Starting in 2012, the federal government had a program to protect against deportation for young immigrants who came to the U.S. with their parents as children. These young immigrants are often referred to as Dreams because they are fully engaged in living the American dream.
More than 800,000 people came forward to register for the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program created by President Obama’s executive order.
In September 2017, President Trump announced that the program will be winding down. This has led to all sorts of questions about what will happen next for Dreamers and their families.
At the Law Office of Dennis M. Clare, PSC, we can counsel you on how changes in the law on DACA apply to your particular situation. Call 502-410-3861 to arrange a confidential consultation. Our attorneys serve clients in the Louisville area and throughout Kentucky.
When will the program be ending?
No new applications have been accepted since September 7, 2017. But if you already have a two-year DACA permit, that permit is still valid until it expires. This means that the program will end at different times for different people, depending on when the permit began.
The latest that a two-year permit could go would be until March 5, 2020.
Is there a chance that Congress could reinstate the program?
Yes, though it is unclear whether that would happen. The program was created by executive order and was ended by executive order. Congress has not yet indicated whether it will support restoring it.
What happens to the Dreamers who participated in the program?
The president has said that DACA participants should not be deportation priorities unless they commit a crime or are members of a gang.
But without the permits created by DACA, possible deportation is now a significant concern for many Dreamers.
The Department of Homeland Security has not yet used information provided by Dreamers to register for DACA and used that information to track them down. But the risk that this could happen is very real. If you are concerned about your status, reach out to an experienced immigration lawyer at our firm for guidance.
