[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After a court ruling last Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Saturday it will again be accepting renewal applications for previous and current recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA recipients, sometimes referred to as Dreamers, are immigrants brought to the United States when they were children. The DACA program allowed Dreamers to work and go to school in the United States legally, without fear of deportation.
DACA was rescinded by the Trump Administration on September 5th, 2017, creating a climate of fear and uncertainty. A legislative fix for DACA is currently under debate in Congress, but after an announcement that a deal was reached, the deterioration of that same deal, and inflammatory comments from President Trump, the future of DACA remains uncertain. The court ruling and subsequent guidance from DHS opens the door to further temporary reprieve for individuals whose DACA status have expired.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) department, only existing (or previous) DACA recipients will be able to file for protected status. No new applications for DACA are being considered. If a person's DACA status expired on or after September 5th, 2016, he or she can file a renewal application for a two year period. If a person's DACA status expired before that date, he or she can file a new application for DACA protections.
See the full guidance here.
The Law Offices of Scott Warmuth can answer all of your DACA questions as well as assist with the application and renewal process. Call us today at 888-517-9888 to receive a free immigration consultation.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
