Immigration law and the potential changes that have been proposed and attempted over the past five years have placed Illinois residents and people across the nation on an emotional pendulum. This is especially true for those who fall into the category of “Dreamers” and were subject to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA. With the different interpretation of how to deal with Immigration for Dreamers and others, it is useful to keep track of legal decisions like the one that was just made by a federal judge in Texas declaring DACA illegal. Those who are concerned about this or are facing problems because of it should consider their options.
Appeal pending on judge’s decision
After the judge decided that the Obama administration’s protection of young people who were brought into the country as kids and shielded them from being deported was illegal, it was quickly announced that the Biden administration would appeal. An important note from the decision is that those who were already protected by DACA are still covered meaning they cannot be deported. The ruling relates to new applications.
Currently, there are a minimum of 600,000 people who are in the country under DACA. In addition to being protected from deportation, those shielded by DACA can still work legally and renew it. In Illinois, one anecdote from a 20-year-old male exemplifies the frustration and fear people feel amid this roller coaster of emotions amid legal disputes. He says that his application under DACA was almost at its conclusion, but is now on hold. After entering the country as a 3-year-old, there was a constant worry that he could be deported, would be unable to work legally and more.
For DACA and other Immigration concerns, advice can be helpful
Immigration has become a hot button issue in recent years for myriad reasons. Along with DACA, there are other concerns that people think about like getting a work visa, having a spouse come to live legally in the U.S., appealing a negative Immigration decision, seeking asylum, becoming a refugee, combating an attempt at deportation, business compliance and other aspects of the process. Immigration runs the gamut to other areas of the law like business and employment. For comprehensive assistance, it is wise to seek help proactively and understand how to address concerns and seek a positive result.
