Immigrant rights advocates are raising alarms after a growing number of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients have been detained or deported under the Trump administration, in what they say is a violation of longstanding federal protections.
According to a newly compiled “Enforcement Tracker” developed by the immigrant rights coalition Home is Here, at least 18 DACA recipients have been arrested or placed at risk of deportation since President Donald Trump took office. The tracker, obtained exclusively by ABC News, will be publicly released during a Thursday press conference on Capitol Hill featuring members of Congress.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, spokesperson for United We Dream, a key member of the coalition. “We know there are many more. This administration is breaking the promise the U.S. government made to protect Dreamers from deportation.”
Program Protections Under Fire
The DACA program, launched in 2012 under President Barack Obama, grants temporary legal status and protection from deportation to undocumented individuals brought to the U.S. as children. Recipients must pass background checks and provide biometric data to qualify for two-year renewable work permits.
While some individuals on the coalition’s list reportedly have prior criminal records — ranging from traffic violations to domestic abuse charges — advocates argue that most do not have offenses serious enough to disqualify them from the program. In several cases, legal representatives say recipients were detained despite clean records or minor infractions that did not previously affect their DACA status or renewal eligibility.
Legal and Political Ramifications
The surge in enforcement actions has reignited fears among immigrant communities and lawmakers who view the administration’s approach as a de facto dismantling of DACA, despite its continued existence on paper.
Trump has previously called for DACA to be ended, and while the Supreme Court blocked its full termination in 2020, enforcement patterns under his administration have continued to sow confusion and fear among beneficiaries.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not responded to specific allegations outlined in the tracker. The Department of Homeland Security maintains that DACA does not provide legal residency or immunity from removal in cases involving disqualifying behavior.
The full report is expected to provide a broader accounting of DACA recipients’ encounters with immigration enforcement and could spur renewed legislative calls for permanent protections — or a path to citizenship — for so-called Dreamers.
