California’s fourth-largest school district last week unveiled its Dream Resource Center to support undocumented immigrants. While some colleges offer Dream centers, Fresno Unified officials believe they are the first K-12 system to open one.
The center will help families renew their applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals before the Oct. 5 deadline and will also offer citizenship courses and free legal services. The district had the center in the works but expedited its opening in light of President Donald Trump’s announcement on Sept. 5 that the DACA program will end.
The district’s applications for the California Dream Act—which allows undocumented students to receive financial aid for college—decreased from 153 in 2016 to 115 this year, with students and families voicing fears about submitting paperwork to government officials.
