Federal agency returns to accepting requests under DACA

WASHINGTON — Citizenship and Immigration Services says it’s resumed accepting requests to renew a grant of deferred action under the Obama-era program that shields from deportation young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children and who remain in the country illegally.

The decision comes four days after a federal judge, in a nod to pending lawsuits, temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end the program.

In a statement posted Saturday on its website, the USCIS says the policy under the Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, will be operated under the terms in place before it was rescinded in September.

“Due to a federal court order, USCIS has resumed accepting requests to renew a grant of deferred action under DACA,” the agency said. “Until further notice, and unless otherwise provided in this guidance, the DACA policy will be operated on the terms in place before it was rescinded on Sept. 5, 2017.”

Congressional lawmakers are trying to write legislation to give the so-called Dreamers legal status.

DACA has protected about 800,000 people, many of them college-age students.