WASHINGTON, D.C. – In recent weeks, FWD.us has partnered with lawmakers, business leaders, immigration advocates, and impacted individuals for a series of events to celebrate the 14th anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) .
On June 15, FWD.us joined Dream Big Nevada in hosting two events with Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) , bringing together business leaders, advocates, and local leaders to call attention to the ongoing importance of the program to Nevada's economy and communities. The events were covered by the Nevada Current and KVVU-TV.
On June 17, U.S. Representative Greg Casar (TX-35) and FWD.us convened DACA recipients in Texas for a roundtable on the growing uncertainty facing Dreamers across the state, featuring firsthand accounts of enforcement actions, renewal delays, and ongoing legal challenges.
These events were part of a broader week of action marking DACA's anniversary. Earlier this month, FWD.us Regional Government Relations Director and DACA recipient, Jaime Rangel, spoke at a press conference hosted by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and House Democratic Leadership. House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), House Democratic Whip Rep. Katherine Clark (MA-05), CHC Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), CHC Whip Rep. Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), and other members of Congress gathered to mark the anniversary alongside 12 DACA recipients. Below are additional quotes from leaders who spoke at the event:
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) “Donald Trump's mass deportation machine has targeted mothers, fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, husbands, wives, Dreamers and DACA recipients in a manner that's entirely inconsistent with America's status as a nation of immigrants. It's imperative that the DACA program be continued and supported and embraced because it's good for America.”
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05) “DACA was a triumph of common sense. Dreamers are Americans — full stop — and the paperwork should reflect that truth.”
CHC Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) “Many of these young people came here at a very, very early age, some of them don't have any connections with their countries of origin. Their parents are here, their families are here in America, and they are contributors to the well-being of our nation.”
CHC Whip Rep. Sylvia Garcia (TX-02) “Most people do not wake up wondering if they'll be allowed to work tomorrow. Most people do not go to bed wondering if they will be able to legally drive their child to school the next morning, but that is the reality Dreamers are living with.”
FWD.us President Todd Schulte “Our country is stronger, more prosperous, and more dynamic because of the contributions Dreamers have made. The President should live up to his promise that Dreamers would feel safe, and Congress must finally pass permanent legislation to ensure these vital members of our community have the stability they need to fully contribute to their families and country.”
FWD.us Regional Government Affairs Director Jaime Rangel, who grew up in northwest Georgia and has held DACA for nearly 14 years “No one should have to live not knowing whether they'll be allowed to stay in the only home they've ever had.”
Since its establishment in 2012, DACA has been an unquestionable success. The program unlocked the enormous potential of hundreds of thousands of young people who grew up here, worked here, and were American in every way but on paper. The average recipient came to this country at the age of six and has lived here for more than 26 years. They started businesses, filled critical jobs, paid taxes, and raised families — and the results have been a clear benefit not just for Dreamers and their families, but for the country as a whole. The results of this program have been a clear benefit not just for Dreamers and their families, but for the country as a whole. That program is now under unprecedented attack. Dreamers are less safe today than at any point in recent memory.
Earlier this month, Republicans in Congress passed an overwhelmingly unpopular bill that sends hundreds of billions of dollars to ICE and Border Patrol, supercharging an enforcement apparatus already larger and more heavily funded than at any point in American history. ICE arrested more than 260 DACA recipients in 2025 alone and deported at least 174 — people who registered with the government, passed background checks, and renewed their status year after year. These aren't just statistics. These are people who woke up one morning, went to work, dropped their kids at school, and didn't come home.
Processing delays have made the situation worse. In 2025, processing times for DACA renewals increased 400 percent, pushing recipients out of status through no fault of their own and producing a surge of reports of people losing jobs and, in some cases, being deported. The legal landscape grows more uncertain by the month. Two DACA recipients whose renewals lapsed despite submitting paperwork on time described the consequences of those failures firsthand on a recent press call.
- Claudia, a biotechnology intern in Southern California selected to launch a first-of-its-kind partnership between her community college and a major biopharmaceutical company, lost her position after her DACA lapsed while her renewal was pending. “I lost my position as inaugural intern because of the renewal delay. It wasn't because of anything I did or because I failed at my job. It was because the government didn't do its job and failed to process my paperwork.”
- Elsa, a DACA recipient from Atlanta who applied four months before her expiration date as USCIS recommends, went 60 days without income after her employer was required by law to place her on unpaid leave. She drew down savings she had set aside for her daughter's college tuition to cover rent and basic expenses. “I feel lucky, but I shouldn't feel 'lucky' because this should have never happened to begin with. I think about the thousands of people who did exactly what I did, who renewed on time, who followed every rule, and who are still waiting for an answer.”
FWD.us and its partners are calling on the Trump Administration to process renewals on time, stop detaining DACA recipients, and halt deportations of DACA recipients. Congress should pass a permanent pathway to citizenship. Fourteen years after DACA was created, hundreds of thousands of people are still waiting for Congress to finish what it started.
For more information, FWD.us media availability, or to speak with DACA recipients, contact press@fwd.us.
More Resources on DACA: