On August 24, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security released a final rule on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which preserves and fortifies the existing DACA program with minor changes. The name, eligibility criteria, application process, and cost remain the same as the current DACA program. However, due to the July 2021 Fifth Circuit decision, USCIS is still not processing initial applications for DACA and the granting of initial DACA requests remain suspended.
While the new rule is a welcome step towards legally fortifying and strengthening DACA, there is still need to work to protect our undocumented students. The University of Illinois stands with our DACA students, and as stated in a June 18, 2020 massmail, we will continue to advocate for federal legislation to provide a pathway to citizenship for our undocumented students to reduce the uncertainty that our students live with daily.
