ATLANTA — This week marks 13 years since the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was created to protect certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. But for many recipients, including more than 17,000 in Georgia, the future of the program remains uncertain.
DACA, established in 2012 under the Obama administration, allows eligible individuals to live and work legally in the U.S. for renewable two-year periods, but it does not provide a path to citizenship. While renewal applications for current recipients are still being processed, new applications remain blocked due to ongoing legal challenges.
Among Georgia’s recipients is Karen, a social worker who came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 3 years old. She says the lack of permanent protections creates a constant state of fear.
“That is a scary and unfair reality that hangs over every DACA recipient,” Karen said. “The policy continues to hang in legal uncertainty, and many of us are left in fear for what is next.”
As the debate continues in Washington, state leaders are calling for action. Republican State Representative Kasey Carpenter says the time has come to resolve the issue once and for all.
“These individuals have been political volleyballs for entirely too long,” Carpenter said. “It is time for real change and real solutions.”
Congress has yet to pass a permanent solution for DACA, leaving the program’s future uncertain.
WSB’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story
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