walking into a mental health clinic or an organization that provides a safety network, and this fear may discourage them from seeking help.

Lack of Culturally-Sensitive Care: A large portion of the residents of the San Luis Valley Are Latino. There are also a number of Native Americans in the valley and there are small Amish communities which were recently established. It may be more difficult for ethnic and racial minority patients living in our rural San Luis Valley to find providers who share or understand their culture. As a result, it is particularly important for rural mental health providers and safety network organizations to work toward being culturally sensitive.

Transportation to Services: In rural settings, not all individuals have access to reliable transportation to the services they need. This problem specifically impacts the most vulnerable, including low-income communities and disabled individuals. Rural community members are more likely than urban residents to rely on automobiles as a means of transportation, meaning rural residents without automobiles are more isolated from proper care and safety networks. Without access to transportation, care may not be accessible.

Intern Reflection: Juana Baltazar-Francisco

My name is Juana Baltazar-Francisco. I am a student at Adams State University. I started my internship with the Immigrant Resource Center in January of this year. So far it has been a great experience helping and learning here. The Immigrant Resource Center has so much to offer to the immigrant community through the different programs that are available here for them. Especially now, with Covid-19 still being part of our lives, many people have been in need of assistance with food and other things. Assisting with food has been one part of the program that I have been active with and I can personally say that you can see a sense of relief in the families that have been affected by Covid-19 that come in for food. It has been great to be part of the program and I hope to be able to do more as the time goes by.

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