CARECEN was founded in response to the crisis facing Salvadoran nationals, who arrived in the United States in unprecedented numbers during the early 1980's. Gross human rights abuses, political persecution, and scorched-earth military tactics during the civil war that engulfed El Salvador and Guatemala the 1980's, forced thousands to seek refuge in this country. They formed the first self-help refugee committees, which soon gave birth to the first CARECEN in Washington DC in 1981. By 1986 CARECENs had been established in Houston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

The community funded legal aid services and court representation for their political asylum cases. They also organized campaigns requesting that the United States Congress officially recognize their status as Refugees in accordance with the criteria of the Refugee Act of 1980, in accordance with the United Nations Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees.

Due to systematic and massive denials of their asylum applications, these refugees and immigrants, joined by dozens of pro-immigrant organizations, civil rights, and faith based communities went to the courts and presented a legal suit against the Immigration and Naturalization Services in 1985.

CARECEN protesting in support of immigrants rights in Sacramento .

After several years, and countless trips to Washington D.C. to argue their cases, the refugee community, including Guatemalans, launched the national campaign known as "No Human Being is Illegal". This movement included among its activities: hunger strikes, national caravans that crisscrossed the country, thousands of personal testimonies of tortured survivors and former political prisoners who spoke at universities, churches and public plazas. The creation of a favorable public opinion for the refugees helped stem the tide, and Congress enacted a Temporary Protection Status for Salvadorans, and the INS accepted an agreement to stop deporting Guatemalans and Salvadorans and to open the process to re-accept their asylum applications. This major victory is known as the ABC Agreement.

Demonstrating in support of ABC class members

When the ABC Class members' opportunity to adjust their status to legal permanent residency was nearing, the US Congress passed a very restrictive immigration law in 1996, The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA). This changed the rules and requirements for adjusting of status. As a result, the hopes of many families were crushed and once again their future was uncertain.

A wave of anti-immigrant sentiment was accompanied by legislative proposals, especially in California. In response, a movement for massive naturalization, voter registration, and get-out-the-vote drives began in earnest. As Central Americans, CARECEN actively participated in this movement and has done its part of education and consciousness raising among our constituents.

Marching in support of Immigrant Rigths .

One year after the nefarious IIRAIRA, the congress passed the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act, (NACARA). Unfortunately, the benefits in the NACARA law were unevenly and unjustly distributed. All immigrants from Cuba and Nicaragua could adjust their status to permanent residency if they came to the US before December 1995. Immigrants from El Salvador and Guatemala could only apply for a limited and complex procedure called Suspension of Deportation before being found eligible to obtain their green card. Furthermore, only those who arrived by 1990 and had registered for ABC status could apply.

To make matters worse, children of parents who posses ABC membership are not eligible for this law once they turn 21 years old. These children must meet all legal qualifications and apply on their own. Because of their time of entry into the U.S., the majority of these young adults, who came into the U.S. when they were ten or twelve years old, are not eligible to apply for NACARA, nor can they retain their work authorizations. Families fear separation since many children are deportable when they lose their immigration status.

CARECEN's former attorney explains Immigration Law and the NACARA Sec. 202 on Radio La Unica

From 1998 to the present, CARECEN and dozens of progressive organizations and individuals have continued the advocacy work to have NACARA amended to include nationals from Honduras, Haiti, Guatemala and El Salvador. It is only fair that we receive the same opportunity to obtain lawful permanent residency as our brothers and sisters from Nicaragua and Cuba did under this law.

CARECEN also advocates for other major immigration issues, which include:

• The re-establishment of the clause 245(i) which allows visa petitioners to process their immigration applications in the U.S. by paying a $1,000 fine.
  
  
• To update the Registry Law to the year 1986 from its present cut-off date of 1972. This would permit undocumented immigrants to adjust their status if they can prove they have lived in the U.S. before 1986.
  

These proposals are part of a legislative bill known as the Latino Immigrant Fairness Act. Just as these reforms are urgently needed, a full legalization process is also necessary for the many undocumented immigrant workers who had to leave their countries in order to survive and find new opportunities to live a life with dignity.

At the beginning of the new Millenium, our agenda to advance the interests of the Latino immigrant population in the U.S. is far from over. CARECEN will continue to maintain its commitment to advocate for immigrant rights in the United States and San Francisco.