Rep. Vargas, Colleagues Call for Automatic DACA Extensions Amidst Backlog
Delays threaten the livelihood of many DACA recipients, with many potentially losing their work authorization or their ability to hold a valid driver’s license.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (CA-52) joined over 100 of his colleagues in a letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur M. Jaddou to raise concern over delays in processing renewal applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, and call for the agency to begin providing automatic extensions for lawful recipients in the interim.
“Many of our offices have heard from constituents that the increased [USCIS] backlog has resulted in many DACA recipients waiting several months to hear back,” the lawmakers wrote. “These delays threaten the ability of many DACA recipients to work, drive, or go to school.”
There are an estimated 554,000 DACA recipients nationwide, with 154,000 in California alone, who are potentially affected by this backlog. USCIS recommends DACA recipients submit a renewal application 120-150 days before their expiration date, but some individuals have been waiting for months, with cases as far back as August 2023, to receive updates on their renewal requests.
“We commend the agency’s support of the DACA program, and we urge you to prioritize and quickly resolve this matter so that DACA recipients can continue to contribute to our economy and communities,” the lawmakers added. “We ask that you dedicate the appropriate resources to this process, to ensure that renewals can be processed in a timely manner.”
Currently, DACA recipients do not receive an automatic extension while their renewal applications are pending. They depend on USCIS provided processing times and status updates to avoid losing their jobs. In the letter, the lawmakers ask, while the processing backlog is being addressed, that “USCIS […] work on providing DACA recipients with the automatic extension that a majority of individuals receive upon submitting a valid application for the renewal of their employment authorization.”
The letter was co-signed by over half of the House Democratic Caucus. Read the full text HERE.
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