U.S. Government Sitting on More Than 20,000 DACA Applications

Back in September, 2017, when Trump announced that he intended to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, thousands of individuals who already had applied for the program were still awaiting a decision on their applications. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is unable to provide the exact number of outstanding applications, but it has stated at different times that there are almost 22,000 such applications and over 25,000 applications. The bottom line is that over six months later, there are at least 20,000 DACA applicants still awaiting approval for their applications, all the while living in fear of deportation and unable to legally work in the U.S.; all of these individuals applied for DACA prior to September, 2017. There is some evidence that the Trump administration is working on DACA, but only in terms of those individuals who already are participants in the program. For instance, the federal government sent out tens of thousands of new work permits for existing DACA participants requesting renewal. While over 82,000 applications for renewed work permits existed in September, 2017, there were just under 30,000 such pending applications as of January 31, 2018. In contrast, the backlog of new DACA applications has shrunk only from 35,000 to 25,000 since last September, which becomes even more worrisome given the fact that the federal government received only 142 new applications during that time period, which may not even be eligible for consideration. The historically normal time for processing new DACA applications is between 90 and 120 days, so it is clear that thousands of applications have been pending for a much longer period of time. At Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., we have represented the interests of countless clients in the state of California who are facing deportation proceedings, but who wish to remain with their families in the United States, including some participants in the DACA program. We keep abreast of any new legal developments that can help our clients in any way. We will aggressively investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding your case, and help you settle upon the option that is best calculated to allow you and your family to live where you choose. Contact our experienced deportation defense attorneys today, and learn how we can help.