Waiting for Appeal of Federal Court Ruling, First Time DACA Applicants in Limbo

While the Joe Biden administration appeals a Texas court ruling that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) is unlawful, the decision is blocking more than 80,000 new applications from young adults who were brought to the United States illegally as children and are seeking protection under the program, reports the Chicago Tribune. Although the ruling by U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen only barred the federal government from processing new applications, it has also affected the backlog of renewal cases that had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many who were previously approved for DACA without work permits.

Immigration advocates and political leaders in Chicago are mobilizing to demand immigration reform that would guarantee a path to citizenship for young immigrants, as well as those who have already been protected under DACA or temporary protected status or because they are farmworkers or essential workers. In the Chicago area there are more than 32,000 DACA recipients, according to the Center for American Progress. In Illinois they contribute nearly $200 million annually in state and local taxes. The backlog to approve renewals puts many at the risk of losing their job or derailing their career, and immigration attorneys say that the delays could put thousands of immigrants at risk of deportation and deal a blow to the U.S. economy.