Updated July 16, 2021

DACA recipients, DACA-eligible people, their families, and communities have spent years living in legal limbo as challenges to the program zig-zagged through the courts. In the most recent twist, a federal judge in Texas has declared the program unlawful and moved to permanently enjoin it.

What does this mean? First, and most troublingly, the ruling bars DHS from granting more than 81,000 currently pending first-time DACA applications. We expect more clarity from the agency on how these cases will be handled in the coming days and weeks.

Second, individuals who currently have DACA remain protected from deportation and authorized to work. For now, current DACA recipients may also continue to apply for renewal of their status because the judge temporarily ‘stayed,’ or paused, this part of his ruling. It is unclear how long this pause will remain in effect, so we encourage DACA recipients who are eligible to apply for renewal to do so quickly or to consult with a legal adviser.

Third, this ruling is a stark reminder of what we have known all along: DACA was intended to be a temporary, stopgap measure until Congress overcame its dysfunction and addressed this issue. Nine years after the Obama Administration first adopted the program, Congress remains paralyzed by anti-immigrant obstruction along party lines. It is well past time for Congress to uphold the will of a supermajority of voters by adopting legislation that puts Dreamers and all 11 million undocumented people on a path to citizenship.

As a result of united opposition by Senate Republicans, there is only one viable legislative path to provide a permanent solution for Dreamers, farmworkers, TPS recipients and others: budget reconciliation, a procedure that bypasses the filibuster and enables passage with a simple majority of 51 votes. Please join us in calling on Congress to include a pathway to citizenship for our friends and colleagues in the next budget reconciliation package.

Please read and share the list of resources we have compiled for DACA recipients and our allies.

How to Manage Immigration-Related Anxiety

Coping Mechanisms for DACA- and Immigration-Related Stress
United We Dream and National Latinx Psychological Association
This guide was made before the coronavirus upended lives, but it is particularly important in this moment to help immigrants manage anxiety about both public health and personal safety.

Immediate Next Steps Following the Decision
United We Dream
This social media toolkit and resource guide helps impacted populations navigate this decision in community and offers next steps to protect and advocate for DACA recipients and DACA-eligible people.

Legal Resources for DACA Applicants

A Resource Bank for Dreamers
TheDream.Us
This resource library provides legal, educational, and other supports to equip both DACA recipients and allies with the information they need to secure the protections to which they are entitled. This is a great place to learn about renewals, application fee waivers, local legal resources, and more.

Renew DACA and Explore Your Legal Options
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
The ILRC provides guidance on DACA renewals, legal consultations, and the latest changes to the renewal process in response to the coronavirus and the court’s decision.

DACA Application Resource Bank
CLINIC
This resource bank provides guidance for DACA recipients and attorneys on technical issues related to renewals, status expiration, and eligibility for alternative forms of relief.

Stay Up-to-Date on DACA During Coronavirus
Informed Immigrant
Informed Immigrant kept DACA recipients informed on how to renew their status during the pandemic and following the Supreme Court decision last June. This is a great page to check as more information unfolds following the Hanen decision.

Screening Tool to Identify Pathways to Legal Status
Immi
There may be more permanent pathways available to you beyond DACA. This online questionnaire translates respondent’s answers into options available to them for pursuing legal status and accessing public benefits. This tool protects your information and makes your options easy to understand.

Find Legal Services for DACA Recipients in Your State
United We Dream
Having individualized legal aid can help you understand all your options and ensure you retain all the protections available to you in light of the court decision. This page has the contact information for an organization in your state that can help walk you through next steps.

Access Benefits and Services Regardless of Immigration Status

Resources for Immigrants during the Coronavirus Crisis
Informed Immigrant
This database provides information in English and Spanish regarding the available emergency resources in each state. Informed Immigrant is updating this page regularly to include all assistance programs that do not ask about immigration status.

Access COVID-19 Support as a DACA Recipient or as an Undocumented Immigrant
Immigrants Rising
This document aggregates resources to help both current DACA recipients and the undocumented navigate the health and economic burdens of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

FAQs on How to Access Public Benefits
National Immigration Forum
This fact sheet clarifies which services and benefits are provided regardless of status and answers some of the many questions caused by the DACA program’s continued uncertainty.

FAQs on DACA Termination and Access to Higher Education
Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration
This document answers questions about how students can continue to access financial aid and employment opportunities regardless of immigration status. This includes information on how states and institutions can ease the financial burden on undocumented students—and lists the states that already do. An important update to this FAQ sheet is that undocumented college students are now eligible for federal emergency pandemic relief.

Employment, Independent Contracting, and Professional Licensing FAQs

Resource Bank for Immigrant Entrepreneurship, Higher Education, and Legal Aid
Immigrants Rising
This list of resources supports undocumented entrepreneurs, contractors, and freelancers; it includes documents on accessing benefits as an immigrant entrepreneur and guidance on navigating national policies and California-specific benefits. Particularly relevant is this document covering long-term immigration remedies for undocumented youth.

Navigating Work Permits, SSNs, IDs, and More after DACA
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
This document was written in 2017 to help DACA recipients know what to expect if the courts allowed DACA to be terminated. Given the pending decision, these resources have renewed importance.

Webinar on Income and Career Options for Undocumented Students
Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, TheDream.Us, Immigrants Rising, Democracy at Work Institute
This webinar includes stories from undocumented professionals on how to advance your career regardless of immigration status, advice for undocumented students, and resources for educators.

Know Your Rights

Red Cards
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
These printable Red Cards detail the legal rights of every person, regardless of immigration status. In precarious situations—for example, ICE agents arriving at a home—these cards can be presented and utilized to help ensure that no personal liberties are violated.