Dreamers’ Dilemma: To file or not to file for DACA

Young immigrants known as Dreamers are in a dilemma after the election of Donald Trump as president. Should they file for DACA? Should those with DACA status file for renewal or travel under advance parole?

DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is an executive action which was announced by outgoing US President Barack Obama back in June 2012 following the failure of the DREAM Act’s passage into law. It is lacking the force of law, and operating under the enforcement discretion of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), USCIS and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It does not guarantee a path to citizenship but rather defers deportation to those who came to the US before turning 16 years old and have continuously resided in the country, gone to school and have no criminal records.

While it has helped a lot of young immigrants obtain work permits and travel authorization and be protected from deportation during Obama’s presidency, the reality is that executive actions can easily be undone by the next president. With Trump’s platform on undocumented immigrants, it is highly likely that he will end this executive action.

If and when Trump decides to totally scrap DACA, there is still uncertainty as to how USCIS will handle the situation. It is possible that if USCIS will terminate DACA completely, those holding valid work permits will no longer be able to renew. It is possible that the employment authorization and advance parole may remain valid until its expiration.

As of now, it is unclear if Trump will scrap the DACA immediately upon his assumption into office. Given that it usually takes about nine months for an initial DACA application to be adjudicated, it is safe to assume that any new application will not be adjudicated prior to his assumption in office on January 20, 2017. On the other hand, renewals of DACA application are processed quicker.

Thus, to avoid paying the DACA fees with no guarantee that it will not be rescinded, it may be best to defer any new initial DACA application until Trump has completely laid down his stand on the matter. On the other hand, those who plan to renew may opt to submit their DACA renewal as soon as practicable.
For DACA recipients who also intend to travel abroad but have not yet applied for their advance parole, any new Form I-131 application may not be adjudicated prior to January 20 given the current processing times. DACA recipients with advance parole should complete their travel and return to the US as soon as practicable and before January 20 to avoid any problems coming back. One should also bear in mind that the grant of an advance parole does not guarantee admission to the US. DHS may revoke or terminate any advance parole at any time.

Those intending to apply for the first time also have to take into consideration the risk they may be putting themselves into. Because DACA was created through an executive action, there is no statutory provision guaranteeing confidentiality. In fact, it somehow encourages people to come out from the shadows and divulge pertinent information like workplace or school location, in exchange for the promise of deferred deportation and protection. While the information disclosed in a DACA request is protected from disclosure to ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) for immigration enforcement purposes, there is no guarantee that this will remain the same in the coming months.

What is clear is that those who already applied for DACA already have their information in government hands. Thus, it does not appear that if one were to renew his DACA, that he will put himself in any additional risk. On the other hand, the submission of an initial application at this time would require disclosure of pertinent information that could potentially be used in case of sweeps or workplace raids that may be conducted later on.