FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — President Trump’s immigration crackdown has brought changes for Dreamers, the young immigrants who came to this country years ago.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Gonzalez is the Executive Director at Fresno’s Education & Leadership Foundation and says Dreamers must renew every two years.<\/p>\n
That timeline is now moving up.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Enforcement has also changed.<\/p>\n
In a letter last month, Secretary Kristi Noem said the Department of Homeland Security arrested 261 Dreamers between January and November of last year<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n RELATED: Noem says more than 250 DACA recipients arrested and dozens deported in 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Noem told Congress that in her view, DACA is a temporary program, and that those with felonies are subject to removal.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “I was seven, going on eight, when I was brought into this country,” Gonzalez said about his journey.<\/p>\n The government is no longer processing new DACA applicants.<\/p>\n Most Dreamers are now adults. For many, the United States is the only country they know, and DACA allows them to be here.<\/p>\n “[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.”<\/p>\n Gonzalez is not aware of any arrests impacting Dreamers here, but he says with the changing immigration landscape, nothing can be ruled out.<\/p>\n For news updates, follow Gabe Ferris on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2026 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n