DACA Court Case 2025
DACA ruled unlawful by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
On January 17, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled certain parts of the DACA program to be unlawful. However, the court did not order an immediate end to DACA, which means DACA recipients can continue renewing like they have in the past.
What did the January 17 ruling say?
In the Fifth Circuit’s January decision, the court agreed with Judge Hanen’s ruling that DACA is unlawful but modified Hanen’s ruling in two ways:
- The nationwide block on new DACA applications should be modified and only apply to Texas.
- The district court should consider DACA’s severability clause, which means work permits can be split from deportation protections.
This ruling has not gone into effect yet and could change as the case continues through the courts. Visit MALDEF for a summary of the ruling.
What’s next?
DACA continues to be on unsteady ground. This is an evolving situation, and DACA can face other legal challenges. For example, the case can be requested to be heard at the United States Supreme Court.
What this means for DACA recipients
- DACA renewals are available nationwide. Renew your DACA before it expires.
- If you don’t renew your DACA within one year of expiration, it will be treated as a first-time application and will not be processed.
- Get a legal screening to explore other immigration options.
We understand that this rollercoaster of court cases is exhausting and unfair. We stand with you, and we will never stop fighting to protect our communities. Everyone deserves safety and the ability to live without fear. We will continue to fight for a future where DACA recipients can live with certainty and stability.
Timeline: Texas v. United States
July 16, 2021: Judge Hanen from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled that DACA is unlawful. But the court allowed people with DACA to continue to renew. The court blocked USCIS from processing first-time DACA requests.
September 2021: The Biden administration appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
July 6, 2022: Oral argument took place at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for the case.
August 30, 2022: The Biden Administration published its final rule on DACA.
October 5, 2022: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals published a decision on the case, affirming that DACA is illegal and sending the case back down to the Texas District Court.
October 31, 2022: The Biden Administration’s DACA regulations seeking to protect the program went into effect.
June 1, 2023: Judge Hanen from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas heard oral arguments again for the DACA case, this time focusing on the Biden Administration’s DACA rule.
September 13, 2023: Judge Hanen ruled DACA unlawful once again.
November 9, 2023: The Biden Administration appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
October 10, 2024: Oral arguments were heard at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
January 17, 2025: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling declaring parts of DACA unlawful but allowed current recipients to maintain their status while the case remains in litigation.
FAQ
First-time applicants
First-time applications are currently accepted by USCIS, but they are still prohibited from processing the application under the Texas court order. We do not know if this will change.
See first-time DACA FAQs below
Current DACA recipients
Renewals continue to be allowed at this time, but this could change depending on the ruling of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- My DACA expired less than a year ago. If your DACA expired under a year ago, USCIS will still process your renewal request as a renewal.
- My DACA expired over a year ago. If your DACA expired over a year ago, while you may still file for DACA, it will be considered an initial– or first-time– DACA request, and thus while USCIS will accept it, it may not process it under the Texas court order.
Advance parole – permission to travel abroad
AP continues open while renewals are still open.
DACA recipients that have a valid reason for traveling abroad can still request advance parole, or permission to travel abroad. A valid reason to travel abroad for a DACA recipient is an employment-based reason, a humanitarian reason, or an educational reason. Vacation is not a valid reason under the DACA rules. Find out more about advance parole on our guide and always consult with an immigration lawyer before traveling outside the United States.
What can we do now?
It’s important that Congress pass permanent solutions for people with or without DACA, TPS holders, farmworkers, essential workers, and our family members.
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Below we’ve adapted some USCIS FAQs on DACA:
First-Time Requests (Initials)
An initial request for DACA includes:
- A first-time request for DACA;
- A request filed by an individual who was previously granted DACA but did not request renewal within one year of the expiration; or
- A request filed by an individual whose most recent DACA grant was terminated.
USCIS is not permitted to approve initial DACA requests while the court order from the Southern District of Texas (July 2021) remains in effect. If you have an initial DACA request pending with USCIS, your request will remain on hold in compliance with the court order.
At this time, USCIS is holding cases, rather than rejecting or closing them. While USCIS holds these cases, they will remain pending. Because these cases will remain on hold while the court order is in effect, USCIS will not issue refunds for initial DACA requests that remain on hold while the court order is in effect.
