More than 270 DACA recipients were detained and 174 deported from January 2025 through September as the Trump administration widened enforcement beyond criminals and recent border crossers.
That shift also cut benefits and slowed work-permit renewals for Dreamers, leaving some in legal limbo; one Colombian-born recipient was held nearly three months after his status expired in custody.
About half a million Dreamers had been protected under DACA, but the report says they are now being pressured to leave despite having been brought to the United States as children.
The crackdown sits within a broader enforcement push: ICE is holding about 60,000 people, 70% without criminal records, while more than 5 million U.S.-born children live with at least one undocumented parent.
With birthright citizenship secure, what is the economic price of deporting the parents of millions of young American citizens?
A child’s citizenship is guaranteed, but their parents face removal. How can the nation resolve this growing family paradox?
DACA in Crisis: Sharp Decline in Renewals and Rising Deportations Threaten 500,000 Recipients
Overview
Since January 2025, DACA recipients have faced a growing crisis marked by more detentions and deportations, as well as confusing and inconsistent government data. The Department of Homeland Security made it clear that DACA does not provide legal status, leaving recipients at risk of arrest and removal, especially if accused of a crime. Despite ambitious enforcement goals, immigration agents have struggled to meet targets, yet DACA recipients still face a targeted crackdown. These trends, combined with administrative delays in DACA renewals, have created deep uncertainty and increased vulnerability for this community.