Five years later, nearly 80,000 DACA recipients have arrest records Within five years of a new program created to prevent the deportation of minors brought into the country illegally by their parents, nearly 80,000 were released into the U.S. with arrest records.

The majority of these individuals were between the ages of 19 and 22 when arrested, according to the latest data published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This comes as President Joe Biden announced an expansion of deportation protections and job opportunities for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients on Tuesday, marking the 12-year anniversary of the program initiated by former President Barack Obama in 2012.

DACA applies to those brought into the U.S. before age 16 and under age 31 as of June 15, 2012, among other criteria. Despite a federal judge ruling the program illegal twice, and ongoing legal battles led by Texas and other states to end DACA, it continues to provide benefits to many