After four years of uncertainty under the Trump administration, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is seeing a resurgence in support thanks to President Biden.
As one of his first acts in office, Biden issued an executive order to preserve and fortify DACA. Additionally, Biden also sent a bill to Congress that, if passed, would provide a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented individuals living in the U.S. The bill stipulates that DACA recipients would be fast-tracked for citizenship, offering them permanent protection.
Since its inception, the DACA program has provided more than 700,000 immigrant youths protection from deportation. The program, which was established in 2012 by the Obama administration, allows for certain individuals who were brought to the U.S. as children to remain in the country and obtain work permits. Requirements for the program are strict, and DACA recipients, known as Dreamers, must renew their applications every two years.
In 2017, the Trump administration announced that the DACA program would be terminated. Shortly thereafter, the University of California Board of Regents filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in defense of DACA. In June 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration had acted inappropriately in the manner in which it attempted to abolish DACA.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, President Trump announced that he would refuse all new DACA applications and allow only for one-year renewals on existing recipients while the program underwent a review.
The new Biden administration has reversed the nation's course on DACA and has made it clear the program is a priority. These are some of the top organizations that fought the Trump administration to protect DACA and now will be pushing to make sure Biden lives up to his promises to the Dreamers.
Founded in 2008, United We Dream (UWD) is dedicated to supporting immigrants and people of color in the U.S. Boasting over 400,000 members, it is the largest immigrant youth-led community in the country.
UWD has helped more than 37,000 people apply for or renew their DACA. Furthermore, UWD supports the fight for a “clean” Dream Act, which would create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers without additional immigration provisions, such as border militarization, the creation of a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, mass deportations or detention centers.
Regents of the University of California
The UC Board of Regents is the governing body of the University of California (UC) system. Of the 700,000 DACA recipients, approximately 1,700 are UC students. In 2017, following the Trump administration's announcement that DACA would be terminated, UC filed and subsequently won a lawsuit to stop the federal government from ending DACA.
Additionally, UC has called for Congress to provide permanent legal protections for Dreamers, including a path to citizenship. UC also offers legal aid and support to DACA students and their families, as well as financial assistance to students who do not qualify for federal aid.
Among their contributions to the DACA fight, the ACLU filed an amicus brief in the UC Board of Regents lawsuit. In a separate case, the ACLU won a preliminary injunction temporarily stopping the Trump administration from terminating DACA recipients’ work permits without notice or explanation.
In addition, the ACLU has called for Congress to provide permanent protection for Dreamers through a clean Dream Act.
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that works alongside community leaders to advocate for and advance policies that are important to immigrants and their families.
CHIRLA advocates for Dreamers to elected officials and offers DACA renewal services and clinics. It also established the CHIRLA DACA Trust Fund. Helpfully, the organization solicits donations to help cover the $425 DACA renewal application fees. Additionally, CHIRLA provides legal assistance to protect immigrants from detention or deportation.
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a nonprofit organization that provides immigration legal training, technical assistance and educational materials, while also engaging in advocacy to advance immigrant rights. Among its areas of expertise is DACA. It offers community guidance for DACA recipients about how to proceed with their applications. It also provides guidance for advocates assisting DACA recipients.
National Immigration Law Center
The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is one of the leading organizations in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to defending and advocating the rights of low-income immigrants. NILC uses its litigation and policy expertise to “challenge unjust laws and policies that marginalize low-income and other vulnerable immigrant communities.” In addition, NILC offers a wealth of resources for DACA recipients, including tips for filing tax returns and information about obtaining Real IDs and driver’s licenses.
The American Council on Education (ACE) is a nonprofit organization that “mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice.” The ACE, alongside 43 other higher education associations, filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of DACA. Additionally, in May 2020, ACE created Remember the Dreamers, an organization that works with Congress to create legislation to help Dreamers.
According to the NAACP, the majority of DACA recipients are people of color—more than 80% of registrants are of Mexican origin. Additionally, 36,000 African immigrants and 200,000 Caribbean youths from the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are eligible for DACA. The NAACP filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in defense of people of color who are eligible for DACA.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) works to “advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all.” According to AAJC, at least 16,000 Asian immigrants have received protection through DACA. Since 2012, AAJC has provided free DACA services, including workshops, application assistance, eligibility screenings and document reviews. AAJC has called on Congress to defund ICE and to provide Dreamers with a pathway to citizenship.
FWD.us is a pro-immigration lobbying group founded in part by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. FWD.us advocates for commonsense immigration reform and an “earned pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.” FWD.us launched the DACA Renewals Now campaign, which aims to raise public awareness and to drive donations to organizations that assist with DACA renewals.
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Much of what the Biden administration can do will depend on the Senate. Absent elimination of the filibuster, passing Biden's ambitious immigration bill will still requires strong cooperation from Republicans.
In the meantime, numerous progressive groups, including some of the ones mentioned above, have pressured Biden to take action through executive orders.
In addition to those he signed on his first day in office, Biden has also signed three other executive orders related to immigration.
The first will create a task force to reunite families that were separated at the border under Trump's zero-tolerance policy. During the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Biden addressed concerns over the number of executive orders he's issued thus far. "I'm not making new law," Biden said. "I'm eliminating bad policy."
He added, "We're going to work to undo the moral and national shame of the previous administration."
Newly-confirmed Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, will lead the inter-agency taskforce.
The second executive order involves developing new strategies to address migration across the Southern border and to create a more humane immigration system. The order also directs "a series of actions to restore the U.S. asylum system."
The third executive order seeks to restore faith in the legal immigration system and to promote the integration of new Americans. The order requires a comprehensive review of immigration-related policies, particularly those that were enacted under the Trump administration, in order to determine possible barriers to the legal immigration system.
Biden said that he hopes these actions will help "reestablish our reputation as being a haven for people."
