DACA renewal delays fuel worries Trump is undermining 'Dreamers'

A study by TheDream.US found that while no processed applications have been denied, the backlog has grown significantly, with fewer approvals since fall 2025. The group projects it will take USCIS over four months to clear the current backlog. These mounting delays are causing some Dreamers to lose their legal status, rendering them ineligible to work and vulnerable to deportation, a stark contrast to the approximately two months previously required for renewal.

A former USCIS official, speaking anonymously, noted that these DACA delays align with a broader trend of slow processing for all immigration applications. However, DACA cases are often handled separately due to the unique population they serve.

USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler asserted that the agency is enhancing vetting for all aliens, emphasizing that DACA does not grant legal status and recipients are not automatically protected from deportation. He cited the case of Abraham Alvarez, a DACA recipient allegedly involved in a plot against a UFC match on White House grounds, who ICE intends to deport after criminal adjudication.

Despite past efforts to end the DACA executive order, Trump has expressed openness to including a legal pathway to citizenship for Dreamers in immigration legislation, a stance supported by 85% of Americans according to 2025 Gallup polling.