United States

Have Questions About DACA? NBC4 and Telemundo 52 Are Holding a Phone Bank

What happens next for DACA recipients?

Do you have questions about DACA? NBC4 Southern California and Telemundo 52 Los Angeles on Thursday are holding a phone bank with experts who can provide answers.

The phone bank will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Call 1-855-622-5248.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the program that protects young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas, has been rescinded.

So what happens next for the nearly 800,000 people in it who are allowed to work in the U.S. and receive protection from deportation?

It's too late to apply for DACA. No more applications are being accepted. But young immigrants already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire.

If their permits expire before March, 5, 2018, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by Oct. 5.

If their permits expire beyond that March date, they will not be able to renew and could be subject to deportation when their permits expire.

People who miss the October deadline will be disqualified from renewing their permission to remain in the country and could face deportation, although the Trump administration has said it will not actively provide their information to immigration authorities.

And it will be up to Congress to take up and pass legislation helping DACA beneficiaries. One bill introduced this year would provide a path to legal permanent residency.

Many DACA beneficiaries say they worry they will be forced to take lower-wage, under-the-table jobs and will be unable to pay for college or help their families financially.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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