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3h ago

USCIS Processing Slowdown Leaves DACA Renewals Months Behind

The agency says more thorough screening explains the pace of adjudications, a change that is causing lapses in work authorization for many recipients.

Marco Antonio Cruz Linares, an immigrant from Mexico, tells reporters at Houston City Hall about his concerns over losing his job and his fears of being detained if he loses his DACA status.
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., right, said his office has dealt with hundreds of cases this year of Californians who are worried their DACA status will expire and are unable to get any information from federal immigration officials.
Activists rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 15, 2022. 
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Overview

  • Public USCIS data show median DACA renewal processing climbed from about 0.5 months in FY2025 to 2.3 months in FY2026, and recipients report individual waits that stretch for many months.
  • Those delays have produced concrete harms for applicants, including lost jobs and prolonged unemployment when work permits lapse, as illustrated by recipients who waited more than 190 days for reinstatement.
  • USCIS instructs recipients to file renewals 120–150 days before expiration and says tougher screening is the reason for slower adjudications while also noting DACA does not confer legal status.
  • Lawmakers and immigrant advocates have stepped up pressure on DHS and USCIS, sending formal letters to Secretary Markwayne Mullin and organizing rallies to demand faster processing and clearer explanations.
  • DACA renewals are the only ongoing intake for roughly half a million existing recipients because court rulings since 2021 have blocked new enrollments, so broader access and job stability hinge on timely renewals.