On November 16th, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its data for the number of arrests involving immigrants who requested Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The data from the report also reflects arrests that did not result in convictions and cases where the charges were dropped or dismissed.
Here are a few highlights from the latest report:
- Out of close to 110,000 DACA applicants, nearly 889,000 (12%) had arrest records. Offenders in this group were arrested for assault, battery, rape, murder, and driving under the influence.
- When it comes to DACA applicants who were approved by USCIS, 67,861 (85%) had been arrested before they were most recently approved.
- Out of the pool of approved DACA applicants with arrest records, 24,898 (31%) had more than a single arrest.
- 218 DACA applicants had more than 10 arrests. 54 of these requestors had a DACA case status of “approved” as of October 2019.
The data was released to coincide with the Supreme Court hearings over the fate of the DACA program under the Trump administration. Speaking about the updated data, USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli said:
“This agency is obligated to continue accepting DACA requests from illegal aliens as a direct result of the previous administration’s decision to circumvent the laws as passed by Congress. We hope this data provides a better sense of the reality of those granted the privilege of a temporary deferral of removal action and work authorization under DACA.”
Dedicated Immigration Advocates
Despite the Trump administration’s attempts to portray DACA applicants as hardened criminals, our lawyers at Sintsirmas & Mueller Co. L.P.A. know that this program provides a crucial pathway to citizenship for hundreds and thousands of young immigrants who do not pose an actual threat to our nation’s security. That is why we are committed to representing immigrants throughout Cleveland who need help resolving issues with DACA applications.
If you have questions about a pending DACA application or deportation order, you need to get in touch with our legal team to discuss your situation. Call (888) 491-8770 today to request your free consultation.
