Colorado DACA recipients who filed everything on time are still losing jobs and paychecks as routine renewal paperwork stalls at the federal level. Work permits that used to come back quickly are now taking weeks, sometimes months, to process, and employers have responded by putting people on unpaid leave or quietly replacing them. The growing backlog is starting to squeeze staffing at hospitals, schools, and small businesses across the state.
Local coverage has documented Coloradans pushed off the job when their DACA authorizations lapsed, according to CBS News Colorado. Nationally, the Associated Press found median renewal processing times jumped sharply, from about 15 days in fiscal 2025 to roughly 70 days between October 2025 and February 2026, and reported that USCIS said most renewals were taking about 122 days by late April. That gap means even people who file well before their expiration dates can see coverage lapse, costing them jobs, benefits, and licenses.
What Lawmakers Are Doing
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and dozens of Senate Democrats sent a formal letter to DHS in March calling for faster processing and warning that lapses in authorization can have “profound consequences” for both families and employers. In a press release from Sen. Michael Bennet's office, lawmakers pointed to workforce disruptions in health care, education, and small business and pressed the agency for detailed explanations about adjudicative holds affecting applicants from certain countries.
Advocates Warn of Deportation and Financial Risk
Advocates say the slowdown is not a blip. “It’s not just anecdotal; it’s happening at a larger scale than we’ve ever seen before,” United We Dream’s Greisa Martinez Rosas told the Associated Press. The National Immigration Law Center has estimated that thousands of renewal requests could be tied up by country-specific holds. While they wait in administrative limbo, people face sudden unpaid leave, loss of driver’s licenses, and, in some reported cases, detention once protections expire.
USCIS says it aims to process DACA renewals within about 120 days and provides instructions for recipients on its website, although agency data this year show processing has been slower than that goal. For Colorado residents looking for help, local groups such as the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition offer legal clinics and resources for renewal questions and emergency support. Visit USCIS for official guidance or the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition for local assistance.
