DACA Attorney in Tampa

Over 100 Years of Combined Immigration Experience, Right Here in Tampa

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protects individuals who arrived in the United States as children from deportation and allows them to obtain work authorization. If you’re a Dreamer in the Tampa area managing a renewal or exploring what comes next, Maney | Gordon | Zeller, P.A. is a nationwide immigration law firm headquartered here in Tampa. Our attorneys bring over 100 years of combined experience to immigration matters, and this page covers what you need to know about DACA in 2025 and beyond.

Call our Tampa DACA attorneys at (800) 708-4399 to discuss your renewal, initial request, or long-term immigration options.

Why Tampa Dreamers Work With Maney | Gordon | Zeller, P.A.

Christian Zeller, a shareholder at our firm, holds board certification as a Certified Immigration & Nationality Law Specialist through The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization. That credential isn’t honorary: it requires demonstrated experience, peer review, and a written examination specific to immigration and nationality law. Our firm has been serving clients for more than 40 years, and we offer services in both English and Spanish.

DACA Eligibility: The Core Requirements

DACA eligibility generally requires that you arrived in the United States before age 16 and have maintained continuous residence since June 15, 2007. You must currently be in school, have graduated or obtained a GED, or have been honorably discharged from the U.S. military. Applicants with significant criminal history don’t qualify.

One point worth understanding early: DACA is a form of deferred action, not a path to permanent residency or citizenship on its own. It defers removal and enables work authorization, but it doesn’t change your underlying immigration status. For many recipients, that distinction makes evaluating long-term options just as important as staying current on renewals.

Current Legal Status of DACA in 2025

DACA remains active but subject to ongoing litigation under Texas v. United States. Here’s where things stand:

• Renewals: USCIS continues to accept and process renewal requests and accompanying employment authorization applications nationwide, including in Texas, following the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ January 17, 2025 ruling.
• New initial requests: USCIS currently accepts new initial DACA filings but is barred by federal court order from approving them.
• Existing grants: Current DACA grants and Employment Authorization Documents remain valid until they expire unless individually terminated.
• Deportation proceedings: A Board of Immigration Appeals decision issued April 24, 2026, held that holding DACA alone does not stop deportation proceedings from moving forward.
• Advance parole travel risk: A BIA decision in Matter of Delcarmen-Lara means that travel on advance parole after August 13, 2026, can trigger a three- or 10-year bar for recipients who have more than 180 days of prior unlawful presence.

The legal landscape is shifting. Before making any renewal or travel decisions, confirm your options with an attorney. Don’t assume what was true last year still applies.

The DACA Renewal Process

USCIS recommends filing your renewal request between 120 and 150 days before your current DACA expires. Filing in that window gives you time to resolve any issues without a gap in status or work authorization.

A complete renewal package includes Form I-821D (Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), and the I-765 worksheet. The filing fee is $555 if submitted online or $605 if filed on paper. After USCIS receives your filing, they’ll schedule a biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center to collect your fingerprints, photograph, and signature.

Immigration Options Beyond DACA

Because DACA doesn’t lead to permanent status on its own, some recipients have separate pathways worth evaluating alongside their renewal.

Family-Based Sponsorship
A DACA recipient who marries a U.S. citizen or has another qualifying family relationship may have options toward a family-based green card through marriage-based adjustment of status or another family sponsorship route.

Employer Sponsorship
Some recipients may qualify for permanent residency through an employer willing to sponsor them for an employment-based visa.

Humanitarian Relief
Recipients facing persecution in their home country may have options under asylum law.

Our family immigration practice covers fiancé(e) visas, family-based visas, and citizenship proceedings in addition to DACA. When we work with a Dreamer on a renewal, we can also assess whether any of these longer-term pathways apply to your situation.

Serving Tampa-Area DACA Applicants From Our Tampa Office

Maney | Gordon | Zeller, P.A.’s main office is headquartered in Tampa, which means our attorneys are close to the resources you’ll use during the process. USCIS operates an Application Support Center in Tampa where local DACA applicants attend their biometrics appointments. Having legal counsel nearby matters when questions come up quickly.

Talk to a Tampa DACA Lawyer Today

Whether you’re filing a first-time DACA request, preparing a renewal, or trying to understand what your options look like beyond deferred action, we can help. Our attorneys handle both new and renewal DACA matters and can walk you through the current legal environment so you know where you stand.

Contact Maney | Gordon | Zeller, P.A. at (800) 708-4399 to schedule a consultation with a Tampa DACA attorney. We serve clients in English and Spanish.