Despite the Supreme Court decision to reinstate the DACA program, on July 28, 2020, the Trump administration issued a memo indicating USCIS will (1) reject all initial DACA applications; (2) reject all Advance Parole applications from DACA recipients unless there are exceptional circumstances; and (3) shorten the DACA renewal period from 2 years to 1 year.  This means that the USCIS will not accept any new DACA initial applications and plans to reject and return all initial applications submitted to date, with filing fee. 

Current DACA recipients should continue to renew their cases although their protection under deferred action and work permit will be valid for only one year instead of two.  If you have questions about how you or someone you know may be impacted by this announcement, please visit the Ready CA Legal Directory or Immigration Advocates Network Legal Directory.

This is a deeply troubling development as President Trump again outrageously demonstrates his belief that he and his administration are above the law and shows the president’s complete disregard for the individuals and communities who are affected by this announcement. Aspects of the memo will likely be subject to legal challenges.  Further analysis and updates will be provided as soon as possible. The fight against Trump’s anti-immigration agenda continues.

Latest in DACA

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California Sentences and Immigration

11/20/2020
Crimes
Post-Conviction Relief
DACA
Citizenship and Naturalization
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In some cases, the amount of an imposed, potential, or served criminal sentence can determine the outcome of the immigration case. The law governing how state sentencing dispositions affect immigration penalties is fast-changing. The good news is that an informed defender often can structure a sentence that gives the prosecution what they require, while avoiding immigration penalties. An informed...
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Medi-Cal in California: Addressing Community Concerns about Public Charge

11/11/2020
Public Charge
DACA
Family-Based
Asylum
Community Resources
People with various immigration statuses, and in some cases without any immigration status, qualify for Medi-Cal in California. California provides Medi-Cal health insurance through state funds to many California residents that would not qualify for the federal Medicaid program. When considering applying for immigration status, many noncitizens worry that using Medi-Cal in California will harm...
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Practice Alert: Temporary Changes to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Response to COVID-19

11/09/2020
Asylum
Citizenship and Naturalization
DACA
Public Charge
Family-Based
U Visa/T Visa/VAWA
This practice alert provides a brief summary of temporary changes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made in response to COVID-19. Changes include plans for reopening USCIS facilities after suspending all in-person services, including interviews and biometrics appointments, from March 18 to June 3, 2020; automatic extensions for Requests for Evidence (RFEs), Notices of Intent...
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Advance Parole for DACA Recipients

10/30/2020
DACA
Community Resources
Despite many changes to the DACA program, DACA recipients are currently allowed to travel abroad if they are approved for Advance Parole. This resource provides an overview of the requirements, tips, and considerations for traveling abroad under Advance Parole as a DACA recipient.
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DACA Workers’ Rights Guide

10/16/2020
DACA
Community Resources
On July 28, 2020 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a new memorandum that severely limited the DACA program. This announcement has left immigrant youth and allies working tirelessly to inform the community of the new changes and the rights DACA recipients have. This guide, prepared in partnership with United We Dream and Texas AFL-CIO , is meant to answer some of the most common...

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