How Does DACA Impact Family Law Matters for DREAMers?

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DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It’s
a program for children who grew up in the United States, have
known this country to be their home, but don’t have immigration
documents or eligibility to apply for citizenship or a green
card. There are 800,000 people in this situation. These
individuals are referred to as DREAMers.



 


In 2012, the Obama administration passed a government program
that granted “deferred action”, which protected these people from
deportation, and allotted them a work permit and the ability to
apply for social security. It is renewable for two years at a
time, and in exchange, the immigrant has to come forward with
their address history, their family history, and have no criminal
history in order to be eligible. 



 


While DACA is better than being undocumented, it doesn’t
provide benefits similar to a Green Card. A Green Card gives an
individual the right to work, the ability to travel in and out of
the United States, the right to take advantage of US law, and
provides a path to citizenship after five years. DACA does not
provide a pathway to citizenship.






 If an individual with a green card is looking to get
divorced, they may need to prove that their marriage wasn’t a
“sham” marriage, meaning it was entered into solely for
immigration purposes. If they fail, they may be subject to
deportation. 



 


When divorcing with a Green Card, sponsorship requirements
from the spouse with citizenship will remain in-tact even after
divorce. This expectation will remain for up to ten years,
regardless of marital status, or until the migrant spouse becomes
a citizen. This is because federal laws trump state law divorce
proceedings.



 


Undocumented individuals have full access to the circuit
court, as they are not required to expose their immigration
status in family law cases. 



 


If an undocumented individual wants a divorce but is wary to
go to court due to it being on public record, it is possible to
handle the case outside of the court via negotiations with the
other party. While documentation doesn’t typically have an impact
on asset division, it can complicate child custody or support
cases, which is why it’s important to have a knowledgeable family
law and immigration attorney by your side.






• DACA significa Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la
Infancia. Es un programa para niños que crecieron en los Estados
Unidos, y que han visto a este país como su hogar, pero no tienen
documentos de inmigración o elegibilidad para solicitar la
ciudadanía o una green card. Hay 800,000 personas en esta
situación. Estos individuos son conocidos como DREAMers.


 


• En el 2012, la administración de Obama aprobó un programa
gubernamental que otorgó "acción diferida", y protegió a estas
personas de la deportación otorgándoles un permiso de trabajo y
la posibilidad de solicitar el seguro social. Es renovable por
dos años a la vez y, a cambio, el inmigrante debe presentar su
historial de dirección, su historial familiar y no tener
antecedentes penales para poder ser elegible.


 


• Si bien DACA es mejor que ser indocumentado, no brinda
beneficios similares a los de una green card. Una green card le
da a una persona el derecho a trabajar, la capacidad de viajar
dentro y fuera de los Estados Unidos, el derecho de aprovechar
las leyes estadounidenses y se puede obtener la ciudadanía
después de cinco años. No se puede obtener la ciudadanía por
medio de DACA.


 


• Si una persona con una green card busca divorciarse, es posible
que deba demostrar que su matrimonio no fue un matrimonio
"falso", lo que significa que se celebró únicamente con fines de
inmigración. Si fallan, pueden estar sujetos