Applying for DACA? Here are the pros and cons

PROS

Here are a few reasons to apply for DACA:

You get relief from removal and work authorization for three years

Previously, the deferred action period and work permits under DACA were issued in two-year renewable periods. As of November 25, 2014, these benefits are extended to three years and may be renewed as long as DACA continues.

Those who are currently in removal proceedings, have a final removal order, or have a voluntary departure order can also file for DACA. If you are in immigration detention or in the custody of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), you must first obtain your release as a DACA-qualified applicant. If you are released from custody, you may then file your DACA request with USCIS.

You are in authorized stay and are not accumulating unlawful presence

DACA is a form of authorized stay in the U.S. This means you are not accumulating unlawful presence during the deferred action period.

Normally, you begin accumulating unlawful presence in the U.S. once you turn 18, which may bar you from reentry to the U.S. for three or ten years (even if you otherwise qualify for an immigrant visa or green card). If you are unlawfully present in the U.S. for more than 180 days but less than 1 year, you are barred from re-entering the U.S. for three years. If the unlawful presence is 1 year or more, you are barred from re-entering the U.S. for 10 years.

If you came to the U.S. illegally, you must usually depart the U.S. to consular process your immigrant visa based on marriage to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.  The 3-year/10-year bar kicks in once you depart the U.S. to attend your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Consulate abroad. You would then need to obtain a waiver by showing your absence from the U.S would cause “extreme hardship” to your  U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse. The waiver can be very difficult to get due to the strict requirements.

You will continue to accrue unlawful presence while your DACA request is pending, unless you are under 18 at the time of the request. If you are under 18 when you submit your request, you will not accrue unlawful presence while the request is pending, even if you turn 18 and the request is still pending. If you receive DACA, you will not accrue unlawful presence during the deferred action period.

Although deferred action does not give you lawful nonimmigrant status or immigrant status in the U.S, it helps protect you from accruing unlawful presence, which carries immigration penalties. Having authorized stay in the U.S. during the deferred action period can be especially beneficial if you were to later qualify for an immigrant visa.

You may travel outside the United States with advance parole

As a DACA recipient, you may apply for advance parole to leave the U.S. and return legally in DACA status. But you must first apply for advance parole by filing a Form I-131, Application for Travel Document.

USCIS will grant advance parole only if your travel abroad is for:

• humanitarian purposes, including travel to obtain medical treatment, attending funeral services for a family member, or visiting an ailing relative;
• educational purposes, such as semester-abroad programs and academic research, or;
• employment purposes such as overseas assignments, interviews, conferences or, training, or meetings with clients overseas.

Advance parole allows you to leave the U.S. for these purposes, but is not to be used for vacation or for general travel.

You receive social benefits and economic opportunities

In general, DACA recipients have more economic opportunities and are more socially integrated than those who do not qualify for DACA. With authorized stay and work permits, they find it easier to get a new job, open their first bank account and receive their first credit card.

Getting a driver’s license is a key benefit, especially for young immigrants. Currently, otherwise-eligible DACA recipients can apply for a driver’s license in every state except Nebraska.

Some state laws and college systems also allow certain students to pay in-state tuition, regardless of their immigration status.

A Star Tribune article states “For many who did apply, DACA has paid off. A national survey of DACA recipients last year found that almost 60 percent obtained a new job, 45 percent increased their earnings, about half opened their first bank account and 57 percent got a driver’s license.”

Your information, for the most part, will not be shared with enforcement agencies and will not be used against you 

USCIS has stated that it will not share information provided in a DACA request with ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the purpose of removal proceedings against you or your family members, unless your case involves fraud, a criminal offense, a threat to public safety or national security, or other exceptional circumstances.

CONS

Here are a few drawbacks to consider when applying for DACA:

You have no path to permanent residence or citizenship in the U.S.

Past DREAM Act proposals includes a path to permanent residence and citizenship in the U.S. The DREAM Act is a legislation that must be passed by Congress to become law.

Meanwhile, DACA offers only work permits and relief from removal for a temporary period, but no path to lawful immigrant status. It is not new law.

Basically, DACA is a program or policy directing DHS on how to enforce immigration laws. Deferred action existed long before DACA, but DACA provides a formal process for qualified applications to seek this temporary relief. Because it was made available by an Obama Administration policy, it could easily end under a new U.S. President.

You have no lawful immigration status in the U.S. 

