Meng Urges Undocumented Immigrants in New York to Enroll and Reapply for Deportation Protection Program Known as DACA

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens), joined by local elected officials and immigration advocacy groups today urged young undocumented immigrants in the New York area to enroll and reapply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, an initiative implemented in June 2012 that provides temporary protection against deportation.

The program, put into place by President Obama, allows qualified immigrants -- under age 31 -- who were brought to the country illegally as children to receive work permits and stay in the United States for period of two years.

Although approximately 560,000 immigrants have been granted DACA protection, many are unaware that they must reapply now in order to remain safe from deportation. DACA protections start to expire this September, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced last month that it began to accept renewal requests for an additional two years.

"It is critical for our communities to spread the word loud and clear that those with DACA status must renew their enrollment in the program as soon as possible," said Meng. "DACA has allowed more than half a million undocumented youth to come out of the shadows and contribute to our society. But those people, who are undocumented through no fault of their own, must understand the requirement to reapply, and I urge qualified immigrants who have not applied at all to do so at once."

Meng noted that many undocumented youth are unaware that new applications for the DACA program continue to be accepted. While many have received DACA status, it is estimated that thousands of immigrants in New York are eligible for the program but have not yet applied for it.

In order to qualify for DACA, applicants must meet and prove the following criteria:

Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;

Came to the United States before reaching their 16th birthday;

Have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;

Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making their request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS;

Had no lawful status on June 15, 2012, meaning that:

They never had a lawful immigration status on or before June 15, 2012, or
Any lawful immigration status or parole that they obtained prior to June 15, 2012, had expired as of June 15, 2012;

Are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; and

Have not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

The renewal process can be started by filing the new version of Form I-821D "Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals," Form I-765 "Application for Employment Authorization," and the I-765 Worksheet. Forms are available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website at USCIS.gov. Renewal applications should be submitted at least 120 days before DACA protections expire.

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