Alcorn Immigration Law can assist with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewals and new applications. Please contact us if you are a Dreamer and need help with your immigration status.
The Obama administration established the DACA policy in June 2012. The policy enabled some individuals who entered the U.S. as children and had either entered or remained in the U.S. illegally to be eligible for renewable two-year protection from deportation and a work permit.
In September 2017, the Trump administration stopped accepting new applications for deferred action status. It announced that anyone with DACA that expired before March 5, 2018, could apply for a two-year renewal until Oct. 5, 2017.
On Jan. 9, 2018, a federal court judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to end the DACA program and ordered the administration to resume accepting DACA renewal applications. USCIS began accepting DACA renewals again on Jan. 13, 2018.
Developments in 2020
On June 18, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration illegally ended the DACA program in 2017 by failing to provide a “reasoned explanation” for doing so. The ruling was expected to mean that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would once again accept new DACA applications, advance parole applications, renewals for lapsed DACA status, in addition to renewals for active status.
However, USCIS continued the DACA program largely as it was after a series of lower court rulings and prior to the Supreme Court decision: It was still not accepting new DACA applications from individuals who have never applied for DACA before. In addition, the agency made renewing DACA and associated work permits more burdensome. Read our blog post on the changes USCIS imposed on the DACA program.
On Dec. 4, 2020, a federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS, to resume approval of new DACA applications and work permits and granting them in two-year increments.
As part of his platform, President-elect Biden promised to fully reinstate DACA and create a path to citizenship for Dreamers.
More Information
Below is information about the requirements, steps, forms fees, and other details for renewing DACA and work permits. We remain hopeful that Congress will legalize Dreamers and provide a path to citizenship. And we hope we will be able to make that information available shortly.
- New DACA Application
- Renewing DACA
- Legalization
- Citizenship
We Can Help
Alcorn Immigration Law supports immigration for innovation. If you, a colleague, or a loved one need assistance, please contact us.