A federal judge ordered the government to reopen DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program launched during the Obama administration in 2012 to protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn ruled the Trump administration must immediately restore DACA. Up to 300,000 young people known as Dreamers who have been living in the United States without documentation since childhood may be eligible for the protections offered under DACA.
The Trump administration has been working to end DACA and hasn’t accepted applicants since September 2017. Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of Homeland Security, issued a directive in July to restrict the program to people who were already enrolled. In November, Judge Garaufis ruled that Wolf was unlawfully appointed to his position at DHS, and didn’t have the authority to suspend DADA.
Judge Garaufis ordered the government to contact all immigrants who are eligible for the program to inform them of the change.
President-elect Joe Biden pledged to restore the DACA program when he takes office in January 2021. Over 650,000 people are currently enrolled in the program. Immigration advocates want U.S. immigration laws passed to protect Dreamers and millions of other undocumented immigrants and provide a pathway to citizenship.
DACA is a politically popular program to protect the rights of innocent children and their fight to become United States citizens.
Under normal circumstances, the criteria for seeking DACA protections revolve around the applicant’s age and physical location on certain dates. To be eligible, a potential DACA recipient must have been:
Chicago DACA Attorney
Do you want to apply for DACA protection?
An experienced DACA lawyer can explain the new policy developments around U.S. immigration laws and how they might affect your and your family’s situation. Knowledge of the legal system is a powerful tool to protect people from deportation. To discuss your situation, call 855-554-6369 to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced DACA attorneys today.
Godoy Law Office serves the entire Chicago, Illinois area including DuPage, Cook, Kane, Will, and Lake Counties.
