The Department of Homeland Security announced it has resumed processing renewals under the DACA program, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to America as children.
The Trump Administration’s action on Sept. 5 to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was overturned last Tuesday by a federal judge in San Francisco.
There are an estimated 40,000 DACA recipients in San Diego who would have faced loss of work permits and deportation to countries which, in many cases, they never knew beginning March 5.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service said even those immigrants whose permits expired after Sept. 5 could file for renewal.
“Due to a federal court order, USCIS has resumed accepting requests to renew a grant of deferred action under DACA,” the Department of Homeland Security said. “Until further notice, and unless otherwise provided in this guidance, the DACA policy will be operated on the terms in place before it was rescinded on Sept. 5, 2017.”
The Trump administration plans to appeal the decision, but Congress continues efforts to pass bipartisan legislation to permanently protect some 800,000 Dreamers across the country.
President Trump tweeted Sunday morning that “DACA is probably dead because the Democrats don’t really want it,” but Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake countered that he believed the negotiations were proceeding in “good faith.”
California and other states quickly moved to inform Dreamers of the new opportunity to renew their status.
Until further notice, if you already applied for #DACA and it was expiring, this is your chance to reapply: https://t.co/itwYjimmX9
— Xavier Becerra (@AGBecerra) January 14, 2018
