TLDR:
- DHS arrested 261 DACA “Dreamer” recipients last year and deported 86 of them
- The agency says 241 of those arrested had criminal histories, though Democrats dispute the claim
- The DACA program — once protecting 800,000 people — has shrunk to just over 515,000 and is effectively frozen
- Past scandals include suspected gang members approved for DACA status and recipients accused of human smuggling
The Obama-era program that shielded hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants from deportation is quietly unraveling — and the government’s own arrest data is fueling a fierce political fight over who the “Dreamers” really are.
The Department of Homeland Security arrested 261 DACA recipients between Jan. 1 and Nov. 19 last year and deported 86 of them, according to a letter sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee. DHS said 241 of those arrested had criminal histories.
Democrats called the arrests “deeply troubling” and questioned whether Secretary Kristi Noem could back up the criminal-record claim. Ms. Noem cited privacy concerns, saying ICE determined that releasing case details “would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”
The program itself has been legally frozen for years and has shrunk from a peak of 800,000 recipients to just 515,570. Past problems haven’t helped its image — the Obama administration was forced to rewrite DACA rules after suspected gang members were approved, and The Washington Times has reported on recipients accused of smuggling other illegal immigrants into the country.
Read more:
• DHS arrested 261 DACA ‘Dreamers’ last year; almost all had criminal records
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
