Practice Alert: Termination of the SIJS Deferred Action Policy

On June 6, 2025 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced its indefensible decision to terminate the deferred action policy for youth with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), through which around 200,000 SIJS youth awaiting a visa had been granted protection from deportation and work authorization. Because of the termination of the policy, SIJS youth will not be able to renew their deferred action or work authorization once it expires, and young people newly approved for SIJS will no longer be considered for a grant of deferred action. Instead of offering a path to safety and self-sufficiency for these young survivors of parental maltreatment, the termination of the SIJS policy harms the many thousands of youth waiting for the opportunity to apply for permanent residence. This End SIJS Backlog Coalition practice alert (1) provides background on the SIJS backlog and the SIJS Deferred Action Policy; (2) describes USCIS’s termination of the SIJS Deferred Action Policy in 2025; (3) describes litigation challenging the termination of the policy; (4) provides tips for practitioners in light of the policy change.