DACA renewal delays raise deportation risks for Virginians
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Virginia DACA recipients are facing months-long renewal delays that are causing their work permits and deportation protections to expire while they await approval, Richmond-area immigration attorneys tell Axios.
Why it matters: The delays can jeopardize the jobs, financial stability and health insurance of thousands of Virginians who've built careers and families here.
Driving the news: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recommends DACA recipients apply for renewal roughly four to five months before their protections expire.
- But renewal processing times nationwide have climbed from roughly a month last year to at least 6.5 months this year, per the USCIS site.
- That means recipients can follow the government's recommended timeline and still see their protections lapse while waiting for a decision, Richmond-based immigration attorney Jessica Wright tells Axios.
- The delays prompted members of Congress, including Richmond Rep. Jennifer McClellan, to urge USCIS in July to expedite renewals.
Between the lines: USCIS hasn't fully explained the reason for the backlog, but a spokesperson has told multiple outlets that it's "more thoroughly screening and vetting" all immigrants.
Zoom in: Suddenly being unable to legally work is "one of the biggest stressors" facing recipients, says Richmond-based immigration attorney Miriam Airington-Fisher.
- Many DACA holders are now in their 30s and 40s, often established in their careers with families to support, she adds.
- The ripple effect: In Virginia, losing work authorization can also jeopardize a recipient's driver's license.
The latest: DACA renewals were once predictable enough that many recipients handled the process themselves, Wright says.
- Now, prolonged waits are pushing some lawyers — including Wright — to federal court to get a decision.
Threat level: Wright hasn't encountered a Virginia recipient put into removal proceedings specifically because a delayed renewal caused their DACA to lapse.
- But she has seen DACA recipients swept up in removal proceedings amid the administration's broader immigration crackdown, even while their DACA remained valid.
What we're watching: Whether USCIS speeds up renewals or more Virginians get caught up in the process.