What’s happening with DACA today?

What’s happening with DACA today?

In this post, attorney Jacob Sapochnick talks all about the state of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and what you should know as a recipient of DACA.

In September of 2017 the Trump administration announced that it would be ending the DACA program, which allows undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke on behalf of the administration and said that USCIS would not accept new requests for DACA but would allow DACA recipients with work permits expiring between September 2017 and March 5, 2018 to apply for a final 2-year renewal of their status including employment authorization.

This announcement put considerable pressure on Congress to pass legislation before March 5, 2018 to protect Dreamers from deportation.

Since then, Congress has not passed any legislation to provide relief to DACA recipients. With no legislative resolution, thousands of DACA recipients have lost their legal status. Multiple lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration by individuals who have lost their benefits as well as multiple states acting on behalf of DACA recipients.

In January 2018, a federal judge ruled that DACA recipients could continue to renew their DACA but did not require USCIS to accept initial requests for DACA benefits. The Trump administration is now appealing this decision.

At the moment, several lawsuits are moving through the courts and we do not yet know whether one of these lawsuits will end up before the Supreme Court.

What we do know at this time however is that DACA recipients may continue to apply for renewal of their status until further notice. People who have never had DACA however may not apply for DACA benefits.

We will provide more information as it unfolds. If you have questions please contact our office.

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