As a DACA grantee, you are considered lawfully present in the U.S., but you still have no lawful nonimmigrant or immigrant status.

Lawful immigration status refers to an immigration benefit such as lawful permanent residency (green card) or temporary visa classification, such as H-1B worker, B-1/B-2 visitor, or F-1 student.

Employers and state officials sometimes believe your lack of immigration status means you are unlawfully present. You might be wrongly denied a job, driver’s license, etc. because you have DACA status, instead of lawful immigration status. Although deferred action gives you authorized stay, your lack of immigration status can make it tougher for you to get social benefits and economic opportunities.

You have no right to travel and return to the U.S. based on DACA grant alone

DACA gives you no lawful status that allows you to travel abroad and return to the U.S. Instead, you must first pay the  filing fee for advance parole (travel document) and file the Form I-131 with USCIS. If you depart the U.S. without first receiving advance parole, your departure automatically terminates your deferred action under DACA.

Being approved for advance parole does not guarantee that you will be able to return to the U.S. At the port of entry, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer may deny your entry if he finds you are “inadmissible” due to health or security reasons or other factors.

If you leave the U.S. after being ordered deported or removed, and your removal proceeding has not been reopened and administratively closed or terminated, your departure (even with advance parole) could mean you followed through with the deportation or removal.

Your opportunities to integrate socially and economically are temporary

Congressional Republicans seek to defund DACA. House Republicans attached amendments affecting the 2012 deferred action program to the DHS 2015 fiscal year funding bill. While the bill passed the House, it has been blocked by Senate Democrats.

DHS has also halted the rolling out of the expanded DACA on February 18, due to a federal district court order temporarily blocking its implementation. The new Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), which would extend to certain parents of U.S. citizen and lawful permanent residents and was expected to kick off in May 2015, is also on hold.

On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen in Texas sided with the Texas-led coalition of 26 states that filed a lawsuit to block the implementation of the expanded DACA and the new DAPA.

While applicants can continue to file and renew requests under the old DACA, the future of this program is uncertain. And the expanded DACA and new DAPA are being challenged even before kick off.

[UPDATE #1: On June 23, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 4-4 opinion in United States v. Texas that allows the temporary injunction to stand. The new DACA is still unavailable as a result.]

[UPDATE #2: On September 5, 2017, the Trump Administration announced the rescission of the DACA program. No initial applications filed on or after this date will be considered. Renewal applications filed by DACA holders, whose benefits expire on or before March 5, 2018, will be considered up October 5, 2017.]

Your information may be shared with enforcement agencies and may be used against you in certain situations

USCIS may share the information in your DACA request with national security and law enforcement agencies, including ICE and CBP, for purposes other than deportation, including to identify or prevent fraudulent claims, for national security purposes, or for the investigation or prosecution of a crime.

If USCIS denies your DACA request and your case involves a criminal offense, fraud, or a threat to national security or public safety (or exceptional circumstances), USCIS will refer your case to ICE. You may then face the risk of being removed from the U.S.

Persons who have been convicted of certain crimes or apprehended at the border or at ports of entry while trying to unlawfully enter the U.S. are considered to be enforcement priorities. Other enforcement priorities include persons suspected of terrorism, espionage, or abusing the visa or visa waiver programs. To a lesser extent, persons who have been issued a final removal order after January 1, 2014 are also enforcement priorities.

Consult an Experienced Immigration Attorney Before You Apply for DACA

Overall, the benefits and protections you get from applying for DACA outweigh the risks and limitations.

Before you request DACA, you should first consult a reputable attorney or get authorized legal assistance to help you weigh the pros and cons.

Beware of immigration services that are not authorized to offer legal advice. For help on how to avoid and report immigration scams, go to uscis.gov/avoid-scams or uscis.gov/es/eviteestafas

[UPDATE #1: On June 23, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 4-4 opinion in United States v. Texas that allows the temporary injunction to stand. The new DACA is still unavailable as a result.]

[UPDATE #2: On September 5, 2017, the Trump Administration announced the rescission of the DACA program. No initial applications filed on or after this date will be considered. Renewal applications filed by DACA holders, whose benefits expire on or before March 5, 2018, will be considered up October 5, 2017.]

This article provides general information only. It is based on law, regulations and policy that are subject to change. Do not consider it as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Each legal case is different and case examples do not constitute a prediction or guarantee of success or failure in any other case. The sharing or receipt of this information does not create an attorney-client relationship.

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 Photo by: Môsieur J. [version 9.1]