Senator Dick Durbin, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto led 39 Democratic colleagues in urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Mar. 18 to reduce delays in processing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal applications. The senators addressed their concerns in a letter to outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow.
The issue is significant because DACA recipients are facing increasing uncertainty due to processing delays, which can result in loss of employment authorization and financial instability for families. "DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of Dreamers an opportunity to pursue higher education and meaningful careers while remaining in the only home they have ever known," wrote the senators. "Delays in processing DACA renewals are increasing the instability and uncertainty that DACA recipients already face. These delays can have profound consequences. When renewals are not processed before expiration, recipients lose employment authorization and, in many cases, their jobs. Employers experience workforce disruptions, including in sectors such as health care and education and in small businesses. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizen children have a parent with DACA, and when their work authorization lapses due to slow renewals, families endure heightened financial instability."
The senators also highlighted risks faced by DACA recipients whose status expires before renewal is processed, including detention or deportation. According to DHS data cited by the senators, as many as 270 DACA recipients have been detained and 174 deported due to these issues.
"DACA recipients contribute billions of dollars annually to the national economy and serve vital roles in our communities. Administrative delays in DACA renewals undermine not only individual stability but also broader economic resilience," concluded the senators. "To reduce these disruptions and risks for DACA recipients, we urge you to reduce processing times for DACA renewal applications and reduce the volume of pending cases through timely renewals."
The Senate Judiciary Committee plays a key role in shaping constitutional protections, public safety, civil rights, federal law enforcement oversight, judicial nominations review, and legislative matters nationwide according to its official website. The committee is based in Washington, D.C., led by a chairperson who oversees meetings with members from both major political parties according to its official website.
Senator Markwayne Mullin received a copy of this letter as President Trump's nominee for DHS Secretary. Last month Durbin raised concerns about wrongful targeting of DACA recipients by DHS; between January 1 and November 19, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 261 DACA holders with 86 removed from the country.
Durbin has introduced the Dream Act every Congress since 2001 aiming at citizenship opportunities for young immigrants; he worked with President Obama on establishing DACA in 2012. Government data shows that active DACA holders declined from about 530,000 in September 2024 to roughly 515,000 by June 2025.
