Why are DACA renewals taking up to six months?

Questions are mounting on both sides of the political aisle over the growing amount of time it is taking U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process renewal requests for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

According to Politico, a process that typically took about two months is now taking six months or longer in some cases

DACA recipients, commonly known as Dreamers, were brought to the United States as children by their parents.

DACA background

In 2012, then-President Barack Obama established DACA through executive action, providing qualifying recipients protection from deportation and authorization to work in the United States. Those protections must be renewed through USCIS every two years.

Delays in renewing work authorization can leave recipients unable to work legally, accept new jobs or maintain employment. In some cases, they could also become vulnerable to deportation.

Concerns over processing delays

Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., says his office has received hundreds of complaints from DACA recipients facing lengthy delays in renewing their work permits.

“I can’t see how it’s not intentional,” Padilla told POLITICO.

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., also raised concerns about the slowdown.

“These delays are leaving hundreds of thousands of Dreamers who grew up in America stuck in legal limbo, unable to participate in the workforce and contribute to communities they call home,“ Salazar said in a statement.

TheDream.US, an advocacy group that provides scholarships to Dreamers, estimates USCIS has been working through a backlog that dates back to late 2025 and says it could take at least four months to clear.

UCIS response

A USCIS spokesperson rejected suggestions that the agency is improperly handling renewals, telling Politico “is safeguarding the American people by more thoroughly screening and vetting all aliens.” 

Kehler also noted that Abraham Alvarez of Nebraska, a DACA recipient who federal prosecutors accuse of leading a plot to carry out a mass-casualty attack at last Sunday’s UFC event at the White House, is now facing prosecution and potential deportation

The Department of Homeland Security says it intends to pursue both criminal charges and removal proceedings against Alvarez.

Calls for congressional action

The debate is also renewing calls for a permanent legislative solution for Dreamers.

Salazar is urging Congress to pass the Dignity Act, which would establish a long-term legal framework for DACA recipients.

Meanwhile, the American Business Immigration Coalition has called on lawmakers to expedite delayed renewals, halt deportations of DACA holders, and pass legislation providing permanent protections for Dreamers.

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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief

Ella Greene

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