Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”), an executive memo issued on June 15, 2012 by President Obama, protects eligible immigrant youth who came to the United States as children. DACA gives eligible undocumented immigrants a temporary deportation protection, and a work permit that allows them to obtain a social security number. DACA became a reality by many years of struggle and a movement led by undocumented young people.
On June 18, 2020 the U.S. Supreme Court fully reinstated the program, after the Trump administration’s attempts to rescind the program. A federal court in Maryland on July 17, 2020 also mandated USCIS to accept initial applications. However, as of July 26, 2020 USCIS still has not released guidelines on accepting new applications, and instead has been rejecting initial applications. SSIP is recommending that initial applicants send in their applications only after consulting with an immigration attorney or an accredited representative. The information here should not be interpreted as legal advice and should only be used for informational purposes. SSIP strongly recommends that you consult with an immigration attorney or a DOJ accredited representative for a full analysis of your individual case before submitting an initial DACA request.