On September 13, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the DACA program is unlawful. This disappointing, harmful decision puts the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients, including tens of thousands in Illinois, in danger. 

The important thing to note for our community members is that if you have DACA, you can continue to renew. However, the program remains closed to new applicants. This remains unchanged from before the ruling. 

DACA was a hard-fought victory for immigrant youth who demanded and won executive action from the Obama administration over ten years ago. The work to protect DACA continued through ongoing action during the Trump administration, and regulatory updates under President Biden. 

But the program continues to face legal challenges, and will eventually make it to the Supreme Court. These ongoing attacks on DACA show that anti-immigrant officials will stop at nothing to deprive our communities, neighbors, and family members of dignity and respect. 

From the beginning, we knew that DACA was a temporary stopgap, and our communities have demanded more. ICIRR and our members remain committed to fighting to preserve DACA, while also advocating for permanent solutions like a pathway to citizenship for all. In addition, ICIRR members are exploring ways in which we can look beyond DACA to protect employment opportunities at the state and local levels. 

ICIRR partner organizations across the state encourage current DACA recipients to renew, and offer assistance with renewal applications. Additionally, partners can also check your eligibility for DACA scholarships that cover all or part of your application fees. Funds are limited, so get in touch with one of our local partners today at https://www.icirr.org/daca.