The Trump administration is facing legal pressure over a long backlog of renewal applications for the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Program recipients, who were undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, have been allowed to live and work in the U.S. on the condition of renewing their status every two years but increased delays are causing people to lose their work permits and as a result, their jobs.
Rebecca Shi, CEO of the American Business Immigration Coalition, which advocates for system reform, said a process which previously took weeks is now dragging on for months.
“Give people a heads up. Give their employer, their community a heads up so that people can apply well in advance,” Shi urged.
Department of Homeland Security officials said longer wait times are warranted to ensure the proper vetting of applicants in accordance with a 2025 executive order signed by President Donald Trump but legal aid groups fear the slowdown is part of a larger mass deportation plan.
There are close to 500,000 active DACA holders in the U.S., including nearly 8,000 in Virginia. They work in essential fields like education, health care and law enforcement.
Their labor force participation rate tops 90%, compared to the average American’s rate of just over 60%. Shi argued their removal from the workforce affects us all.
“When you remove people that are productive and so motivated, you’re not just harming these professionals, you’re harming the American economy and also American citizens that depend on their hard work,” Shi contended.
Shi hopes the lawsuit will provide DACA holders with some clarity and help expedite their applications. Legal aid groups had previously filed a Freedom of Information Act request for federal records explaining changes to the DACA renewal process but so far, the administration has not responded.
Meanwhile, the Dream Act, which would allow DACA holders to earn U.S. citizenship, has been reintroduced in Congress but has failed to pass for more than 20 years.
There are about 8,000 DACA recipients in Virginia and another 12,000 qualify for the program. (Adobe Stock)
