Civil rights group files lawsuit alleging housing discrimination against a DACA recipient

Last year, De Guzman and her U.S. citizen fiancé submitted an application to rent an apartment in New Jersey operated by Altman Management Co. Their application was denied after the property management company rendered De Guzman’s government-issued employment authorization card as insufficient, further insisting she provide a valid permanent resident card or visa, both of which are immigration documents DACA recipients don’t possess, according to the lawsuit.

The couple had hoped to move closer to De Guzman’s school to cut her current one-hour commute and start to build a stable life together before getting married and adjusting De Guzman’s immigration status shortly thereafter.

After their first denial, the couple applied to rent another New Jersey apartment that happened to also be operated by the same property management company. The couple received a phone call from a leasing consultant at the apartment complex informing them that their application has been denied because “De Guzman did not provide additional documentation requested by Altman Management,” the lawsuit states.

“These denials have resulted in another frozen chapter of my life,” De Guzman, 25, said in a statement. “It serves to remind us DACA holders that we aren’t fully accepted by U.S. society. Despite working, paying taxes and contributing to the economy.”