Free Citizenship and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Workshop at the Cathedral of Christ the Light

Free Citizenship and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Workshop at the Cathedral of Christ the Light

Partnership in Response to Pope Francis’ Focus on Immigration

OAKLAND, Calif. – October 13, 2015 – In the wake of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, and his focus on the issue of immigration, Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ, of The Diocese of Oakland, Catholic Charities of the East Bay, the East Bay Naturalization Collaborative, and the Oakland DACA/DAPA Project, will host a free Citizenship Application Workshop on October 17^th at 10:00 am at the Cathedral of Christ the Light. It will be followed by a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Application Workshop at the Cathedral at 2:00 pm.

The citizenship application workshop will provide free citizenship assessment and application assistance to all residents of the East Bay who might otherwise be unable to afford an attorney. The DACA application workshop follows and will provide assistance to the large number of “Dreamers” – DACA-eligible youth – in the East Bay, especially those living or going to school in Oakland.

“We want to help as many members of our community become citizens and apply for DACA status as we possibly can on October 17^th,” said Christopher Martinez, chief program officer at Catholic Charities and the logistics coordinator for the workshops. “We anticipate up to 300 citizenship and 40-50 DACA applicants to attend.”

Bishop Barber will welcome the volunteers and applicants at 9:00 am at the Cathedral of Christ the Light, and be available to the press.

Event Details:

What:              Free Citizenship and DACA Application Workshop

When:             October 17, 2015 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Where:            Cathedral of Christ the Light; 2121 Harrison Street; Oakland, CA 94612 (Parking is available in the Cathedral underground lot. Enter the lot on the 21st street side of the Cathedral Center. Entrance to the Parish Hall is on Harrison Street.)

The Diocese of Oakland serves 84 parishes and an estimated Catholic population projected over 700,000 in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. The Catholic Church throughout the diocese offers a range of service ministries assisting the elderly, the young, the poor, and the oppressed. For more information, visit www.oakdiocese.org/diocese.

Catholic Charities of the East Bay (CCEB) is a social services agency headquartered in Oakland, California. In the last fiscal year, Catholic Charities immigration legal team helped over 1,150 clients enter the pathway to citizenship. For more information, visit www.cceb.org.

The East Bay Naturalization Collaborative is comprised of nine (9) legal services and community-based organizations, who have joined together to provide free and low cost naturalization and other immigration-related services to residents of the East Bay area. Collaborative members are: Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Catholic Charities of the East Bay, Centro Legal de la Raza, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, International Institute of the Bay Area, International Rescue Committee, Korean Community Center of the East Bay, and the Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the East Bay.

The Oakland DACA/DAPA Project will educate thousands of Oakland residents about the life changing benefits of these programs, which expand educational and employment opportunities, and access to healthcare for many members of our communities. The Oakland DACA/DAPA Project is comprised of eight (8) leading legal services and community-based organizations: Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Catholic Charities of the East Bay, Centro Legal de la Raza, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, International Institute of the Bay Area, Korean Community Center of the East Bay, and the East Bay Community Law Center.

DACA Workshop_October 17_Press Release