DACA Turns 14 Amid Legal Battles and Social Security Warning From Al Green

As the nation marked 14 years since the creation of DACA, Representative Al Green (D-TX) used the anniversary to make an argument that goes beyond immigration, one that connects the fate of Dreamers directly to the financial future of American retirees.

Speaking at a DACA anniversary event, Green opened by crediting fellow Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-AZ) for her years of work on the issue, calling her leadership unmatched in Congress.

"No one in the Congress of the United States of America has made this a cause that we should address more than the Honorable Sylvia Garcia," he said.

Green, a longtime co-sponsor of the American Dream and Promise Act, then made a case that surprised some in the room, pivoting to Social Security.

Citing a June 2026 CBS News report, Green pointed to projections that Social Security could become insolvent by 2032, triggering an estimated 22% cut to monthly benefits, roughly $500 per recipient.

Among the factors driving that timeline, he noted, is declining immigration, which reduces the number of workers paying into the system.

Green's Fight

"We are now going to remove people from the country who have done no harm, working hard, paying into the Social Security system, so that older Americans can benefit from the system," Green said. "America needs young workers to support a system that has been efficacious since its inception."

Green's remarks came as DACA faces some of its most serious legal and administrative challenges, yet the Department of Homeland Security has confirmed detaining more than 260 recipients and deporting over 80.

An April 2026 immigration court ruling further weakened deportation protections, and processing delays have left thousands of recipients in legal limbo.

In Texas specifically, a federal appeals court ruling has already blocked DACA work permits from being renewed, a consequence of longstanding litigation brought by Texas and other states challenging the program's legality.

Green acknowledged the political optics of a senior citizen championing a program that benefits younger immigrants, and addressed it directly. "This is not about being selfish," he said. "This is about understanding the needs of the United States of America."

The Dream and Promise Act, which would create a pathway to permanent legal status for DACA recipients, remains stalled in committee and has not advanced to a full floor vote or cleared the Senate.