Biden Administration Strengthens DACA Immigration Policy By Making It Law - DHS

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Biden administration has strengthened the legal standing of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy by making it an official regulation in the Federal Register, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a press release.

DACA was launched by the Obama administration in 2012. The policy permits children of illegal immigrants, who were brought to the United States under the age of 16, to remain in the country, provided they had arrived by 2007. The policy helped protect at least 700,000 young immigrants from deportation.

"Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas today announced that the Department has issued a final rule that will preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy for certain eligible noncitizens who arrived in the United States as children, deferring their removal and allowing them an opportunity to access a renewable, two-year work permit," the release said on Wednesday.

The final rule will go into effect on October 31, 2022, the release also said.

However, the release noted that this final rule may be delayed by ongoing litigation in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, which prohibit the DHS from granting initial DACA requests and related employment authorization under the new rule. Still, DHS is able to grant DACA renewal requests amid the ongoing legal battle.

Former President Donald Trump tried to end the DACA program but the US Supreme Court blocked his administration's effort. After Joe Biden took office in January 2021, he reiterated his intent to preserve the program.