FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — President Trump’s immigration crackdown has brought changes for Dreamers, the young immigrants who came to this country years ago.

“In the last couple of months, we’ve seen delays in the application process, whereas before, you would get a response within a month [or] two months at most; now we’re into three or four months,” Mario Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez is the Executive Director at Fresno’s Education & Leadership Foundation and says Dreamers must renew every two years.

That timeline is now moving up.

“We just have a constant reminder for our Dreamers, our DACA recipients, to make sure that they submit their application at the six-month mark, not to wait,” Gonzalez said. “Not to delay.”

Enforcement has also changed.

In a letter last month, Secretary Kristi Noem said the Department of Homeland Security arrested 261 Dreamers between January and November of last year, claiming most of them had a criminal history. The government deported 86 of those arrested, prompting U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and fellow Democrats to call for more details.

RELATED: Noem says more than 250 DACA recipients arrested and dozens deported in 2025

Noem told Congress that in her view, DACA is a temporary program, and that those with felonies are subject to removal.

“The way the law has been interpreted at the moment is, anyone who has been accused of a crime now has a criminal history,” Gonzalez said.

DHS data from last year shows 4,900 active DACA recipients in Fresno. Visalia follows with 2,900, and Merced has 1,600 Dreamers. Altogether, the Valley is home to more than 10,000.

DACA began in 2012 under President Obama. It provided temporary relief, promising deferred action for children who arrived in the U.S. through no fault of their own.

“I was seven, going on eight, when I was brought into this country,” Gonzalez said about his journey.

The government is no longer processing new DACA applicants.

Most Dreamers are now adults. For many, the United States is the only country they know, and DACA allows them to be here.

“[We’re] talking about, like, mid-20s, late 20s to 30s and 40s, where they’re now professionals in our community,” Gonzalez said. “They’ve been providing back and giving back into our community for 10-plus years.”

Gonzalez is not aware of any arrests impacting Dreamers here, but he says with the changing immigration landscape, nothing can be ruled out.

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