DACA UPDATE

Five Things You Should Know

AUGUST 25, 2017 | Versión en español

By United We Dream and National Immigration Law Center

On August 24, 2017, rumors circulated that President Trump is seriously considering ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Here are the top five things to know about this:

#1. DACA is still in effect. The program is still functioning. If you have DACA, it is still valid. No rumor will change that. Only formal action by the Trump administration can change that.

#2. Trump must keep DACA in place. Our number one priority is to ensure the safety of our communities and continue to fight with all our might to protect the DACA program and the entire immigrant community. UWD, NILC, and our allies will continue to pressure the administration to keep the program in place.

#3. If you are traveling abroad on advance parole with your DACA — this is serious—come back as soon as possible! We don’t know if people outside the U.S. with advance parole will be allowed to return to the U.S. once an announcement terminating the program is made.

#4. If you have any specific questions about your immigration case and options for relief, speak to a lawyer or a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)–accredited representative, not to a notario, as soon as you can. Go to www.adminrelief.org to find affordable and trustworthy access to legal advice. If you have questions and concerns about employment, homeownership, car ownership, driver’s licenses, or tuition, speak to an expert and visit our websites in the next couple of weeks for more information on these topics explaining how they could be affected by a termination of DACA.

#5 Keep a copy of your DACA work permit in your wallet — at all times. Take care of your documents; they are the fastest way to prove that you have been granted DACA. Do not trust that ICE or Customs and Border Protection will look up that information in their system if they stop you.

We need you to join us. Five years ago, we won DACA by standing up to the administration and fighting for it. We organized our communities, marched in the streets, and forced the government to listen to our demands. We need you—now more than ever—to march with us, mobilize your families and friends, and protect the victories we’ve won. Now is the time to fight.

If you’re ready to take action now, here are some things you can do: