Irving DACA Attorneys

Dallas County Immigration Lawyers Assisting With Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

There are a variety of issues that can affect an immigrant's legal status. Immigrants who originally came to the U.S. when they were children and have lived in the country for most of their lives can sometimes be placed in a difficult position, since they may not have strong ties to their country of birth, and if they were to be deported, this would uproot them from their communities and most likely cause hardship for them and their family members. To address this issue, the administration of President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and those who qualify may be able to avoid deportation and continue living in the U.S.

Understanding the eligibility requirements for the DACA program can be complicated, and changing laws and court rulings may affect a person's ability to receive protections against action by immigration officials. The attorneys of John W. Lawit, LLC can help determine whether DACA or other laws or programs may offer humanitarian relief in certain situations. We have more than 40 years of legal experience in matters related to immigration, and we have assisted tens of thousands of immigrants and their family members with a wide variety of issues.

Eligibility for DACA

The DACA program, which was created in 2012, allows qualifying immigrants to receive "deferred action" for a certain period of time, meaning that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other authorities will not detain a person or begin deportation proceedings while these protections are in effect. While deferred action does not provide a person with lawful immigration status, it will allow them to remain in the United States while making them eligible to receive authorization to work for U.S. employers.

A person may be eligible for DACA protections if they meet a number of requirements, including:

• They were younger than 31 years old on June 15, 2012.
• They initially entered the U.S. before their 16th birthday.
• They continuously resided in the U.S. since June 15, 2007 and were in the country on June 15, 2012 and at the time they request deferred action.
• They have obtained a high school diploma or GED, are currently attending school, or have been honorably discharged after serving in the United States armed forces.
• They do not have any convictions for felony offenses, serious misdemeanors such as sexual abuse or drug trafficking, or three or more other types of misdemeanors.
• They do not present a risk to national security or public safety.

Once DACA protections are granted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), they will remain in effect for two years. Renewals may be requested, and these can usually be made within 120 to 150 days before a person's DACA protections expire. If a renewal request is not submitted within one year after DACA protections expire, an application will be considered a new DACA request.

Legal Issues Affecting the DACA Program

In 2021, a U.S. district court judge issued a ruling stating that the DACA program was illegal and prohibited USCIS from granting new DACA requests. However, this ruling allowed existing DACA protections to be renewed. Any DACA requests that were granted prior to July 16, 2021 may be eligible for renewal. USCIS is still accepting new DACA applications, but it may not act on these requests while the judge's order is in effect. Cases addressing this issue are still ongoing, and the laws and policies related to DACA may change as new court rulings are issued or laws are passed.

Contact a Farmers Branch DACA Lawyer

At John W. Lawit, LLC, we make sure to stay abreast of the latest changes in immigration laws and the policies followed by immigration officials. We can help immigrants and their family members determine their options for receiving humanitarian relief from deportation or other issues that may affect their legal status. For legal help with DACA protections or deportation defense, contact our team today at 214-609-2242. Our firm provides immigration services to clients in Dallas County, Bedford, Farmers Branch, Coppell, Addison, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Euless, Carrollton, Grapevine, and Irving.