USCIS may issue further guidance on this subject as the Texas v. United States case continues.
USCIS will accept initial DACA requests, but will not process them. If you file an initial DACA request with USCIS, you will receive a receipt notice, and USCIS will process your payment. However, USCIS will not make a decision on your request while the Texas v. United States court order remains in effect. We don’t know whether first-time applications will be processed in the near future or what USCIS will do with them after a final decision in Texas v. United States.
President Biden and DHS have made it clear that DACA recipients are not a priority for deportation. Even Judge Hanen said in his 2021 order that this court decision does “not require DHS or Department of Justice to take any immigration, deportation, or criminal action against any DACA recipient, applicant, or any other individual.”
We recommend that you consult an immigration attorney or accredited representative if you believe you fall under an enforcement and removal priority category.
We will continue to fight in Congress for a pathway to citizenship for immigrants.
Renewals
Yes. You can still renew your DACA. If this changes for any reason, USCIS will publish updated information to its site.
USCIS strongly encourages DACA recipients to file their renewal requests 120 to 150 days (four to five months) before the expiration of their current DACA validity period.
However, if you file before then, USCIS will accept your filing for processing, even if it holds it until 150 days prior to the date of expiration of your current DACA validity.
USCIS will not reject a renewal filing before the 150-day mark, but they may wait until closer to the applicant’s expiration date to begin processing the request. Submitting a renewal earlier than 5 months ahead will not speed up the process.
As of the September 13, 2023 court order, there is no change in the filing process for DACA renewals, but this could change at the appeals court or at the Supreme Court.
Yes, if your DACA has expired for less than a year, we encourage you to consider filing the renewal ASAP. If it’s been longer than a year, see the next question.
- You will need to submit an initial (first-time) request for DACA if you let your DACA expire for more than 1 year.
- USCIS can accept initial DACA requests, but it is prohibited from processing them while the Texas federal court order remains in effect.
- You will be issued a receipt notice, and your payment will be accepted. However, the request will not be further processed, in compliance with the July 2021 court order.
Yes, USCIS will continue to process DACA renewal requests.
However, if your DACA expires before USCIS approves your renewal request, you do not have DACA or employment authorization for the period between the expiration of your prior DACA and the start of your new period of DACA.
USCIS’ goal is to process DACA renewal requests generally within 120 days. You may submit an inquiry about the status of your renewal request after it has been pending for more than 105 days. To submit an inquiry online, please visit egov.uscis.gov/e-request.
Please Note: Factors that may affect the timely processing of your DACA renewal request include, but are not limited to:
- Failure to appear for a scheduled biometrics appointment to obtain fingerprints and photographs. No-shows or rescheduling appointments will require additional processing time;
- Issues of national security, criminality or public safety discovered during the background check process that require further vetting;
- Issues of travel abroad that need additional evidence/clarification;
- Name/date of birth discrepancies that may require additional evidence/clarification; or
- The renewal submission was incomplete or contained evidence that suggests a requestor may not satisfy the DACA renewal guidelines, and USCIS must send a request for additional evidence or explanation.
Advance Parole
Yes. USCIS will continue to accept and process applications for advance parole filed by DACA recipients.
Yes, USCIS will continue processing advance parole applications for DACA recipients. Though they have been known to take up to 6 months to process non-emergency cases.
If your application for advance parole has been approved, you can still travel for the requested dates. This may change in the future once the case returns to the appeals court, or later, the Supreme Court can change that.
Please note, all individuals returning to the United States are still subject to immigration inspection at a port of entry. We encourage you to consult with an immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative before traveling abroad.
Yes, if you currently have DACA and are abroad using advance parole, you may return to the United States using your advance parole.
Please note, all individuals returning to the United States are still subject to immigration inspection at a port of entry.
If you currently have DACA, you may apply for advance parole. If you are experiencing an extremely urgent situation, you may request an emergency advance parole appointment at your local field office through the USCIS Contact Center. You should bring the following items to your appointment:
- A completed and signed Form I-131, Application for Travel Document;
- The correct Form I-131 filing fee;
- Evidence to support the emergency request (for example, medical documentation, death certificate, etc.); and
- Two passport-style photos.
For more information, please see the DACA emergency advance parole page.