Senators Press USCIS to Resume Processing Initial DACA Applications Following Court Ruling
Lawmakers cite stalled applications and economic contributions of Dreamers.
WASHINGTON — A group of more than 40 U.S. senators is urging the Trump administration to resume processing new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, citing a recent federal court ruling that narrows an earlier nationwide injunction.
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In a letter sent June 13 to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Acting Director Angela Alfonso-Royals, the senators, led by Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA.), wrote: “Noncitizens brought to the United States as children, often known as Dreamers, are American in every way but their immigration status. 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.”
The call to action comes just days ahead of the 13th anniversary of the DACA program, which was created by the Obama administration in 2012. More than 825,000 individuals have received protection under DACA, and current estimates suggest recipients contribute $140 billion in spending power and $40 billion in taxes to the U.S. economy.
The senators cited the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ January 2025 decision that limited a previous nationwide injunction to Texas. “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,” they wrote. “This order went into effect on March 11, giving USCIS the authority to start processing initial DACA applications from states other than Texas.”
However, they noted, “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.”
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The letter urges immediate action: “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.”
The lawmakers pointed to broad bipartisan public support for Dreamers and referenced a December 2024 statement from President Donald Trump supporting protections for them.
The letter was signed by 43 senators, including Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).
