Thousands of Protected Migrants Could Be Deported by ICE
Summary
A recent decision by the Justice Department’s Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) says immigration judges cannot stop deportation cases just because a person has active DACA status. The ruling affects a DACA recipient named Catalina Santiago, who was arrested and placed in deportation proceedings, and it could lead to more DACA recipients being deported.Key Facts
- The BIA ruled that having active DACA status does not automatically stop deportation cases.
- Catalina Santiago, a DACA recipient, was arrested in August at El Paso airport and placed in removal proceedings.
- An immigration judge initially dismissed Santiago’s deportation case because of her DACA status, but DHS appealed.
- The BIA decision supports the Department of Homeland Security’s position and sends the case back to the judge for more review.
- DACA, started in 2012, protects certain immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation temporarily but does not give them legal immigration status.
- About 505,900 people in the U.S. had active DACA status as of September 2025, with most from Mexico.
- DACA recipients can still be deported if they commit certain crimes under federal law.
- The Trump administration has been working to reduce protections for DACA recipients.
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