In another sad decision by the current administration, today the acting head of DHS has announced an end to DACA in 6 months unless new legislation is enacted. DACA is an Obama-era program that gave young immigrants work authorization and legal protection from deportation.
Specifically, September 5, 2017 will be the last day to submit initial DACA applications. DHS also announced that October 5, 2017 will be the last day to submit DACA renewal applications. Any applications submitted past these days will not be received by immigration services. Anybody whose DACA is currently pending will have their applications processed normally.
We recommend applying to renew DACA for all those whose benefits will expire between today September 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018 before the October 5, 2017 deadline. Contact our office for assistance.
Advanced parole, as of today, will be revoked and refunded in all pending cases, and no new cases will be accepted. For those with a grant of advanced parole who have not left the U.S yet, travel is not recommended.
Although the administration has terminated DACA by executive (President) action, there is still the possibility that DACA will be passed by Congress, either with some changes or in its current form. It is important to stay hopeful, because both Democrats and Republicans have supported some form of the Dream Act in the past, and most Americans support a path to legalization for DACA recipients.
Today, as always, this office stands by the hardworking immigrants who make our communities better and we will continue to pursue legal options for people with DACA to live and work in the U.S., either under our current laws or under the new laws sure to come.
For the only detailed information from DHS, please see this link.