Guides to the DACA Decision

DACA

On December 4, 2020 a federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to fully restore the original DACA program.


What does this mean for me?

USCIS must start accepting initial DACA requests from first-time applicants.

Effective December 4, 2020, USCIS must begin to process DACA first-time requests. This includes all people who were eligible for the program but were not able to apply before the September 2017 termination, and those who applied after the June 2020 Supreme Court decision but had their request rejected.

A person can be eligible for DACA if they:
Were born after June 15, 1981;
Came to the United States before their 16th birthday;
Were physically present in the U.S. on June 15, 2012 and when applying for DACA;
Had no lawful status on June 15, 2012;
Have continuously resided in the U.S. since June 15, 2007 until the present;
Meet certain educational requirement or were honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces; and
Have not been convicted of certain crimes

Individuals who are interested in applying for the program should consult a legal service provider to see how they can prepare and file a request. To find a legal service provider in your area, visit: https://bit.ly/ianimmhelp.

USCIS must process applications according to the 2012 DACA Program requirements.
All applicants who are eligible to renew their DACA can continue to submit their DACA renewal applications. This includes people who currently have DACA, whose DACA has expired, and those whose DACA was terminated, but are still eligible.

USICS will automatically extend all DACA grants issued for one year to two years.
People who applied and had their applications processed after the publication of the July 28, 2020 memo were issued DACA protections valid for one year. Now that the Court invalidated this memo, these DACA protections will be automatically extended to two years. Recipients should receive notice from USCIS indicating this extension of their case.

USCIS will process Advance Parole request for DACA recipients who can demonstrate they need to travel due to education, employment, or humanitarian reasons.
DACA recipients can apply for an international travel permit called “Advance Parole” if they can show they need to travel for “humanitarian, education, or employment” purposes. It is important that people consult a legal service provider before they apply for and travel on advance parole to discuss any risks, including COVID-19 restrictions.




Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA/DAPA) | ILRC This is ILRC's statement. and next steps.

Free DACA Assistance - Woodland

DACA Renewals Workshop

DACA Funds Available

San Francisco, CA – September 13, 2017 – Mission Asset Fund (MAF) today announced it will provide $1,000,000 in scholarships to 2,000+ Dreamers to pay for DACA renewals by the October 5 deadline.

Last week, the Trump administration announced that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program is ending. DACA has provided security, safety, and a livelihood for 800,000 young people commonly known as “Dreamers.” Of the 154,000 Dreamers eligible to renew their DACA permits before the program ends in six months, most will be able to cover the application costs themselves. For those Dreamers who are eligible for renewal but can’t afford the $495 application fee, MAF is stepping in with a solution now available nationwide: scholarships to help Dreamers renew their DACA status (LC4DACA.org).

Between now and the October 5 deadline, MAF will provide 2,000 Dreamers with scholarships of $495 to renew their DACA permit. Capital to finance these scholarships come from the DACA Renewal Fund, launched this week with growing support from the philanthropic community.

“We were shocked and horrified to learn that President Trump ended DACA,” says José Quiñonez, MAF’s CEO and 2016 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. He added, “We sprang into action once we saw a small window of opportunity to help thousands of Dreamers to renew their protective status. The time to help these young people is now.”

DACA recipients with a permit expiring between now and March 5 across the nation are eligible to receive the scholarships. $500,000 of the fund is being specifically targeted to California students attending community colleges, at California State Universities, and the University of California. As time is of the essence, this online scholarship will be processed within a day, with same-day checks available in San Francisco and by overnight mail in other parts of the country.

MAF has a long history of working with Dreamers and has helped hundreds to pay for DACA application fees using a 0% interest loan. This initiative—offering scholarships within 24-48 hours to Dreamers—builds on this track record of success. DACA recipients with expiring permits are encouraged to visit LC4DACA.org and apply immediately.

Philanthropic supporters of this fund include: the Weingart Foundation, Irvine Foundation, Tipping Point Community, The Chavez Family Foundation, and San Francisco Foundation.

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DACA Renewal Workshop

When DACA Ends

Community Advisory | Sept 13, 2017

I. Initial and Renewal Applications 

On September 5, 2017, President Trump directed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to phase out and eventually end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) over two and half years. This means that, as of September 5, 2017: 

• USCIS will continue to process all pending INITIAL applications ACCEPTED as of September 5, 2017. 

• USCIS will reject all other new INITIAL applications. 

• USCIS will continue to process all pending RENEWAL applications that have already been filed. 

• USCIS will continue to accept and process RENEWAL applications until October 5, 2017 from applicants whose DACA expires between September 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018. DACA recipients whose DACA has already expired are no longer eligible to renew. 

• USCIS will reject all INITIAL and RENEWAL applications received after October 5, 2017. 

IMPORTANT: Individuals with a current, unexpired grant of DACA will continue to hold DACA until it expires. This means that current DACA recipients maintain their protection from deportation and work permit until their current expiration date. USCIS will not refer DACA recipients and applicants to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation unless they meet USCIS’ Notice to Appear guidance or post a risk to national security or public safety. Applicants with currently pending and processing applications should attend biometrics appointments and respond to any requests for additional evidence they receive from USCIS. 

DACA Preparation