What Is DACA and Undocumented Status?
- US Citizenship and Immigration Services has resumed reviewing renewal requests for those who previously had deferred action. Read more.
- The policy for renewal will be operated on the terms in place before it was rescinded on Sept. 5, 2017.
- DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Established in 2012 by President Barack Obama, DACA allows undocumented individuals who entered the United States as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of “deferred action” or protection from deportation. Some undocumented students at Columbia and at other colleges and universities in the U.S. have DACA status.
- DACA enables recipients to further or complete their educations, to work, to obtain drivers’ licenses and social security numbers and build personal credit history. In addition, it allows undocumented individuals to exit and re-enter the country.
- DACA status provides protection against deportation. The program currently remains in place.
- The U.S. Federal Government grants DACA status on a case-by-case basis. It is not a step towards gaining permanent residency or citizenship. (See “What is the Dream Act?”)
Individuals may be considered undocumented if
- They entered the United States with a valid visa or other lawful status, but their immigration status has expired;
- They applied for but were denied authorization to enter or remain in the United States;
- They have not applied to obtain any legal status that would permit them to remain in the United States.