U.S. Deports 86 Immigrants Protected by DACA, Trump Administration Admits
Posted on03/02/26 at 11:02
- 86 DACA recipients deported
- 261 detained in 2025
- Government cites criminal records
The administration of President Donald Trump confirmed that it has expelled dozens of young immigrants who were protected under the DACA program, amid a renewed debate over the scope of that policy and its legal limits.
Why it matters: The official acknowledgment of these deportations reopens the discussion about the future of thousands of program beneficiaries and about the authority the Administration has to detain and remove individuals who, in theory, have temporary protection from deportation.
The Government acknowledges 86 DACA deportations in 2025
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged in a letter sent to Democratic Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois that between January 1 and November 19, 2025, 261 beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program were detained.
Of that total, 86 were deported, according to the communication cited by Politico.
In the letter, Noem stated that 241 of the 261 individuals detained had criminal records, although she did not specify the charges they faced.
The Government’s central argument is that the detentions and expulsions are based on the existence of criminal proceedings or records.
What is DACA and what protection does it really offer?
DACA, created by former President Barack Obama, aims to protect eligible immigrants who arrived in the United States as children from deportation and allows them to obtain work authorization.
The program does not grant permanent legal status or an automatic path to residency.
As Noem herself noted, although the program provides “temporary suspension of deportation,” it does not confer any right to remain in the United States indefinitely.
That distinction has been key to the defense of the current immigration policy, which argues that DACA protection can be lost under certain circumstances, including legal problems.
Advocates allege unfounded accusations and dismissed cases
Immigrant advocacy organizations have alleged that immigration agents detained individuals based on unfounded criminal accusations or charges that were later dismissed.
These claims are part of the concerns now being investigated by Senator Durbin, who has requested detailed information about potential wrongful deportations of immigrants protected under the DACA program in 2025.
The lack of specificity regarding the charges in the 241 cases mentioned in the letter has generated additional questions about transparency and due process in each case file.
The legal backdrop: DACA under judicial scrutiny
In defending the DACA deportations in 2025, the secretary cited a ruling by a federal judge in Texas declaring the program unlawful as an administrative measure.
The future of DACA has been marked by litigation for years. During his first term (2017–2021), Trump attempted to end the program, but a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States determined that the procedure used by the Republican president was unlawful.
Although that ruling did not definitively resolve DACA’s legality, it required the Government to maintain the program under certain parameters, leaving the door open to further legal challenges.
What comes next: increased political and judicial scrutiny
With 86 deportations already confirmed and 261 detentions reported in 2025, the issue is expected to escalate in Congress and in the courts.
Senator Durbin is investigating allegations of unjust deportations, while pro-immigrant organizations are demanding clarity regarding the criteria used to revoke or disregard DACA protections.
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The debate once again places thousands of young people at the center — individuals who grew up in the United States under the promise of temporary protection that now faces renewed political and legal tensions.
SOURCE: EFE / CNN