DACA recipient
What to know
A DACA recipient is an undocumented immigrant in the United States who has been granted temporary administrative relief from deportation due to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The policy was instituted in 2012 through an executive memorandum by then-Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and was announced by President Obama.
The DACA program protects certain immigrants to the United States from deportation for a fixed period, and makes them eligible to apply for work permits. It does not provide a pathway to citizenship. There are a number of eligibility requirements, including having arrived in the US before turning 16, currently being in school, graduating high school or having obtained a GED, or having served in the US Coast Guard or Armed Forces; and not having been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors. At the time of its introduction, the Pew Research Center estimated that up to 1.4 million people would be eligible for protection under this policy. (That estimate was later revised to 1.7 million.)
Though DACA recipient and DREAMer are related concepts, the terms are not interchangeable. DREAMer refers to the wider population of undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children, not all of whom are eligible for DACA. Only DREAMers who have received DACA status are DACA recipients.
A person applies for DACA and, upon approval, “has DACA,” “has DACA status,” or is a “DACA recipient.” “DACAmented” is also a popular usage among some DACA recipients, though not all recipients use the term, and limiting it to those who self-identify in this way acknowledges that difference. Due to the potential legal ramifications of disclosing someone’s immigration status, it’s especially important to confirm with an individual that they are comfortable with the information being included in media coverage, and that its inclusion is necessary and relevant.
The Trump administration attempted to end the program in 2017, and on June 18, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled this attempt unlawful, saying that the administration did not provide adequate reasoning.
In January 2021, President Joe Biden directed the Secretary of Homeland Security via memorandum to “preserve and fortify DACA.” In July 2021, a federal judge ruled DACA illegal, saying President Obama had exceeded his authority in creating the program, though the judge said it would not immediately affect individuals who held DACA status as of July 16, 2021, or individuals who were applying for renewal of their status.
As of 2025, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services continued to renew existing DACA applications and accepted new requests but would not process them. Legal advocates raised concern that detentions and arrests of people with DACA status disregard the program’s protections.
Taking care to include context on the complexities of the US immigration system, and its impacts on immigrants, is critical for accurate reporting and minimizing harm. Important context to consider in your reporting includes the frequent changes to immigration law and how they affect immigrants’ safety, health, and economic opportunity. Journalists can refer to the American Immigration Council and American Immigration Lawyers Association for reliable information on changes to immigration law.
Additional resources
- Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)
- UnDACAmented: Protections for Dreamers in Peril (National Law Review)
- 2025 Cultural Competence Handbook (National Association of Hispanic Journalists)
- Dreamers (DACA) (American Civil Liberties Union)
- Protecting Immigrant Sources (El Tímpano)
Summary
A DACA recipient is an individual who has been granted protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. A person applies for DACA and, upon approval, “has DACA,” “has DACA status,” or is a “DACA recipient.” “DACAmented” is also a popular usage among some DACA recipients, though not all recipients use the term. Due to the potential legal ramifications of disclosing someone’s immigration status, it’s especially important to confirm with an individual that they are comfortable with the information being included in media coverage, and that its inclusion is necessary and relevant. Journalists can refer to the American Immigration Council and American Immigration Lawyers Association for reliable information on changes to immigration law.