What Is the Most Recent DACA Update?

Across the United States, recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy work in the healthcare industry, serve in the military, or overall positively contribute to our society. While the futures of DACA recipients have been left largely unknown over the years, fortunately, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently announced an update to this program that could be of benefit. Continue reading to learn what this update may mean for your future and how one of our experienced attorneys at our Lyndhurst family & individual immigration law firm, the Law Offices of Salvatore A. Falletta, LLC, can be of any assistance.

What is DACA?

Put simply, the DACA program was instated to help protect children who entered the U.S. illegally with their parents from deportation and instead give them a chance at eventual citizenship. Since its inception in 2012, DACA has allowed over 200,000 children, that are now mostly young adults, to remain in the only country they have ever known.

How does the most recent DACA update impact my future?

Recently, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced that a final ruling has been issued to preserve and fortify the DACA policy for eligible noncitizens who entered the U.S. as citizens, stating, “Today, we are taking another step to do everything in our power to preserve and fortify DACA, an extraordinary program that has transformed the lives of so many Dreamers. Thanks to DACA, we have been enriched by young people who contribute so much to our communities and our country. Yet, we need Congress to pass legislation that provides an enduring solution for the young Dreamers who have known no country other than the United States as their own.”

Of the decision, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur M. Jaddou said, “DACA has transformed the lives of its recipients and has made us better and stronger as a nation. USCIS is proud to play an important role in implementing the DACA final rule and is committed to ensuring DACA recipients can continue to remain a vital part of their communities and contribute to this country that is their home.”

Ultimately, the ruling finalizes the following:

• It maintains the existing threshold criteria for DACA.
• It retains the existing process for DACA requestors to seek work authorization.
• It affirms the longstanding policy that DACA is not a form of lawful status but that DACA recipients, like other deferred action recipients, are considered “lawfully present” for certain purposes.

If you would like to learn more about what the recent DACA ruling means for you, do not hesitate in talking with a skilled Bergen County immigration attorney today.

Contact our experienced New Jersey firm

If you need experienced legal counsel for matters regarding immigration, please contact the Law Offices of Salvatore A. Falletta, LLC today to schedule a consultation. Our firm is located in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.