United States Representative Jimmy Panetta joined Rep. Sam Liccardo and other Bay Area Members of Congress in formally requesting explanations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding increased delays for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal applications, according to a May 28 statement.
In their letter, the lawmakers said, “We urge you to accelerate processing, provide transparent updates, and shield applicants from enforcement actions while they await adjudication.” The group includes Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi as well as Representatives Mark DeSaulnier, John Garamendi, Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna, Zoe Lofgren, Kevin Mullin, Lateefah Simon, and Mike Thompson.
Bay Area congressional offices are reporting an increase in DACA delay cases—now at 5-10 per week compared to almost none last year—with caseloads continuing to grow. The DACA program allows undocumented young adults who arrived in the United States as children to avoid deportation if they renew their status every two years. The legislators wrote that when renewals lapse due to processing delays, recipients face disruptions in employment and income stability: “The consequences are already visible in our state: school districts are placing Dreamer educators on unpaid administrative leave mid-year, and other workers are missing shifts because timely, properly filed renewals remain unadjudicated.”
The letter noted that while USCIS currently reports an average processing time of 3.5 months for DACA renewals, casework teams see extensions stretching beyond five months. In addition, the agency completed 18% fewer cases in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025 compared with the same period last year.
Lawmakers also requested data about district-level processing times and asked whether USCIS is sharing information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding expiration dates or renewal status. They highlighted concerns about increased risk of detention or deportation for those awaiting adjudication: “[DACA recipients] build careers, raise families, and contribute to this country in good faith—fulfilling every obligation this government requires of them. USCIS must meet its obligations in return,” concluded the Members.
Jimmy Panetta has served California’s 19th District since 2017 after succeeding Sam Farr; he was born in Washington D.C., earned his BA from University of California Davis in 1991 and JD from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1996, according to his office.
