DeGette Reminds Young Coloradoans to Renew Status in Deferred Immigration Program

DENVER – Today, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-01) announced that young Coloradoans previously enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program can now renew their status for an additional two-year period. DACA was established to provide young immigrants who came to the United States as children a status that defers deportation actions for a two-year period and also grants work authorization.

"It is critical that young Coloradoans enrolled in DACA know they can renew their deferral for an additional two-year period and they should act quickly to avoid gaps in their status," said Rep. DeGette. "While I welcome today's announcement that will give more than half a million young immigrants the chance to renew their status, it is only a temporary fix to an ongoing problem. These children were brought to the United States by their parents and families for a better life and now live in fear of separation under our broken immigration system. Comprehensive immigration reform will provide much-needed support to our friends and neighbors, strengthen our communities, and grow our economy."

This morning, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will now accept renewal requests from the more than half a million individuals currently enrolled in DACA. USCIS also made public a revised form for both individuals requesting renewal and initial applications, which is available here.

The first DACA approvals will begin to expire in September 2014. To avoid any lapse, individuals must file their renewal request before their current status expires. USCIS encourages individuals requesting a renewal to do so approximately four months before the expiration. Additional information to renew and enroll in DACA can be found here.