Washington on August 25, : US President Joe Biden’s administration has approved rules to strengthen the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in the face of legal challenges.The aim is to protect hundreds of thousands of “Dreamers”.The rule, which is scheduled to go into effect on October 31st, codifies in federal law the 2012 program that protects more than 600,000 immigrants without a visa from deportation, and permits immigrants to legally work in the US as reported by the DPA news agency.
For the last 10 years, the program was controlled by an Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memorandum.
“Today we’re making another move to do all in our ability to safeguard and strengthen DACA, a remarkable program that has changed the lives of many Dreamers,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement late on Wednesday.
“Thanks to DACA We have been blessed by the young people who have contributed tremendously to the communities they live in and our nation.”
The final rule that was announced on Wednesday has a similarity to a draft rule DHS issued in 2021.
There are some minor adjustments like the clarification that expunging convictions for crimes of the law and immigration aren’t automatic disqualifiers from the program.
DHS received 16361 feedback during the rule’s public comments period.
The rule is designed to preserve long-standing eligibility requirements for the program.
To be eligible, immigrants must have been in the US at the age of 16 or prior to June 2007, have completed their studies at an American school or have served in the military.They also not have any serious criminal convictions.
The rule also maintains the existing procedure to allow DACA applicants to apply for work authorization.It also confirms the existing policy that DACA is not a type of legal status, but DACA recipients, as with other deferred action beneficiaries, are seen as “lawfully in the present”.
The rule could face an appeal in court, just as the original rule has faced legal challenges been challenged for years.
