Attorney General Becerra: More Than Half a Million Dreamers Have Renewed Their DACA Protections as a Result of Court Order Secured by California

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced that more than 574,000 Dreamers have renewed their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protections since January 2018 when California secured a preliminary injunction in court, halting the Trump Administration’s efforts to rescind the DACA policy. The data on DACA renewals is published as part of a quarterly report the federal government is required to file pursuant to the preliminary injunction. 

“These renewals represent more than just numbers,” said Attorney General Becerra. “They represent guts, grit, and hope. They mean two more years of protection for hardworking Dreamers seeking to fulfill the promise of the American Dream. Their efforts are an integral part of what makes California the world’s fifth largest economy. Although our fight against the Trump Administration’s cruel rescission of DACA continues in court, we take heart in the tenacity of the Dreamers who continue undaunted and unafraid.”

Federal immigration authorities are required by court order to report quarterly data on the number of DACA applications that have been renewed or await a pending decision. Renewals for the most recent quarter exceeded 100,000. With a renewal, DACA recipients receive temporary relief from removal and can apply for permission to work in the United States for another two years.

Attorney General Becerra remains committed to protecting the rights of hard-working Americans, including those of immigrant background. Consistent with his vow to continue to defend DACA, he and his team now head to Washington to argue the case before the U.S. Supreme Court in November. In August, Attorney General Becerra led a multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s attempt to eliminate the Flores Settlement Agreement, which provides critical protections for children in immigration custody. The Attorney General also led a multistate coalition in opposing a Trump Administration rule that significantly increases the risk of people being erroneously deported. Earlier this year, Attorney General Becerra released a first-of-its-kind report on immigration detention facilities in California and he denounced a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development proposal that raises the specter of eviction for tens of thousands of Californians.

The most recent renewal statistics are available here. More information on Attorney General Becerra’s efforts to protect Dreamers is available here.