Now more than ever, it is vital that all beneficiaries of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), the immigration program supported by an executive action by former President Barack Obama in 2012, renew their permits before the deadline and avoid being another victim of the cruel deportation machinery of President Donald Trump's administration.

The Coalition for Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) will offer three community workshops from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with other nonprofit organizations that offer legal services at no cost to participating individuals. They will be on Wednesday, June 3; Wednesday, August 26 and Wednesday, October 14.

“The possibilities of Trump getting rid of DACA are very real,” accepted Angélica Salas, executive director of CHIRLA, after announcing the call for “DACAmented” recipients to renew their applications for free. Trump had already tried during his first term, but was stopped by the Supreme Court.

What you're doing is trying to end it through the back door, through administrative delays, by not renewing, by making sure that people don't get their permits on time, and also by having people then lose their jobs because of it," he added. "This is so petty. “This is a person [Doanld Trump] who is cruel to the core, and it's really important to stop him.”

While there is no universal deadline on the calendar to apply for DACA renewal; Rather, your deadline depends entirely on the expiration date of your current DACA. USCIS - and now CHIRLA - recommends submitting your renewal application between 120 and 150 days (4 to 5 months) before your current DACA and Employment Authorization Document (EAD) expire.

The call is urgent, since Trump is turning DACA into a means of deportation, once the permits of the “dreamers” have expired, due to delays of between six and eight months in their renewal applications.

Thus, approximately 538,000 young adults who were protected from deportation 14 years ago once again find themselves in legal limbo.

Renewals stall in the bureaucracy of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and each of them becomes subject to deportation.

During the first year of his second administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under Trump expelled at least 86 DACA recipients from the country.

Additionally, between January and November of last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also took into custody 261 immigrants who were protected by DACA.

Some Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data presented to Congress indicated deportation figures for DACA beneficiaries as high as 174.

According to DHS, about 90 percent of those arrested had criminal charges or prior convictions, although their defense attorneys argued that the administration is relying on minor infractions or deportation orders from decades ago.

And under Trump, in May 2025, the administration issued a policy update clarifying that DACA status no longer offered blanket protection against deportation, moving instead to “case-by-case scrutiny.”

According to Angélica Salas, 27.4% of the total (147,440 of 538,000) reside in California, who are covered by the DACA program and suffer some of the worst attacks that have been seen against that initiative. Approximately 87,890 live in Texas,

"The majority of them—close to 50%—are over 30 years old. Many are at the peak of their professional careers. They are teachers, doctors, lawyers and scientists; they participate in absolutely all industries in the state of California," highlighted the activist.

He emphasized that the fact that more than half of the 140,000 are over 30 years old also means that they have families; many of them have small children. Therefore, when the DACA program is affected in any negative way, the impact falls not only on the individuals covered, but also on their entire families and communities.

“We have more than 5,000 teachers covered [by DACA] here in the state of California,” Salas stressed.

One of them is Luis, of Mexican origin, who highlighted that DACA protections are important, but it is also equally important to seek legal advice to understand what other immigration relief you may have.

Luis pointed out that a situation of fear is prevailing among many “dreamers.”

“We have had delays [in applications] and received letters to go and renew our fingerprints,” he revealed. "In my case, I was scared when I saw that news about the fingerprint requirement, because I expected to open my letter and receive my renewal. However, what I received was an appointment. So, don't be afraid, prepare yourselves, make a plan with organizations like CHIRLA and keep your appointments."

Luis, father of two children, pointed out that his biggest fear is that the rights of immigrants are not respected in this country “and that the need for immigrants to have permanent protection such as citizenship is not resolved.”

Yunuen Trujillo, director of Immigration Legal Services at CHIRLA, reported that in the last three weeks they have seen an increase in calls from DACA workers who are being threatened with dismissal due to delays in renewing their work permits.

“This is quickly becoming a crisis,” he said.

And, in the face of well-intentioned employers — who believe their only option is to fire their workers and other ill-intentioned employers — who are taking advantage of this moment to retaliate, discriminate, and commit wage theft, announced the creation and publication of a new guide on DACA expirations and workers' rights.

Among the most notable points of the document is that labor laws protect workers, regardless of their immigration status and also of any interruption or expiration of said status.

The guide also includes two application models, specifically license or permit request letters.

“We advise DACA workers to apply for a leave of absence rather than accept termination; therefore, we encourage everyone to use these letters,” Trujillo said.

As for employers, he noted that they have the discretion to grant leave instead of dismissal.

"This measure is fully valid and acceptable under all relevant federal regulations. Therefore, we encourage employers to exercise their discretion to preserve jobs and minimize work interruptions," he stressed.

It is good to know that CHIRLA offers:

Weekly Virtual Seminars: To learn more about DACA disruptions and labor rights, weekly virtual seminars on CHIRLA are every Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

Register at this link: https://chirla-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_W_K2DmtUT7WfplWts-WQPg#/registration.

Legal Consultations on Labor Rights: If you have been a victim of labor violations, contact CHIRLA's Labor Legal Services and Workers' Rights Department for a consultation at (213) 201-8773.

Resources on Labor Rights: To access additional resources on labor rights, visit: https://www.chirla.org/workersrights/.

DACA clinics every Thursday, in person and virtually.

You must have your Social Security card, ID or driver's license, current work permit (EAD), and prior DACA application.

In most cases, CHIRLA helps you submit the application on the same day.

Services are available only to California residents. The filing fee is $555.

Registration link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/P5mf0djdcB or call 213-201-3797 Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.