Marco Antonio Cruz Linares, an immigrant from Mexico, tells reporters at Houston City Hall about his concerns over losing his job and his fears of being detained if he loses his DACA status.
Julian Aguilar/Houston Chronicle
Democratic members of Houston’s congressional delegation are hoping to persuade enough lame-duck members of the U.S. Congress to codify safeguards for unauthorized immigrants who are at risk of losing protections under an Obama-era immigration policy.
U.S. Reps. Sylvia Garcia, Al Green and Christian Menefee joined a group of immigrants from Mexico at Houston City Hall on Monday to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Known as DACA, the program was implemented in 2012 and grants some unauthorized immigrants a renewable, two-year work permit and a reprieve from deportation proceedings.
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Garcia is the author of the American Dream and Promise Act, which would grant DACA recipients legal status and a pathway to citizenship.
“We think we’ve got a good shot because there are just so many members leaving and now that they’re leaving, they’re voting their true votes,” she said. “They’re not voting out of convenience; they’re not voting to rubber stamp the Trump (agenda). They’re doing the right thing.”
Garcia’s bill has 213 sponsors, which means she needs to get five more on board to force a floor vote in Congress.
READ MORE: Long DACA renewal wait times leave some ‘Dreamers’ without status, a job and fearing detainment
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The lawmaker was joined by several DACA recipients who have lost their protections — or are on the brink of doing so — because of what Garcia and others said is an intentional lag in processing times by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the branch of the Department of Homeland Security that processes the DACA applications.
“(The Trump) administration is delaying renewals. It is creating gaps that are costing people their livelihoods,” Garcia said. “This is not by accident. It is by design. This is a part of a deliberate effort to suffocate DACA one delayed renewal at a time.”
As of December 2025, there were about 82,400 DACA recipients in Texas, the second-highest total after California’s 138,650. Across the country there were about 495,000, a drop from the 525,000 estimated by immigrant rights groups in March 2025. Garcia said approximately 30,000 DACA recipients live in Harris County.
The federal government is only processing renewals after legal challenges halted USCIS from processing new applications. But the delays in processing those applications have placed DACA recipients like Javier Rodriguez in the government’s crosshairs.
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Rodriguez, 29, came to Texas from Mexico more than two decades ago and renewed his status every two years. It was a pretty simple process, even during the first Trump administration, he said. That changed this year when he sent his information in January, two months before his status expired. He’s still waiting for a response.
He’s since lost his job as an auto salesman and knows he’s taking a chance of being detained whenever he leaves his house.
“Being here, I’m putting myself at risk but it’s one of those things that I feel is super important — for us to be able to come out and have a voice,” the Eisenhower High School graduate said from City Hall Monday.
READ MORE: From DACA to detention: Immigrant in Texas held after social media posts, lawyers say
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Rodriguez said that renewals under previous administrations generally took less time, with some coming in in about a month.
“Under the first Trump administration, believe it or not, there were times that it actually took less time,” he said.
Marco Antonio Cruz Linares, 36, has just about a week left before his DACA status expires. When that happens, he said he’ll be given a 30-day leave of absence from his job.
“After those 30 days, I will lose my job and lose the income that I use to support myself and my family,” he said. “(And) I could potentially be detained or deported.”
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Democrats have also framed DACA policy through an economic lens. Garcia’s office estimates the national gross domestic product could grow by nearly $800 billion if her bill is passed. Green said the tax contributions from DACA recipients could help keep Social Security solvent after reports earlier this year estimated the program’s beneficiaries could see a 22% reduction in benefits in just six years.
“Declining immigration is also expected to weaken Social Security’s finances because fewer workers will be paid into the program,” he said. “Fewer workers paying into the program to support people in the twilight of life. And we are now going to remove people from the country who have done no harm, work hard (and pay) into the Social Security system.”