(Colorado Newsline) Colorado Democrats in Congress are urging federal immigration officials to quickly address delays that participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recently experienced while applying for work authorization.

U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and U.S. Reps. Joe Neguse, Diana DeGette, Jason Crow, Brittany Pettersen, and Yadira Caraveo asked U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur M. Jaddou in a letter to immediately address “considerable and detrimental delays” in processing work authorization renewal applications that have left DACA recipients unable to work. 

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DACA is a program established under the Obama administration that was meant to be a temporary stopgap but is now the only tool that protects many brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. DACA recipients are authorized to work in the U.S. as long as they apply for a permit. They must also apply for DACA every two years. 

“Each of our offices have received numerous requests from constituents that have been unable to renew their employment authorizations in a timely manner, leading to many losing their employment as a result of these delays,” the letter says. 

Colorado has over 13,000 DACA recipients. Bennet and Neguse led the group of Democrats in penning the letter. While it’s likely recipients in other states are experiencing similar delays, the letter is based solely on what’s been heard in Colorado.

Reporting from USCIS found the median application processing time for fiscal year 2023 was one month. In 2024 it was 1.8 months. But members of the Colorado delegation said people their offices worked with are experiencing much longer delays. 

“As you are well aware, Dreamers have faced a barrage of legal challenges in recent years and many live in constant fear of their protections being taken away,” the letter says. “It is unfortunate that they are now forced to face yet another hurdle while they navigate this uncertain process. It is with that in mind, that we believe this issue must be resolved immediately.”

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