Deferred Action For Undocumented Youth? There's An App For That

Immigrant advocates have unveiled "Pocket DACA", a new app which will allow undocumented youth who buy it to see whether they qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an Obama administration program which grants a two-year reprieve from deportation and work authorization to those eligible. The creators of the app - advocacy group Own the Dream and the Immigration Advocates Network in conjunction with two immigration council associations - think that it will increase the odds that young immigrants who apply for deferred action will be awarded it.

"By offering an interactive self-screening tool and contact information for local legal services providers, the app increases the chances that eligible young immigrants will be successful in their request," Matthew Burnett, director of the Immigration Advocates Network, told the Washington Times.

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Apple's description of Pocket DACA says the app can help users find out if they qualify for DACA through an interactive screening tool; locate legal council in their area; stay informed about recent DACA news and updates; and take polls to share their experience with DACA.

The program, which turns one year old on Thursday, is aimed at DREAMers, or young people who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents. If they've got a record clean of major crimes and are bound for college or the military, they can apply for the two-year stay of deportation procedures against them. A study by the Migration Policy Institute released earlier this week found that less than half of those eligible have applied for it. The MPI isn't sure why that is, as their study based its conclusions from data from US Customs and Immigration Services, which doesn't give much information on the characteristics of those who applied. But the Institute speculates that eligible youth with more formal schooling are more likely to apply than those who are less educated, or that application fees deter low-income youth from applying.

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If the MPI's speculation is on point, the app might be of limited use in getting more of that 51 percent to apply for DACA. It appears to be aimed largely at Hispanics - it comes in English and in Spanish - a group which are often the most likely to apply. 85 percent of applicants were from Mexico or Central America. And if the $465 DACA application fee strikes a DREAMer as prohibitively expensive, they might not have phones capable of downloading the app.

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But the app's creators think they're targeting the demographic right where it's most likely to take notice.

"The generation of young immigrants who can benefit from DACA are incredibly tech and social-media savvy," Burnett told the Washington Times. "This app will put them in the driver's seat when it comes to their future."