Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a popular program instituted under President Barack Obama in 2012. Recipients of DACA are generally protected from deportation and given work permits renewable in two-year increments. In 2017, the Trump administration attempted to end the DACA program, but a federal judge prevented him from doing so. As of February 2019, the U.S. government is not accepting new initial DACA applications. However, people who currently hold DACA can continue renewing it. In general, DACA should be renewed whenever possible.

To be eligible for DACA, applicants were required to demonstrate the following:

• Under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012;
• Entry to the United States before reaching 16th birthday;
• Continuous residence in the United States from June 15, 2007, to the time of applying for DACA;
• Physical presence in the U.S. on June 15, 2012, and at the time of applying for DACA;
• No lawful status in U.S. on June 15, 2012;
• Current enrollment in school; possession of high school diploma, a high school certificate of completion, or a GED; or being an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; and
• No convictions for felonies, significant misdemeanors, or three or more other misdemeanors, nor otherwise a threat to national security or public safety.