Some immigration attorneys are going to be working long hours to help people in a soon-to-expire program that defers deportation for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
That's after President Trump announced this week he's ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — or DACA — program.
Those attorneys are especially eager to counsel people eligible to renew their protection, so they don't miss the deadline to do so.
Ruby Robinson is with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. He says only people whose DACA status expires before March 5th will be allowed to renew, for two years. The deadline to apply is October 5.
But the government's not going to tell them that.
"It is up to groups like us and the community at large to be notifying people," said Robinson. "USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] will not be sending out notices that they will not be able to renew their status after a certain point in time."
There's no chance for people whose DACA status ends March 6th or after to renew, according to Robinson. He says that he hopes Congress acts before then on a permanent replacement.
