A federal district judge recently ordered the Trump Administration to reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. This is great news for all those who depend on this program, though the future for DACA is not yet entirely clear. Please continue reading and speak with our Wisconsin immigration attorney to learn more about DACA and what the new announcement may mean for you. Here are some of the questions you may have:
What exactly is DACA?
Starting on June 12, 2012, it was announced that certain children who came to the United States illegally could request consideration of deferred action for two years. In November of 2014, DACA was expanded under the Obama Administration, eliminating the age cap and extending application deadlines. That being said, when the Trump Administration took over, DACA’s future starting to become unclear. As of October 2017, USCIS stopped accepting DACA applications and shortened the two-year extension rule to only one-year renewals of DACA status. Currently, a federal judge has ordered the DACA program to be reinstated, which, if passed into law, may allow up to 300,000 undocumented immigrants to apply for protections offered under DACA. That being said, efforts to preserve the DACA program may still fall short, as there is a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court.
How can I reapply for DACA if it is reinstated?
The first step will be determining whether you qualify. To qualify for protections offered under DACA, you will have to prove that you came to the United States before you turned 16 years old, and that you were not yet age 31 on June 15, 2012. You will also have to provide evidence showing continuous residence since June 15, 2007, and that you either entered the United States unlawfully or you fell out of status before June 15, 2012. You will either have to be in school, prove that you graduated from a high school, or have a GED. All those who have been convicted of felonies or certain misdemeanors will not qualify.
To apply for DACA, you will have to file a Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals with USCIS, which comes with a $450 filing fee. If you have any additional questions or you would like to learn more about the DACA program, feel free to reach out to our experienced Wisconsin immigration attorneys today. We are always here to help.
Contact our experienced Wisconsin firm
John Sesini is an experienced immigration attorney with offices in Green Bay and Milwaukee Wisconsin. Our firm understands what is at stake when it comes to immigration law matters, which is why If you have any questions, you should not hesitate to contact the Sesini Law Group, S.C., and schedule your initial consultation with our firm today.