Immigration Law and Policy Updates

The information on this page is subject to change. It is provided for educational purposes only and not as part of an attorney-client relationship. It is not a substitute for legal advice.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)​ is an immigration benefit that protects eligible immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. DACA is intended to give immigrants 1) protection from deportation and 2) a work permit. DACA has been subject to significant litigation and policy changes since its inception in 2012. For updates on DACA, please visit United We Dream.

Policy Tracking

To view or search for new immigration policies, please see the Immigration Policy Tracker here.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)​ is an immigration benefit that protects eligible immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. DACA is intended to give immigrants 1) protection from deportation and 2) a work permit. DACA has been subject to significant litigation and policy changes since its inception in 2012. For updates on DACA, please visit United We Dream.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

TPS is an immigration status granted to eligible nationals of a designated country or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in that country. Under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) § 244, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may designate a country for TPS based on an emergency, such as an ongoing armed conflict or environmental disaster, that temporarily prevents nationals who are in the United States from returning safely to the designated county. TPS recipients receive (1) temporary protection from deportation and (2) a work permit. As of January 2025, seventeen countries have TPS designations: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen. Countries designated for TPS are subject to change as designations may be added or terminated. On Feb. 5, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice in the Federal Register terminating the Jan. 10, 2025, decision that extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela until Oct. 2, 2026. For more updates about TPS, please see CLINIC's resource page.