Salt Lake Community College’s Dream Center hosted an Immigration Help Site event on Nov. 20 at the West Valley Center. Law students worked side by side with immigration cases helping them to weigh their options and receive appropriate referral letters.
Event highlights
At the event, which was first come, first served, attendees signed in and waited a short while for the next available volunteer law student from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.
“For students, it’s a good opportunity to work with clients one-on-one and get interaction experience with them [and] to learn about immigration law. And for attorneys, it’s an opportunity to give back to the community every once and a while,” said Jessica Guardiola, a third-year law student at the U.
During the consultations, volunteers were able to answer questions related to immigration statuses. Cases can range from asylum seekers to families or people who have been victims of crimes.
Because immigration is a sensitive topic for some, the volunteers acknowledge and respect that those seeking help might have fears surrounding the disclosure of information about undocumented loved ones and friends. But anyone who may have reservations about the event need not worry, because everything discussed within a consultation remains private due to the volunteers’ qualifications to give legal advice.
Guardiola further clarified that the event is confidential.
“Don’t be scared of the event at all — it seems kind of scary, but it’s not. I know everything is changing with the Trump administration and that is really scary, but I would tell them not to worry because [our] purpose is to give them free legal advice and help them as much as we can,” Guardiola said.
According to the SLCC website, the Dream Center “works holistically with undocumented students (with and without DACA) and members of mixed-status families to access and navigate college, graduate, transfer, and/or accomplish their goals.”
As part of SLCC’s mission to create an inclusive environment for all, the Dream Center achieves their goal of helping mixed-status families by hosting events that are beneficial to them.
“I think this is a wonderful way to support and protect our immigrant community here at SLCC, especially in a time where there is a lot of unrest and fear about the upcoming presidential administration,” said Olivia Marron, an SLCC student majoring in business management.
Melissa Campos, a U. graduate in secondary education, heard about the event by translating the flyer for someone at the school she teaches at.
“I think this is a great event. Due to the recent election, I think many families are experiencing significant stress and having access to free confidential consultations can provide support,” Campos said. “These are trying times and it’s important to create safe spaces where people can receive guidance and share helpful knowledge. Community events like this are more important right now.”
Upcoming Dream Center events
The Dream Center puts together other events for students, with the biggest event being UndocuMonth in April. Visit the center’s Linktree page for more resources and information.
