"Home is Here" Day of Action
Resources for DACA recipients here: https://homeishere.us/
Join us in demanding change: https://unitedwedre.am/HomeIsHere
On Wednesday, August 24, 2022 the Biden Administration issued a regulation (also called a “rule”) regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The underlying purpose of the government issuing this rule is to protect the DACA program by codifying it into law. Up until now, DACA has existed through a 2012 memorandum issued by then-Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. The rule is scheduled to go into effect on October 31, 2022.
The rule does not change the nature of the program or the parameters of who qualifies. In order to qualify for DACA, applicants must have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007 and been present in this country on June 15, 2012. Thus, as the DACA program currently exists, immigrants brought to the United States on or after June 16, 2007 will not qualify nor will anyone who was over 30 years old on the day DACA was announced.
The State of Texas challenged the DACA program through litigation, which remains pending before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas v. USA. A court order in that case prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from granting new initial DACA applications.
While RMIAN applauds the Biden Administration for creating a regulation that would better protect the DACA program from future attacks via litigation, the need for sweeping reform remains. Thousands of deserving people, who were slightly too old or arrived in the United States a little too late are still living in legal limbo. Congress must provide more robust permanent protections to ensure that valuable members of our community have a pathway to gain lawful status in the United States.
Images from United We Dream
