Hello John,

Happy Black History Month!

This month is a time to commemorate the beauty, diversity, and resilience of all Black people in the United States. Roughly 1 in 10 of Black people in the US are immigrants, while more than 600,000¹ are estimated to be undocumented. Black History Month is a chance for us to uplift the voices of Black immigrants within our undocumented community, and celebrate their stories of existence, perseverance, and joy. Here are some stories from our Black immigrant community:

Denea Joseph with KQED Forum on “After Texas Court Ruling, What’s the Future for Young Immigrants and DACA Recipients?”

Shirleen Achieng from The Future is Undocumented series and her speech, “Black Liberation is Collective Liberation.”

Chi Adanna Ilori from The Future is Undocumented series and her speech, “The Beauty of the Here & Now.”

Tobore Oweh with The Center for American Progress on “Despite Barriers, DACA Entrepreneurs Contribute To Their Communities.”

As we enter this month, let’s dedicate ourselves to connecting with those around us and showing up for our communities. To learn more about Black immigrant justice, check out these organizations and the amazing work that they do:

In community,
Immigrants Rising

P.S. If you are an educator, you can learn more about how to effectively support Black undocumented students through higher education in this resource created by Shirleen Achieng and Eva-Vera Burns.

New and Improved CA Dream Act Application Now Open

The new 2024-25 CA Dream Act Application is now open! AB 1540 updates the CA Dream Act Application to make applying for state-based financial aid more streamlined by embedding the AB 540 Affidavit into the application. Read more about AB 1540 on ABC10. The priority deadline to apply for the CA Dream Act is April 2. Make sure to check out the resources below so you don’t miss out on financial aid you could be eligible for!

CA Dream Act Checklist

Track your progress in completing the CA Dream Act Application with this step-by-step guide.

AB 469 Resource

AB 469 now requires all high school seniors in California to apply for FAFSA or CA Dream Act or complete an opt-out waiver. Read here on how you can support students going through the application process.

Integrating AB 540 Affidavit & CA Dream Act Application

Read how AB 1540 changes the new CA Dream Act Application and what educators and institutions can do to best support students in successfully completing the application.

¹ Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), 2022. https://baji.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/sobi-fullreport-jan22.pdf.

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Immigrants Rising

P.O. Box 411512

San Francisco, CA 94141

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