The current president announced the end of the DACA program on September 5, 2017.
DACA stands for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a U.S. immigration policy that allowed some individuals who entered the country as children to receive a renewable 2-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit. As of this year, around 800,000 individuals were enrolled in the program created by DACA.
Earlier in June, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it intended to repeal the executive order issued by the Obama administration that expanded the DACA program, though the overall existence would continue to be reviewed. On the same day the president announced DACA’s end, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the program’s repeal. Sessions indicated the DACA-eligible individuals were “lawbreakers” who adversely impacted the wages and employment of native-born Americans. The president also stated that “virtually all . . . top legal experts” believed DACA was unconstitutional, though fact-checkers say only a few economists think DACA adversely affects native-born workers.
The rescission was challenged in court by several entities, including the cities of Washington, DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The day after the decision was announced, 15 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit titled New York v. Trump in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. A few days later, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a separate lawsuit, which was joined by the states of Maine, Minnesota, and Maryland.
Recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decided not to extend an October 5th deadline for DACA recipients to renew their status. DHS stopped accepting new DACA applications on September 5th with a 6-month window for Congress to act, allowing existing DACA recipients with permits that expire on or before March 5, 2018, to apply for renewal.
If you think you might be affected by the potential repeal of DACA, make sure to talk to one of our Cleveland immigration lawyers as soon as possible. Sintsirmas& Mueller Co. L.P.A. has more than 50 years of combined legal experience to offer your case. We have handled countless situations with high attention to detail and knowledge to help our former clients achieve the most favorable outcome possible. Let us see what we can do for you.
Contact us at (888) 491-8770 or fill out our online form to schedule a confidential case consultation with us today.
