Democratic senators and immigrant defense organizations raised the alarms about the future of thousands of beneficiaries of the DACA program, after denouncing delays in renewals, detentions and deportations under the Donald Trump administration.

California Senator Alex Padilla led a conference with Dick Durbin and Mark Kelly to demand Congress approve the Dream Ac t, initiative that seeks to offer a permanent pathway to citizenship for the so-called ‘Dreamers’, young people who arrived in the United States as children.

During the meeting, the legislators explained cases of people affected by delays in immigration procedures that were routine.

“Many DACA recipients are simply waiting for what was previously a normal renewal of their status,” Padilla stated. “We have heard of cases of Dreamers being detained and even deported.”

Stories that reflect uncertainty and fear

One of the most shocking testimonies was that of Ariel, a nurse based in San Francisco who arrived in the United States to l os two years and now faces the risk of losing his job due to the delay in the renewal of his immigration protection.

According to Padilla, Ariel submitted his documentation 135 days before his permit expired, but his case remains unresolved.

“He is about to lose his job caring for sick and the promotion he had worked for, due to the failures and cruelty of the Trump administration,” the senator.

The democrats also reported cases of allegedly unjustified deportations. Among them, that of María de Jesús Estrada Juárez, a DACA beneficiary who, according to reported, was detained during an immigration interview and later deported.

Padilla assured that these episodes show the urgent need to establish permanent protections for those who have lived a large part of their life in the United States.

Dream Act returns to the center of the immigration debate

The political pressure occurs as the Trump administration tightens again its immigration policy and keeps its promise to push mass deportations.

Data cited by legislators indicate that during 2025 at least 261 DACA beneficiaries were detained and 86 deported, despite having active protections.

The Dream Act of 2025, pushed by Padilla, Dick Durbin and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, would allow certain immigrants without legal tatus obtain permanent residence and eventually citizenship if they meet educational, labor or military service requirements.

“DACA is much more than a work permit. It is a promise,” said Padilla during the forum.