DALE Community Explainer: Updates on the Department of Homeland Security’s Recent Announcement on Extending Initial Grants of Deferred Action to Four Years

You may have heard that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently updated some policies in Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement (DALE). This resource will explain some common questions for practitioners, advocates, and workers regarding the recent announcement extending initial grants from two to four years, and how that process relates to the January 2024 announcement on renewals (or “subsequent grants” as DHS refers to them). These updates impact workers who have already received deferred action, workers with pending applications, and workers who are considering applying. Workers who had been apprehensive to come forward may feel empowered to seek DALE now that they will receive a four-year initial grant. This explainer will address both scenarios and will clarify the distinctions between initial requests, extensions, and subsequent requests (renewals) of DALE.