Immigration advocates are raising alarms over a substantial slowdown in the renewal process for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program. While recipients previously anticipated approval within a matter of weeks, current reports indicate that the administrative timeline has extended to several months.
Employment and Legal Status at Risk
This bureaucratic lag places thousands of recipients, often referred to as “Dreamers,” in a precarious position. To legally work in the United States, recipients must maintain a current Daca status. The failure of authorities to process renewals promptly has resulted in gaps in employment authorization, forcing many to leave their jobs unexpectedly.
For long-term recipients like Claudia, who arrived in the U.S. as a child, the shift represents a dramatic deviation from the norm. Having lived in the country since the age of four, she describes the current climate as a personal attack, noting that a process once considered routine has become a source of significant anxiety and professional disruption.
Source: The Guardian