Thousands Line Navy Pier For Work Permits, Deportation Deferrals

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 16, 2012 7:30PM

Applicants going through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy screening at Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012. (Photo Credit: Tessa C)

Navy Pier became the land of opportunity for thousands of young undocumented immigrants Wednesday who lined up to file paperwork for work permits and deportation deferrals under President Obama’s new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy.

The workshop, held by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), does not provide a path toward citizenship and, as Marcus Gilmer noted on his WBEZ blog today, opens applicants up to a variety of risks not unlimited to revealing background information about them, even if they’re rejected. But the scene of seeing these optimistic youth waiting patiently in line is as powerful an image of the American melting pot as any we’ve seen in recent memory. WBEZ’s Andrew Gill distilled the line into one two-minute video.

The line to apply for deferred deportation at Navy Pier in 126 seconds from WBEZ on Vimeo.

The policy allows undocumented immigrants who had not turned 31 before June 15 to work in the U.S., provided they can prove they arrived before they turned 16 and have lived in the country for at least five years.Among other requirements they must prove they're a student or graduate or have served in the military.