
Michelle Mendez
Host: Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services
Sponsor: DLA Piper LLP (US)
Megan extended Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals legal assistance initiative to reach remote clients in Central, North, and Northwest Texas; build forward-looking legal bridge for clients to access comprehensive immigration reform.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) provides important immigration relief to qualifying undocumented youth, including protection from deportation and work authorization. With DACA, these youth are better protected from workplace abuses and have improved access higher education. DACA became available in 2012, but there are still an estimated 48,000 eligible Texans who have not yet applied. One of the major barriers to applying for DACA is the lack of legal assistance. This project will provide DACA outreach and legal services in remote areas of Texas, where nearly 16,400 DACA-eligible youth remain un-served. Not only will this project expand DACA services, but it will also lay groundwork to prepare for impending immigration reform opportunities. This fellowship will provide community education on the progress of immigration reform, help vulnerable communities to avoid fraud and abuse by unscrupulous notarios, and build infrastructure to support widespread legal services for those who may benefit from immigration opportunities that become available.
In the past two years, Megan has:
Host: Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services
Sponsor: DLA Piper LLP (US)
Host: Texas Civil Rights Project
Sponsor: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Host: The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Sponsor: Anonymous
Host: Resilience Force
Sponsor: Equal Justice Works Text-to-Give
Current Fellow