Biden administration assigns more staff to review DACA applications as backlog soars

The Biden administration is assigning more immigration officers to review applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) deportation relief program in response to a soaring backlog of requests, according to information sent to Congress and shared with CBS News.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) told Congress that it will also stage public awareness campaigns to educate prospective DACA applicants about how they can reduce processing times, and remind program beneficiaries to renew their work permits and deportation deferrals, congressional officials said.

As of May 31, USCIS had only adjudicated 1,900 of more than 62,000 first-time DACA applications submitted by undocumented immigrant teenagers and young adults since the program reopened in December 2020, according to government data shared with Congress.