Congressman Sam Liccardo, Bay Area Congressional Delegation Demand Explanation for Spike in DACA Processing Delays

May 21, 2026 Press Release Washington, DC — Today, Rep. Sam Liccardo (CA-16) led a coalition of Bay Area Members of Congress, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Reps. Jared Huffman (CA-02), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Ro Khanna (CA-17), John Garamendi (CA-08), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Mike Thompson (CA-04), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), in formally demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about delays endured by community members protected under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program as they try to renew their DACA applications. “We urge you to accelerate processing, provide transparent updates, and shield applicants from enforcement actions while they await adjudication,” the Members wrote. This year, Bay Area congressional offices are each reporting 5-10 DACA delay cases a week, compared to almost none last year — and the caseload continues to grow. The DACA program protects undocumented young adults, who came to the United States as children, from deportation. To stay in the country and work requires DACA recipients get their application renewed every two years. “Across the Bay Area, DACA recipients are valued community members who support key industries, including healthcare, education, technology, and hospitality. When renewals lapse, DACA recipients face disruptions to employment, income stability, and daily life—effects that ripple beyond individual households into the broader regional economy,” the Members wrote. “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 legislators explain that while USCIS currently reports a 3.5-month processing average, real-time data from the Members’ casework teams report that extensions that once took only a couple of weeks to process now stretch beyond five months. The agency completed 18% fewer cases in the second quarter of FY2025 compared to the same period the prior year. A lapse in DACA authorization increases the risk of detention or deportation and leaves immigrant families in limbo. In the letter, the lawmakers also request data about processing times in each Congressional District, explanations for the processing delays, and details about whether USCIS is sharing information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Members wrote, “[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.” Full text of the letter is available here .