ICE deported 174 DACA recipients through most of last year, agency head says in letter
Key Takeaways
- ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) acting director Todd Lyons reported in a letter that 270 DACA recipients were arrested and 174 were deported from January–September 2025.
- DHS (Department of Homeland Security) later said an additional 73 DACA recipients were arrested between late September and mid-November, bringing arrests to at least 343 through November 2025.
- DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) does not grant legal status; recipients undergo vetting when renewing and can be subject to arrest or removal under certain conditions.
- Conflicting earlier figures from former DHS secretary Kristi Noem were blamed on a “scripting issue” in Lyons’s April 7 letter; Lyons plans to retire at the end of May.
- The reporting raises immediate concerns for Dreamers seeking renewals and underscores the precarious legal position of people brought to the U.S. as children.
What ICE reported
In a letter reviewed by the Guardian, ICE acting director Todd Lyons wrote that 270 people with DACA protections were arrested by the agency from January through September 2025, and that 174 of those individuals were ultimately deported. Lyons’ letter, dated 7 April, attributed earlier numerical inconsistencies in separate letters from former DHS secretary Kristi Noem to a “scripting issue.” Lyons is due to retire at the end of May. DACA—Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals—is a program started in 2012 that allows certain people brought to the U.S. as children, commonly called “Dreamers,” temporary protection from deportation and work authorization; it does not provide lawful immigration status.
Government responses and political fallout
The DHS told the Guardian that 73 additional DACA recipients were arrested between late September and mid-November 2025, raising the total arrested to at least 343 for the first 11 months of the year. A DHS spokesperson reiterated that DACA “does not confer any form of legal status” and said most of those arrested had been charged with crimes. It has been reported that Representative Delia Ramirez characterized the deportations as evidence of a “white nationalist agenda” by the Trump administration. The conflicting communications from Noem and the subsequent correction by Lyons have added to congressional concern over how DHS and ICE are tracking and reporting enforcement actions against DACA recipients.
What this means for Dreamers and applicants
There are roughly 533,000 active DACA recipients, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Renewals require background checks and can trigger enforcement if past conduct or criminal charges surface; USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) handles the administrative side of DACA applications, while ICE conducts immigration enforcement. For individuals renewing DACA or applying for the first time, the takeaway is immediate and practical: DACA lowers but does not eliminate deportation risk. People in this situation should consult an immigration attorney before renewing if they have criminal history or outstanding charges, keep documentation current, and know how to contact counsel and consular resources if detained.
Source: Original Article