DACA Renewal Backlog Soars Amid Tougher Screening

The Trump administration’s tougher immigration screening policies have coincided with a mounting backlog of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewals, leaving thousands of illegal aliens brought to the United States as children waiting months for work permits and deportation protections, CBS News reported Thursday.

Pending DACA renewals more than quadrupled to over 125,000 between September 2025 and June 30, while active recipients fell 14% to 436,350, according to federal data analyzed by CBS.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services defended the administration’s tightened screening measures, citing efforts to strengthen national security and immigration enforcement.

USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler told CBS the agency has “placed a renewed emphasis on robust alien screening and vetting, eliminating policies the former administration implemented that prioritized aliens’ convenience ahead of Americans’ safety and security.”

CBS reported that the agency has expanded FBI background checks and reviews of applicants’ social media accounts for “anti-American” sentiment.

According to the network’s analysis, USCIS processed between 4,500 and 6,000 DACA renewals weekly before adjudications dropped below 1,900 last November.

Processing rebounded in the second quarter of 2026, but federal figures show the backlog remained elevated.

USCIS said it processed 80% of renewal applications within seven months, although its guidance recommends applying for renewal four to five months before protections are set to expire.

The delays have left some recipients unable to work legally while awaiting federal approval.

Juan Carlos Cerda, Texas director of the American Business Immigration Coalition, told CBS he was forced to take unpaid leave during a six-month wait.

“You feel like you don’t have agency, like nothing that you do is good enough because it’s outside of your control,” Cerda said.

Javier Diego Jacinto, 27, told the outlet he lost his position as a school associate principal after his work authorization expired in March.

“I really feel like my dignity and my worth was just taken away,” Jacinto said. “As soon as this card expired, it felt like all the doors shut.”

Former USCIS official Jonathan Micale suggested the delays could reflect the administration’s decision to shift personnel toward fraud investigations and national security screening.

“If they’re moving to go do security and vetting, they’re not adjudicating the cases,” Micale told CBS.

Despite increased scrutiny, USCIS figures show renewal denials remain relatively uncommon, rising to 1.1% from a historical rate of 0.67%.

Created in 2012 under President Barack Obama, DACA provides temporary deportation protections and work authorization without granting legal immigration status.

A 2021 federal court injunction bars USCIS from approving new DACA applications, limiting the program to renewals.