Systematic Delays. Increased denials. Hundreds more detained and deported. This effort of delay, denial, detention, and deportation against Dreamers is putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk. It demands accountability and a permanent solution. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Over the past few months, we have seen a dramatic rise in renewal delays, denials, detentions, and deportations of DACA recipients. This effort to quietly dismantle DACA from the administration puts hundreds of thousands of recipients and their families at risk. 

Today, FWD.us is launching a new campaign to sound the alarm about the escalating attacks on DACA recipients and the program itself. 

This new campaign and resource tracks the full scope of the administration's campaign against DACA recipients: renewal backlogs forcing eligible recipients out of status and out of jobs, a surge in arrests and deportations of people with valid legal protections, and the ongoing litigation that could strip work authorization from DACA recipients in Texas in the near future. The site includes data on DACA’s economic contributions, individual stories, and will be regularly updated to track ongoing attacks against DACA and the efforts by advocates and members of Congress who are pressing the administration to honor its commitments. Moreover, this resource will help provide policymakers, employers, and all of us with the tools to make a difference.

The average DACA recipient came to this country at the age of 6, has lived here for over a quarter century, and has been enrolled in the program for over a decade. They passed background checks, paid fees, and built careers in health care, education, infrastructure, and industries across the economy. DACA recipients contribute hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Their employers have invested years in training them.

DACA and a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers have massive, bipartisan support. Yet despite this broad support, including comments from the President himself that Dreamers should “feel safe,” what we are seeing today is a deliberate effort to dismantle DACA’s protections, but to do so without drawing major attention and the expected political backlash that would come from attacking such a popular program.

Here are the facts: we are seeing unprecedented delays and denials. The Associated Press reported that the average renewal time has increased by over 400% from 2025 to 2026. People are losing jobs because the government refuses to process their renewal applications on time. Hundreds have been detained. Dozens have been deported despite a valid status. People like José Contreras Díaz, a Rio Grande Valley pool technician who was unlawfully deported and then detained when the government facilitated his return to the U.S., who still hasn’t been able to hold his newborn son, and María de Jesús Estrada Juárez, a Sacramento mother whose deportation a federal court later ruled a "flagrant violation" of her legal status, are not isolated cases. They are part of a documented pattern.

“It is our job to make sure people understand that DACA recipients are facing new threats, to ensure the program is defended and cannot be dismantled in private, and that we all have a role to play,” said Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us. “Just last month, the Board of Immigration Appeals decision made it easier to deport people with DACA status, not because of anything they did wrong, but because the administration is determined to chip away at DACA and its protections. DACA recipients registered with the government, passed background checks, paid their fees, and renewed their DACA year after year. They built families and careers and became vital parts of their communities. Now they’re being detained and deported before their renewals are even processed. That doesn't make anyone safer. It hurts families, it hurts employers, and it hurts the country. Congress has had years to fix this. It's past time.”

People across the country are pushing back, and Members of Congress are demanding answers from the administration. Last week, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus led a press conference calling out the attacks on DACA recipients. Members have also sent multiple letters, including this one and this one, to USCIS and DHS leadership demanding explanations and solutions for delays in DACA processing. Senate Judiciary Members recently led an effort to highlight these concerns in a letter signed by 39 Senators, outlining how renewal backlogs can push otherwise eligible individuals out of the workforce simply because their applications are not adjudicated in time. We are already seeing the consequences. DACA recipients who submitted timely renewals are being detained and placed in deportation proceedings. Earlier this year, DHS reported that more than 260 DACA recipients were detained last year and at least 86 were deported.

The continued attacks on DACA recipients and immigrants with legal work authorizations reinforce a clear reality: immigration enforcement is not an abstract policy debate. It is affecting children in classrooms, parents in the workforce, and communities that rely on their contributions every day. FWD.us will continue to demand the administration live up to its commitment to DACA recipients and do everything in our power to shine a light on the terror and fear caused by this administration’s policies. 

Responding to these unjust attacks on DACA recipients will require all of us, including businesses that employ DACA recipients. They can learn more about how to support this crucial segment of the workforce by reading our update on how to prepare for upcoming changes to work authorization for DACA recipients and DACA Employer Guide.

If you or someone you know has been directly impacted and you want to share your story or you want to learn more about this campaign, please reach out to us at dacadelayed@fwd.us.