Seeking Deferred Action, Young Immigrants With Blemished Records Give Pause

Young immigrants are not sure what type of problems on their records will make them ineligible to qualify for deferred action.   - - Donna Poisl

By Mirela Iverac

Dressed in matching grey vest and pants, his black hair neatly spiked, 24-year-old Cecilio set out in the West Village on a recent afternoon to find a job.

Cecilio, a college student who lives in Brooklyn, came to the U.S. from Mexico illegally when he was 13. He used a fake social security number to get a job at a fast food restaurant, where he worked for 10 years, rising up to assistant manager position. But during his recent job hunt, he didn’t use that fake number.

“I just leave this one in blank,” he said, pointing to the line reserved for a social security number on the application for any position at a juice specialty store on West 4th Street. “I don’t put anything, because I don’t have anything.”
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