Immigration Lawyer Blog
Since the Trump Administration announced an end to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) on September 5, 2017, members of Congress have been negotiating a path forward to keep Dreamers from being deported. In recent weeks, as March 5 has gotten closer (the day that “DACA” is slated to end), members of both parties of Congress, have floated various plans to address the end of DACA. While many plans have been discussed, the White House has been silent on what needed to be in any DACA related legislation for President Trump to sign a bill into law. On January 25, 2018, the White House finally laid out what President Trump wants in any immigration bill addressing the end of DACA, in a one page policy memo. In return for protecting Dreamers, the Trump Administration wants widespread changes to U.S. immigration law, which would lead to a dramatic decrease in legal immigration.
A Path to Citizenship for Dreamers
The White House has stated that it is open to providing legal status to 1.8 million foreign nationals in the United States without legal status. This figure would include Dreamers as well as close to a million other individuals (though the White House has not indicated who these individuals would be). The Trump Administration not only is willing to provide these individuals with legal status, but is also willing to provide them with a potential path to citizenship. Under the White House’ plan, these individuals would be able to become citizens after a period of 10 to 12 years, if certain eligibility requirements are met (which the administration has not yet laid out).