Congressman Panetta Statement on DHS Resuming DACA Renewal Applications

SALINAS, CA – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) today released the following statement in response to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS) compliance with a federal court order to reopen application renewals for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:

"While this decision is welcome news, it is not the permanent solution that our nation's DREAMers urgently need. I disagree with President Donald Trump's recent comments about the status of DACA negotiations, and am encouraged by the bipartisan discussions and legislation that Democrats and Republicans alike are working to pass. Congress wants to and must pass legislation to provide lasting relief to these individuals so that they can remain in this country. Thousands of DACA recipients living and working on the central coast of California deserve action so that they can continue to contribute to our community."

On January 9, United States District Judge William Alsup ordered a national injunction to temporarily block the Trump Administration's decision to rescind the DACA program. Due to the federal court order, USCIS has resumed accepting requests to renew a grant of deferred action under DACA. If an individual previously received DACA and the DACA status expired on or after Sept. 5, 2016, they may still file their DACA request as a renewal request. Until further notice, and unless otherwise provided in this guidance, the DACA policy will be operated on the terms in place before it was rescinded on Sept. 5, 2017.