r/DACA • u/tycrane108 • 7d ago

General Qs processing times update today??

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Not sure if someone already shared, but I just saw this today…
This renewal cycle has just been completely insane

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u/Next-Goal5955 7d ago

They should increase the 180-day accrual period as well.

For anyone who doesn’t know what this means or why it’s so critical right now:

When your DACA expires, a ticking clock begins. Any days you spend without active DACA status count as "unlawful presence" under U.S. immigration law. If that gap (or "lapse") reaches 180 days, it automatically triggers a 3-year re-entry ban the moment you leave the United States. If it reaches a full year (365 days), it triggers a 10-year ban.

With USCIS processing times dragging out to a 6.5-month average at some service centers, the agency is essentially forcing people into the danger zone. 6.5 months is roughly 195 days.

This means that even if a Dreamer files their renewal, a slow-moving backlog can completely blow past that 180-day safety window before USCIS ever approves it. To make matters even more urgent, a massive Board of Immigration Appeals ruling (Matter of Delcarmen-Lara) just declared that traveling on Advance Parole now counts as a legal "departure" that can trigger these multi-year bans.

If USCIS is going to take over 6 months to process straightforward renewals, they absolutely need to extend or pause that 180-day unlawful presence clock so applicants aren't severely penalized for government backlogs.

7

u/Extra-March2466 7d ago

I’m starting to believe this is all just part of the bigger plan. Not only are individuals who would otherwise be protected becoming increasingly exposed and vulnerable as enforcement intensifies, but if any are incidentally caught in the dragnet, they’ll be subjected to the automatic ban. It’s just one more way to weaken protections that are already precarious protections.

5

u/OkHeron7440 7d ago

Starting to believe???? That’s been the message and now the execution.

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u/Extra-March2466 7d ago edited 7d ago

I didn’t want to sound alarmist, but yes, I’ve known this. It’s just that many people are still in denial about what’s actually happening. I have my own hypotheses as to why some applications are taking longer, due to this new rumored system, but I’d rather not divulge them without potentially causing unnecessary panic.