California Today

DACA Generation Faces Unstable Future in Their 30s

19 May 2026 03:00

The DACA generation, now in their 30s, faces an increasingly unstable future as the Trump administration weakens program protections. - The average DACA recipient is 31 years old, with many holding advanced degrees and U.S.

citizen children. - Policy changes have led to longer processing times, lapses in work authorization, and increased deportations.

- Between January and November 2025, 261 DACA recipients were arrested by ICE, and 86 were deported. - Recipients report feeling unable to plan for the future due to the program's unreliability.

The program, created as a temporary measure in 2012, remains without a permanent legislative solution, leaving hundreds of thousands in legal limbo.

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Homelandpoliticsimmigrationeconomy