Have you ever heard the phrase ‘the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing?’

Sometimes that is what it feels like in this current administration.

In an interview with NBC in December 2024, President Trump said he would “work with the Democrats on a plan” to help Dreamers with a legislative solution that would allow them to remain in the country, noting them as an exception to his mass deportation plan.

Instead, this summer, DHS (Department of Homeland Security) assistant press secretary Tricia McLaughlin urged DACA recipients to self-deport and stated that ‘any DACA recipient may be subject to arrest and deportation for a number of reasons, including if they’ve committed a crime.’

The Trump administration has already tried to weaken DACA recipients’ benefits – this year the government announced its plan to disclude DACA recipients from the  federal health care marketplace, after President Biden expanded healthcare benefits for the Dreamer community in 2024. And despite having legal protections, there have been multiple reports of DACA recipients being detained since Trump took office. 

DACA was started by President Obama in 2012 by executive order, and it shields an estimated 700,000 Dreamers from deportation and allows them to be eligible for work authorization, as long as they were brought to the United States illegally before they turned 16, graduate from high school, and avoid felony convictions.

A 2021 ruling by a federal judge in Texas stopped anyone new from enrolling in DACA. Since that time the outcome of DACA has been pending, with multiple lawsuits being filed in the federal courts. Although new DACA applications are not being processed during the pending litigation, DACA renewals are still allowed to process with USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Services). 

If you’re a DACA recipient, here are steps and strategies to consider to protect yourself:

1. Keep your DACA status fully up to date.
   Renew on time; make sure your address and any required information with USCIS is current. Any lapse can create vulnerabilities.

2. Avoid actions that could endanger your status.
   This includes letting your license expire, being around marijuana or other drugs, avoiding criminal charges (including DUIs), staying away from behavior that could lead to convictions, and complying with local, state, and federal law.

3. Get legal help / know your rights.
   Having a trusted immigration attorney or legal aid organization who can tell you:

• What the current law is in your region (as enforcement can vary by state or local law-enforcement practice).

• What defenses or remedies might be available if you’re detained.

4. Document everything.

• Keep copies of all your DACA approval documents, renewal notices, and any communications with DHS or USCIS.

• If you are arrested or detained, try to gather contact info of witnesses, get the name and badge number of officers, record the events if safe, and request legal representation.

5. Advocacy & staying informed.

• Keep up with legal developments — court decisions, rulemakings, official DHS/USCIS statements.

• Engage with community organizations advocating for Dreamers — they often share alerts, resources, and spaces for support.

6. Consult with an immigration attorney.
   Before making any decision to self-deport, consult with an immigration attorney. In many cases, leaving voluntarily might waive or forego protections or future options. Understand the consequences — travel bans, reentry restrictions, loss of ties to work/employment/history/residence — before acting.

It is very important that if you are a current DACA recipient you file to renew your status before it expires, at least 150 days prior to its expiration. 

If you need assistance renewing your DACA status or filing for an immigration petition, you can reach us at (757) 422-8472, or send us a message on our website. You can also schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys by clicking on this link.