Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL-04) and Delia Catalina Ramirez (D-IL-03) joined advocates and DACA recipients impacted by unlawful deportations for an urgent press call on the escalating threats to the DACA program.
Since the start of 2025, over 340 DACA recipients have been detained and at least 90 have been deported that we know of. The growing detention and deportation of DACA recipients unfolds at the same time DACA recipients are facing extreme delays in renewing their applications with USCIS – leading many to lose access to their work permits and DACA status – and after a recent decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) making it easier for the federal government to deport DACA recipients.
Click here to access full recording from the virtual presser.
The Home Is Here Coalition released the following statement:
“There is no question that we are living through the most dangerous moment in DACA’s near 14 year history and what is noticeably and increasingly a mass delegalization effort to dismantle programs like DACA, Temporary Protected Status and more. As DACA recipients and immigrants like Maria and Jose are torn from their families despite their valid protection status, and tens of thousands others continue to live under the threat of detention and deportation, we refuse to stay silent and watch DACA become a shell of the program it once was. Congress must use every lever possible to pass a pathway to citizenship and deliver the safety and stability all communities deserve now.”
Maria de Jesus Estrada, Sacramento mother and wrongfully deported DACA recipient recently returned to the United States, said:
“Three months ago, the entire life I built in this country for more than three decades was suddenly in danger. I was handcuffed, detained, and deported from the United States in less than 24 hours, all while having valid DACA. What happened to me was not just a mistake. It was an abuse of power that devastated me, my family, and the people that depend on me. Now we live with constant fear everyday. Airports trigger panic attacks. A police car behind us creates anxiety that I could be taken away again. Yet, Congress has the power to stop this. It is long overdue for DACA recipients to have permanent protection and permanent stability, not more fear, delays, and uncertainty.”
José Contreras Diaz, a new father and DACA recipient who was wrongfully deported earlier this year, said:
“I never expected the first five months of 2026 to turn my life upside down. I didn’t expect to be detained. I wasn’t prepared to be deported to a country I barely remember. And I never imagined that my son would be born while I was over 1,500 miles away from my family — unable to hold him, unable to see him, unable to hear his first cries as he entered this world. People hear words like ‘detention’ and ‘deportation,’ but they don’t always see what those words actually do to families and entire communities. I am calling on Congress to finally pass a permanent legislative solution that gives DACA recipients real protection and finally ends this constant fear and instability.”
Tania Chavez Camacho, Executive Director of LUPE
“The Rio Grande Valley is home to one of the largest populations of DACA recipients in the country. The recent attacks on our DACA community have reminded us that DACA is not enough–it has never been enough. Attacks like the ones on our LUPE members, Yenniffer England and Jose Contreras Diaz, are examples of why DACA recipients need permanent and clear pathways to citizenship. Yenniffer, who has a valid and unexpired DACA permit, was violently taken in front of her daughter and brother and has been away from her family for nearly three months. Both members should have been protected from detention and deportation, but state police and ICE violated their rights. After Jose’s release, we are encouraged to keep organizing and fighting for those, like Yenniffer, who call the RGV and this country their home. Protecting DACA recipients is about protecting our families, friends, neighbors, and who we are as a community. At LUPE, we will not stop until we bring Yenniffer and any other detained LUPE members home.”
Jaime Rangel, Regional Government Relations Director at FWD.us, said:
“DACA was the catalyst that allowed me to build the life I have today. Because of its legal protections against deportation, I could receive an education in the U.S., have a family, and contribute meaningfully to my community. It’s time for us to recognize that DACA recipients aren’t just part of this country’s future; they are ingrained in our present We must commit to a permanent pathway forward—one that honors their years of dedication, their belief in this country, and their unwavering commitment to building a better future here at home. Because when we invest in them, we invest in the continued strength, prosperity, and unity of the United States.”
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The Home Is Here national coalition is fighting to protect DACA recipients, their families, and all immigrant communities at the U.S. Supreme Court. DACA recipients are undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. They are also our nurses, our teachers, our coworkers, our family members, and our friends — and their home is here. For more information visit HomeIsHere.Us