Two Los Angeles Police Department officers have been benched and sent home without pay after federal delays left their DACA-based work permits expired, cutting off the legal authorization they need to stay on the job. Both say they filed renewal applications months before their documents ran out, yet their cases are still pending and there is no clear timeline for when they can return to duty.
Officers Benched While Paperwork Sits in Limbo
According to FOX 11, the officers, identified as Pacheco and Carrillo, submitted their DACA renewal applications well ahead of expiration. Even so, both were ordered to surrender their badges and service weapons once their work authorization lapsed. Pacheco told FOX 11 that this week she had to turn in her badge and gun and was placed on unpaid leave. Carrillo has already been off the job for about three months, checking his case status daily while he waits for a decision.
Short-Staffed LAPD Feels the Loss
The timing could hardly be worse for a department already stretched thin. The Los Angeles Police Department has lost about 1,300 officers since 2020 and is projected to have roughly 8,620 sworn officers by June 30, a level that tightens patrol rosters and complicates recruitment plans, according to the Los Angeles Times. In that context, sidelining trained, academy-tested officers over paperwork delays hits especially hard for neighborhood patrols and for major events that require extra staffing.
SB 960 Opened the Door, Backlogs Opened a Gap
California’s SB 960, which took effect on Jan. 1, 2023, removed the state’s U.S. citizenship requirement for peace officers and instead requires that applicants be legally authorized to work, according to the SB 960 bill text. That shift allowed police departments to consider candidates whose work authorization is based on DACA.
CalMatters reports that the LAPD adopted policies to employ such officers, effectively tying part of its future workforce to a federal program already known for legal uncertainty and bureaucratic lag.
Members of Congress Turn Up the Heat on DHS
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are pressing the Biden administration to speed things up. In April, Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García and Rep. Lou Correa led 86 House members in a letter urging the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to reduce DACA renewal delays and to spell out what they are doing to prevent job losses tied to the backlog, according to a release from Rep. Chuy García. The release lists each signer and the detailed questions they posed to agency leaders.
USCIS Says Extra Vetting Is Slowing the Line
Processing times for DACA renewals at USCIS have grown longer, and agency officials point to increased screening and vetting as a reason. Coverage of the backlog cites a USCIS spokesperson who said the agency is “safeguarding the American people by more thoroughly screening and vetting all aliens,” language that officials and advocates say has translated into months-long waits for renewals, according to the Los Angeles Times.
City Hall and Union Sound the Alarm
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described the affected officers as “people who have lived here since childhood” and argued that “they deserve thanks and solutions from Washington, not cruelty,” FOX 11 reports. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents rank-and-file officers, warned that the city is already struggling to recruit and retain background-checked, qualified officers willing to put themselves in harm’s way.
Together, those statements have intensified calls for DHS to consider narrow, time-limited fixes for public-safety workers caught in the DACA backlog.
What It Means for Day-to-Day Policing
Advocates and city officials say the most immediate answers lie in federal bureaucracy, not at roll call. They have floated options such as prioritizing renewals for public-safety workers, speeding up adjudications for fully documented cases, or issuing interim guidance that shields officers who filed on time from being pulled off the street. Rep. Lou Correa’s office has also urged emergency action for constituents whose renewals have stalled, underscoring the political pressure now bearing down on DHS; see Rep. Correa's press page.
Legal Stakes for Officers Caught in the Backlog
DACA offers work authorization but not permanent immigration status. When a renewal expires before USCIS approves a new one, the individual loses lawful permission to work, which can legally trigger unpaid leave or termination from jobs that require federal authorization. Guidance from the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman explains when applicants can file case inquiries and the limits of any interim protections while a case is pending. The materials underscore that administrative backlog, not officer error, is often what pushes workers off the job. DHS ombudsman guidance.
