Stanton demands answers on DACA renewal delays hurting Arizona Dreamers

U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton on Monday called on the Trump administration to fix mounting delays in renewing protections for immigrants brought to the country as children, warning that thousands of Arizona Dreamers risk losing their jobs and facing deportation while they wait.

Stanton, an Arizona Democrat, spoke after meeting with DACA recipients, attorneys and advocates in Phoenix.

He said renewals that once took a couple of weeks are now stretching to six months or longer, leaving people in limbo.

“This is not bureaucratic inconvenience,” Stanton said. “It means someone can and will lose their job authorization through no fault of their own. It means employers will lose trusted workers, and it means that students and young professionals suddenly do not know whether they can continue building their futures.”

Who are DACA recipients?

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, created under President Barack Obama, shields more than 500,000 people from deportation and allows them to work legally. It must be renewed every two years.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the median wait time for renewals between October 2025 and February 2026 was about 70 days, nearly five times longer than the 15-day average in fiscal year 2025.

It’s the longest delay since 2016.

Stanton said attorneys are now urging Dreamers to file paperwork seven to nine months before their status expires, rather than the 120 to 150 days the agency recommends.

“If you are a DACA recipient, it’s essential that you file your renewal application early,” he said. “Do not wait.”

Stanton and 80 House colleagues sent a letter last month demanding that the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS explain the delays. He said neither agency has responded.

Why Citizenship and Immigration Services says the policy stands

USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said in a statement to KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Heidi Hommel that the agency is thoroughly screening and vetting all aliens.

“Illegal aliens claiming to be recipients of DACA are not automatically protected from deportation,” Kahler said. “Any illegal alien who is a DACA recipient may be subject to arrest and deportation for a number of reasons, including if they committed a crime.”

Stanton dismissed that explanation, noting DACA recipients already undergo background checks and biometric screenings every two years.

“This is a proven program that has worked,” he said.

Migrants describe why these delays create uncertainty

Reyna Montoya, founder of the Phoenix-based advocacy group Aliento and a DACA recipient herself, said the delays are rippling through Arizona’s economy.

“It doesn’t matter if you did everything right, if you submitted your application,” Montoya said. “People who have done that have lost their work permit and also are now at risk of deportation.”

About 20,000 DACA recipients live in Arizona. Last year, they contributed nearly $2 billion in state and local taxes, Stanton said.

Salvador Macias, a Phoenix immigration attorney and DACA recipient, warned that once protections lapse, recipients face the same risks as any other undocumented immigrant.

“We are subject to removal,” Macias said. “DACA is a band-aid for a wound that needs stitches.”

The warnings come as a growing number of DACA recipients have been detained after their protections expired.

Last week, the Board of Immigration Appeals ruled that DACA status alone is not enough to stop deportation.

Federal officials have offered conflicting figures on enforcement. Then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said earlier this year that more than 250 DACA recipients were arrested and 86 deported in the first 11 months of 2025. DHS has separately reported other numbers to lawmakers, including 174 and 270.

Stanton is again co-sponsoring the American Dream and Promise Act, which would create a path to citizenship for Dreamers. The bill has stalled repeatedly in Congress.

Jose Patino, vice president of education and external affairs at Aliento, said he started advocating for Dreamers at 17. He’s now 37.

“We have been waiting for many, many decades,” Patino said. “Hopefully DACA recipients like myself can be able to have some peace in this country that we call home.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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