Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Administration Resume Processing DACA Applications
Over 100,000 initial applications are pending with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore., today joined Senate colleagues to urge U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to immediately resume processing DACA applications
“Noncitizens brought to the United States as children, often known as Dreamers, are American in every way but their immigration status,” the lawmakers wrote to Acting Director Angelica Alfonso-Royals. “Americans overwhelmingly support providing Dreamers a path to citizenship, and in December 2024, President Trump stated that he supported protections for Dreamers to remain in the United States.”
The DACA program has been paused since 2021 after a Texas judge ruled that the federal government must stop processing applications. Earlier this year, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals limited that ruling to apply to Texas only, allowing the Trump administration to resume processing applications until the courts come to a final decision. The senators strongly urged Acting Director Alfonso-Royals to resume processing DACA applications, emphasizing that over 100,000 initial applications are currently pending with USCIS.
“Consistent with this statement, we implore you to use your authority at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume processing initial applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and provide such protections for Dreamers immediately,” the senators wrote.
The letter was led by Senators Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo. Along with Wyden and Merkley, the letter was also signed by Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Chris Coons, D-Del., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Andy Kim, D-N.J., Angus King, I-Maine, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Mark Warner, D-Va., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
The text of the letter is here.
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