Federal government to resume accepting DACA applications

The Department of Justice filed a proposal on Oct. 1, 2025, asking U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen to permit U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to resume taking new and renewal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications nationwide. The plan would allow USCIS to process applications across the U.S., but it includes a carveout under which DACA recipients residing in Texas would not receive work authorization; the judge will decide after additional filings in October. Current enrollment is about 533,000, and an estimated 1.1 million people nationwide may be eligible to apply.