DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — was created by executive order in 2012. It provides temporary work authorization and protection from deportation to people brought to the U.S. as children before mid-2007.
Roughly 530,000 people are currently enrolled in DACA. The program does not provide a path to permanent legal status or citizenship; recipients must renew every two years.
A 2024 Pew Research poll found 65% of U.S. adults supported a path to legal status for DACA recipients. Support has remained consistently above 60% across most polling in the past decade.
Supporters argue DACA recipients arrived as children, often know no other country, and contribute economically and culturally. Critics argue the program was created without congressional authorization and that providing citizenship rewards unauthorized entry, undermining lawful immigration.
Multiple court rulings have left DACA in legal limbo. The Supreme Court blocked rescission in 2020 on administrative-procedure grounds; lower courts have since ruled the program itself unlawful while allowing existing enrollees to continue renewing.