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US Halts New DACA Applications Pending Review

VOA News

   The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday it will not
   accept any new applications for a program that shieldsfrom deportation
   people who were brought to the country illegally as children, drawing
   criticism from immigrant rightsadvocatesand Democrats in Congress.

   Acting Secretary Chad Wolf wrote in a memo he is launching a review of
   the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals(DACA)program, and that in
   addition to rejecting new applicationsduring that time, his agencyis
   alsoallowingcurrent participants to renew their status and work permits
   foronlyone year instead of the previous two-year periods.

   A third restriction will not allow existing participants to travel and
   re-enter the United States under a system called advanced parole,
   unless in cases of "exceptional circumstances."

   President Donald Trump tried to end the DACA program that was enacted
   by his predecessor President Barack Obamain 2012, but the Supreme Court
   ruled last month that the Trump administration did not follow proper
   procedures in shutting it down.

   There are about 650,000 people who are part of DACA. To qualify, they
   had to have come to the United States before their 16thbirthday, been
   in the country continuously since mid-2007, be under the age of 31 in
   mid-2012, have no felony or significant misdemeanor convictions, pose
   no national security threat, and have either a high school diploma,
   been enrolled in school, or have a record of service in the U.S.
   military.

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