5 Things You Need to Know About DACA and What Happens Next

By Samuel Smith, Deputy Managing Editor Thursday, September 07, 2017

President Donald J. Trump is evaluating security measures at the U.S.-Mexico border to further prevent illegal immigrants from passing. | (Photo: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

5. Trump is "gradually" winding down DACA, not suddenly halting it.

Although some fear that the Trump administration's announcement on DACA will mean that the 800,000 DACA recipients will soon be rounded up and deported, Trump said in a statement released by the White House on Tuesday that his rescinding of DACA will be "a gradual process, not a sudden phase out."

"[T]he Department of Homeland Security will begin an orderly transition and wind-down of DACA, one that provides minimum disruption. While new applications for work permits will not be accepted, all existing work permits will be honored until their date of expiration up to two full years from today," Trump's statement reads. "Furthermore, applications already in the pipeline will be processed, as will renewal applications for those facing near-term expiration."

Trump's statement explains that the permits will not begin to expire for another six months and will remain active for up to two years.

"Thus, in effect, I am not going to just cut DACA off, but rather provide a window of opportunity for Congress to finally act," Trump added.

Also on Tuesday, Trump tweeted that he could "revisit" the issue if Congress doesn't act to create a more permanent solution.

"Congress now has six months to legalize DACA (something the Obama administration was unable to do)," Trump tweeted. "If they can't, I will revisit this issue!"