About DACA

What is DACA?

Established in 2012 as an executive order, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a type of administrative relief from deportation for eligible undocumented immigrants who arrived to the U.S. as children. DACA essentially grants program recipients: 1) protection from deportation, and 2) a work permit. The program expires after two years, subject to renewal. 

Due to recent federal policy changes, the DACA program is not currently open to new applicants. Only current DACA recipients are eligible to renew their documentation. 

 

Notable DACA updates

Since the Fall of 2017, DACA has been subject to various changes.

  • January 4, 2021 - USCIS provided the court a status report on DACA with information about the applications for DACA and for advance parole that were received, adjudicated, approved, denied, and rejected between November 14 and December 31, 2020, as well as the applications previously affected by the July 2020 Wolf memo.  The information above was from: dacaclassaction.org.  

  • January 19, 2021 — As a result of an order by a U.S. district court in the Eastern District of New York, on December 7, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting initial DACA applications, DACA renewal requests, and applications for advance parole from DACA recipients. 

    • Since then, USCIS has mailed notices to individuals whose requests for DACA were approved for a one-year period, informing them that their current period of deferred action and their employment authorization document (EAD) have been automatically extended from one year to two. USCIS distributed guidance, including for employers, making clear that the extended EADs should be treated as having a two-year expiration date for all purposes for which EADs are used, including eligibility for state services and for employment eligibility verification. USCIS also mailed notices to individuals who submitted first-time applications for DACA or applications for advance parole, and whose applications were rejected as result of the unlawful July 2020 memo issued by Chad Wolf curtailing DACA. The information above was from: dacaclassaction.org 

  • July 16, 2021 – A federal district court judge in Texas declared the DACA program unlawful. Although individuals eligible for DACA may continue to submit applications, the federal government is now prohibited from granting DACA to any new applicants. If you already have DACA, this court order does not cancel or otherwise terminate your DACA or work authorization. For now, renewal applications for recipients of DACA will continue to be processed and adjudicated. If you currently have DACA or are eligible for DACA, we recommend that you consult with an immigration lawyer to discuss your options. The information above from: dacaclassaction.org 

 

Renewing Your DACA

Extensive research from credible organizations like the National Immigration Law Center and United We Dream was conducted to provide the information on this page, but the information below is not intended as legal advice.  For guidance regarding your DACA status and information on renewals, please click on the various drop-down menus below.

For More Information
Should you renew your DACA?
What do you need to renew your DACA?
Need Financial Assistance with Your DACA Renewal?