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The indicates that about 20,000 educators across the country have work authorization through the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program. Current delays in renewals could impact school districts’ ability to maintain their staff. In recent years, the median processing time for DACA renewals has been a month or less, but USCIS is now reporting that median processing time of at least 4 months. Some DACA recipients and attorneys have reported wait times of six months or more.

If a DACA renewal is not processed in a timely manner, recipients’ work authorization may expire and leave them unable to work until the renewal process is complete.

If your district employs DACA recipients, here’s what to know and how you can support them through the process to reduce the risk of employment interruptions:

1. Recipients should apply for renewal between 120-150 days prior to expiration of DACA. The initial reaction to the processing delay may be to apply earlier, but it’s important to remember that USCIS may reject and return the request if sent too early.
2. If you have an employee who has already submitted their renewal and it’s still pending, you can contact your members of Congress, with your employee’s written consent, and request that they ask U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to expedite the renewal. While USCIS does not currently process formal from DACA requestors, it is our understanding that USCIS may still consider circumstances—such as those described on —that warrant more expeditious processing. Even if the expedition request is denied, your member of Congress may be able to get better explanation for the delay.
3. If your employee has not yet filed their renewal DACA request, you can provide a letter of support explaining the exigent circumstances for the district, again in line with , that warrant expedited processing. These details should also be included as part of the cover letter of the employee’s filing.

Additional resources: