The Lorain Ohio Immigrant Rights Association (LOIRA), an immigration advocacy group in Ohio, has been working to prepare DAPA-eligible members of Lorain for DAPA’s implementation and application process.
LOIRA has organized events designed to help DAPA-eligible community members compile records necessary to apply for DAPA, such as vaccination records and birth certificates.
LOIRA has organized two rounds of vaccination clinics created to serve members of the Lorain community who are DAPA-eligible. The first round of this clinic on May 5th, sponsored by the Lorain County Health Department, vaccinated and provided vaccination records for 37 immigrants in Lorain. On May 12th, 32 of the 37 people who attended the first round returned for follow up vaccinations.
It is necessary for those who are DAPA-eligible to have proper documentation of their vaccinations for the DAPA application process. Many of those who received the vaccinations did not do so because they lacked the vaccinations themselves, but instead lacked the records of receiving those vaccinations. By attending LOIRA’s clinics, these immigrants are receiving the documentation they need and showing their dedication to preparing themselves for DAPA. Two more vaccination clinics will be held on July 7th and July 21st and help more DAPA-eligible immigrants compile the records they need for the application process.
LOIRA has been organizing meaningful programs to prepare the Lorain community for DAPA since October of 2015, when it brought the Mexican Mobile Consulate to Lorain to provide Mexican immigrants the documents they will need for their applications, such as birth certificates.
This event was extremely successful as it helped prepare around 250 people for DAPA and DACA. Following up on this success, LOIRA brought the Mexican Mobile Consulate back to Lorain on June 4th and provided an additional 90 people with necessary documents for DAPA.
Jose Mendiola, President of LOIRA, advises DAPA eligible immigrants across the country to “have their immunizations up to date; if they’re going to apply for the process they need all their immunizations in order before they even start applying.”
Anabel Barrón, Vice-President of LOIRA, advises other local groups that are trying to prepare for DAPA to “reach out to community services and you will find help,” as LOIRA did with the Lorain County Health Department.
With the help of community services such as the Mexican Mobile Consulate and Lorain County Health Department, LOIRA has equipped immigrants in Lorain with records necessary for their DAPA application so they can be ready to submit their application as early as possible.
