DACA - Latest News, Updates and Analysis

A cubicle panel with posters hung on to it including one with the words "Dreamers Welcome!" and hand-drawn images of three people of different ethnicities plus four monarch butterflies.

College Beat

Demand for immigration legal services spikes at California colleges

California’s estimated 100,000 undocumented college students are grappling with President Trump's plans of mass deportations. Dream centers on many campuses are stepping in to provide guidance and meet the skyrocketing demand for legal services from students.

By

Delilah Brumer

and

Mercy Sosa

• February 3, 2025

A view of a man wearing a gray shirt and black pants standing in the living room of his home. A frame Buddha art piece and decorations that read "love" and "home" can be seen in the background. Chanthon Bun stands in the living room of his home in San Leandro on Nov. 23, 2024. Bun was born in Cambodia during the genocide in the 1970s and grew up in a refugee camp in Thailand before moving to the United States, where he was convicted of a crime and at age 18. That was decades ago, but now he's anxious about President-elect Donald Trump's plan for mass immigrant deportation. Photo by Jungho Kim for CalMatters

California Divide

‘What’s going to happen to my kids’: California prepares to resist Trump deportations

In the first Trump administration, California passed a "Sanctuary State" law that, with some exceptions, prohibited local law enforcement from automatically transferring people to federal immigration authorities. Now the state is readying legal challenges to thwart a second Trump administration's mass deportation plans.

By

Wendy Fry

• November 25, 2024

A person stands smiling at the camera in an outdoor setting, holding a small American flag in one hand and a large envelope in the other, which reads 'A Message from President Biden.' They are surrounded by a joyful crowd, some holding papers and colorful piñatas. The group is gathered near a glass building, and there are trees in the background. The person in front is wearing sunglasses, hoop earrings, and a white top with colorful embroidery.

Commentary

As a new citizen, I’m voting in California to honor the community that shaped me

As a DACA recipient in San Diego completed her citizenship ceremony, she thought of "the community that poured into the cup of this once-undocumented Mexican girl with big dreams."

By Itzel Maganda Chavez • September 11, 2024

At right, UC Davis police officer Ernesto Moron repeats an oath along with fellow officers David Barilles and Daniella Flores at their swearing-in ceremony at the UC Davis Police department on Dec. 22, 2023. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

California Divide

California made it legal for DACA immigrants to work as police. Which departments are hiring them?

Many law enforcement departments are having trouble filling vacancies, but they're slow to use a state law that lets them hire immigrants legally under the federal DACA program.

By

Justo Robles

• January 24, 2024

Commentary

Why it’s important for California that DACA recipients be provided permanent resident status

The American Dream and Promise Act recently passed by the House of Representatives is a positive step in the right direction.

By

Guest Commentary

• March 23, 2021

CalMatters en Español

Opinión: Por qué es importante para California que a los beneficiarios de DACA se les proporcione el estatus de residente permanente

La Ley de Promesa y Sueño Americano aprobada recientemente por la Cámara de Representantes es un paso positivo en la dirección correcta.

By

Guest Commentary

• March 23, 2021

Commentary

After court rulings, we must do more to protect Californians

More work needs to be done in California to protect immigrants and communities of color from discrimination.

By

Guest Commentary

• June 27, 2020

Gov. Gavin Newsom wears a protective mask on his face while speaking to reporters at Miss Ollie’s restaurant during the coronavirus outbreak in Oakland on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. Photo by Jeff Chiu, AP Photo/Pool

WhatMatters

Newsom: All Californians must wear masks

Gov. Gavin Newsom's announcement comes as some county public health officers in California face severe pushback for their face mask orders.

By

Emily Hoeven

• June 19, 2020

CalMatters en Español

Opinión: La decisión de la Corte Suprema es una buena noticia para los beneficiarios de DACA, pero el programa sigue en riesgo

Por Caitlin Patler y Erin Hamilton, en exclusiva para CalMatters Hello! We’re publishing more of our work in Spanish to better serve our diverse state. Make sure to click here to read the article in English. En un duro golpe a la administración Trump, la decisión de la Corte Suprema del jueves concluyó que el intento de […]

By

Guest Commentary

• June 18, 2020

DACA recipient Flor Martinez attends a rally following President Trump's rescinding of the program in 2017. Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled he could not halt the program, affects nearly 200,000 California 'Dreamers.' Photo by Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group

Higher Education

Supreme Court bars Trump from ending DACA — what it means for California ‘Dreamers’

Lea este artículo en español. The nation’s top court thwarted President Donald Trump’s plans to place more than 600,000 young people — including nearly 200,000 in California — in legal calamity today, ruling that his administration cannot for now dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. In a complicated 5-4 split, the U.S. […]

By

Mikhail Zinshteyn

• June 18, 2020