The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is encouraging self-deportation for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This is the latest in ongoing reviews of the program which began shortly after the program was announced in 2012. The program solely offers temporary protection from detainment and removal for recipients.
DACA doesn’t provide legal status to qualifying recipients, only removal protection. To qualify for DACA, individuals must:
- Arrived in the United States before their sixteenth birthday.
- Have been under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012 (born on or after June 16, 1981).
- Continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007.
- Been physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012.
Individuals that qualify for DACA have access to the following benefits:
- Detention and Removal Protections, as long as they renew their legal status every two years.
- A U.S. work permit visa
- A social security number
- Attending universities
- Applying for a driver’s license and state ID
As of 2025, there are currently five hundred thousand DACA recipients living in the United States. If a DACA holder ages out and doesn’t have legal status, delayed removal benefits won’t apply. The DHS is urging those who don’t qualify for the program or won’t have legal status when they out to self-deport.
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