In Texas, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits if you are: Legally residing in the U.S., Authorized to work in the U.S. at the time you earned your base-period wage, when you apply for benefits, while requesting benefits, and. Able to satisfy the requirements of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen ruled in July 2021 in the Texas case that DACA was unlawful, halted it nationwide, and prohibited the government from approving any new DACA requests. Judge Hanen's ruling allowed those with DACA to retain and renew their protections, but no new requests could be processed.
What happened: On January 17th, 2025 the 5th Circuit Court once again ruled against DACA, but kept renewals open–for now. This ruling is part of ongoing, deliberate attacks to undermine immigrant communities, limit opportunities, and enable mass deportation.
In Texas, eligibility for unemployment benefits, including for seasonal and temporary employees, is determined based on multiple factors, including work history, earnings, and the reason for job separation.
Examples of misconduct that could make you ineligible include violation of company policy, violation of law, neglect or mismanagement of your position, or failure to perform your work adequately if you are capable of doing so.
We will update this page as we find information. Please continue to check this page for updates on eligibility. We have confirmed that DACA recipients who live within the states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, and New York are eligible for unemployment benefits.
An EAD issued to a DACA beneficiary will bear category code C33. 2 Certain EADs, depending on the category code, may be extended while a renewal application is pending. 3 Under previous iterations of the program, DACA beneficiaries were not eligible for such extensions, and the new regulation does not change that.
The DACA program took root in 2012, through an Executive Order during President Barack Obama's administration, as a way to provide temporary relief (renewable 2-year terms) from deportation and work authorization for certain individuals who came to the United States as children.
They are also eligible to request work authorization. Deferred action is an exercise of prosecutorial discretion to defer removal action against an individual for a certain period of time. Deferred action does not provide lawful status.
One of the main benefits of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) is the work permit that comes with it. Your employer cannot discriminate against you because you are working under DACA protection.