First Wave of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Applications Approved

[JoseG 383]

A month after Obama announced his deferred action proposal, his administration said it has approved 29 applications of undocumented immigrants who applied. Another 1,600 applications are awaiting final review.

The applicants are hoping to avoid deportation and get a work permit under Obama’s administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Department of Homeland Security Spokesman Peter Boogaard said that as of Friday, U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services had received about 82,000 applications from undocumented immigrants hoping to qualify for the program.

The first immigrants to win the reprieve were notified this week. They will be allowed to stay in the United States for up to two years and be given permission to work; applications can be renewed every two years.

USCIS started accepting applications for the program on Aug. 15. The first approvals came well ahead of the department's own internal estimates that it could take four to six months for an application, including fingerprints and a background check, to be fully reviewed.

Republican lawmakers have decried Obama's policy, saying it is tantamount to "backdoor amnesty" for as many as 1.7 million undocumented immigrants.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., earlier this week questioned the timing of the first wave of approvals.

"The speed at which the deferrals are being granted continues to raise severe concerns about fraud and the administration's ability to verify items like age of entry, educational status and even current age," Sessions said.

President Barack Obama and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the program in June. To be eligible, applicants have to prove that they arrived in the United States before they turned 16, are 30 years old or younger, be high school graduates or in school, or have served in the military. They also cannot have a serious criminal record or otherwise pose a threat to public safety or national security.

The program closely tracks with the failed DREAM Act, a bill would have provided a path to legal status for many young illegal immigrants. The new policy does not provide legal status for the immigrants, but does protect them from deportation for two years.

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/09/14/first-wave-deferred-deportation-applications-approved/#ixzz26YMML7EN

[hunninutz 50]

... Thanks for the post =)

[mayra 19]

this is freakin awsome

[JoseG 383]

Only 29 approved so far? Even though the process is going faster than expected, that seems like a low number considering how many applied.

[Rawf 336]

Only 29 approved so far? Even though the process is going faster than expected, that seems like a low number considering how many applied.

They haven't released why they are rejecting certain applicants yet.

[JoseG 383]

Hopefully people are getting their applications back if they messed up on them instead of getting denied right away.

[Rawf 336]

Hopefully people are getting their applications back if they messed up on them instead of getting denied right away.

I'm starting to think they aren't as bad as people make them look, they give the opportunity to fix certain things.. the hard part is fixing your history in the background check. The minimum red flag and they might looks at you as offensive.

[JoseG 383]

Yeah, stuff might come up in the background check from years back and they will be extra cautious with you.

[amor 112]

I thought approximately 40,000 people applied for DACA?

[JoseG 383]

USCIS released the official numbers and it was more than 80K for the first month.

[amor 112]

Oh ok! But even then... I don't understand how only 29 applicants have been approved out of 80,000?

[Admin 174]

Oh ok! But even then... I don't understand how only 29 applicants have been approved out of 80,000?

I'm sure more and more people have been getting aproved. Because 29 only seems so small.

[itzel 336]

I honestly think this process can go by faster, if you send in your applications filled out correctly, fees, and supporting documents and background checks come clear, they should be approved immediately...

[MydreamRN 5]

29 I think the reason is people have been doing walk- ins

[paul86 3]

I think now the processing time will extend because more and more people will send applications. Who ever is in the first line is lucky. Imagine if now another 300 000 - 500 000 people send applications?

[pswa83 302]

that might happen depending on how the election turns out. if obama loses (and i dont think he will) everything who hasnt filed yet will so do then. which means the wait times might be longer.

[JoseG 383]

that might happen depending on how the election turns out. if obama loses (and i dont think he will) everything who hasnt filed yet will so do then. which means the wait times might be longer.

Yup.

It's better to get this done ASAP before USCIS is pressed into being more thorough and stricter about the whole process.

This was said after USCIS released that 29 DACA applicants had been approved in the first month.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., earlier this week questioned the timing of the first wave of approvals.

"The speed at which the deferrals are being granted continues to raise severe concerns about fraud and the administration's ability to verify items like age of entry, educational status and even current age," Sessions said

[itzel 336]

29 was fast for him???

Wow..what a moron...but im used to these comments from these "politicians"

[paul86 3]

This waiting is killing me.... I cant sleep at nights or I dream about it.

[Rawf 336]

This waiting is killing me.... I cant sleep at nights or I dream about it.

Good things come to those who wait, no matter how long or how hard it is to wait