Immigration court ruling restricts citizenship path for DACA recipients

A ruling by the Board of Immigration Appeals has significantly restricted a pathway to citizenship for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The decision eliminates a specific travel provision known as advance parole. Previously, this provision allowed DACA recipients to travel abroad for work, school, or humanitarian reasons and return to the U.S. without triggering the standard 10-year ban on reentry typically imposed on those who entered the country unlawfully. By erasing the penalty of the original unlawful entry upon return, the provision enabled many recipients to marry U.S. citizens and apply for green cards without delay.

Advocates, including Karen Tumlin of the Justice Action Center, characterized the ruling as part of a broader effort to dismantle the Obama-era program that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has stated the decision confirms existing legal interpretations.