WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senate Democratic colleagues in urging U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to resume processing applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, following a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that limited a nationwide injunction to only Texas.
“[Dreamers] are American in every way but their immigration status,” wrote the Senators. “Many only know this country as their home, and they contribute every day to this great nation by paying taxes and serving in critical roles, such as police officers, teachers, and nurses. Americans overwhelmingly support providing Dreamers a path to citizenship, and in December 2024, President Trump stated that he supported protections for Dreamers to remain in the United States.”
“Consistent with this statement, we implore you to use your authority at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume processing initial applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and provide such protections for Dreamers immediately,” they continued. “Pursuant to the order, in Texas, DACA must resume as a limited program providing protection from deportation for current DACA recipients, but without access to work authorization or driver’s licenses as part of those renewals. This order went into effect on March 11, giving USCIS the authority to start processing initial DACA applications from states other than Texas. However, nearly three months later, USCIS has not made any public announcement on whether new DACA applications will be processed; nor has the agency begun processing initial applications that have been pending with the agency for years. We urge you to begin processing these DACA applications immediately, consistent with the Fifth Circuit decision and existing regulations, and to ensure Dreamers eligible to file initial DACA applications can do so as soon as possible.”
Senator Rosen has been outspoken in her strong support for immigrant communities, including DACA recipients and their families. This week, she took to the Senate floor to mark the thirteenth anniversary of the DACA program and deliver a forceful defense of Nevada’s Dreamers in light of the Trump Administration’s attacks on immigrant communities across the country. In a committee hearing last year, Senator Rosen raised concerns over the significant application delays impacting DACA recipients.
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