For the first time in four years, the federal government plans to begin processing first-time applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
The program gives deportation protection and work permits to immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
Because of a nationwide injunction, new applications haven’t been reviewed by the federal government since 2021, but that could change very soon — though nothing’s a done deal yet.
President Donald Trump tried to end the program during his first term in office. Since then, lawsuits have been ongoing.
A key case in Texas prompted the nationwide injunction four years ago. The federal government is now shifting course, saying it’s willing to consider new applications, offering deportation protections for a new wave of dreamers.
A final decision by the Texas judge remains pending, but it may limit the injunction to that state alone, opening the door for applications to be accepted in California.
A local immigration attorney who spoke to Eyewitness News explained how it may impact potential applicants.
“A lot of these people who would be eligible for DACA have kind of hit a roadblock, and they have all these skills and basically, training, and this will allow them, basically, to pursue those goals that they studied for and worked so hard for,” said immigration attorney John Ayala.
Created during the Obama administration, the controversial yet successful program grants protection to immigrants who were brought to the United States as children before 2007.
Basic criteria would remain: To qualify, applicants must prove they came to the U.S. before they turned 16. They also must have a high school diploma and no serious criminal record.
More than half a million immigrants are currently enrolled in DACA.
Right now, there’s no immediate timeline for what happens next.
