Updated July 16, 2021 at 8:53 PM ET
A federal district judge in Texas has ruled against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, striking a blow to the Obama-era policy that has protected more than 800,000 young undocumented immigrants from deportation since 2012.
The largely expected decision leaves the fate of thousands of the program s beneficiaries, known as DREAMers, in the hands of Congress, the Biden administration and a Supreme Court where conservatives hold a 6-3 majority.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled in favor of nine conservative-led states, including Texas, blocking the Biden administration from accepting new DACA applicants – saying the program is not legal.
Callaghan OHare/The Washington Post via Getty Images
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toggle caption Callaghan OHare/The Washington Post via Getty Images
DACA counted some 636,000 active recipients known as DREAMers at the end of last year. Callaghan OHare/The Washington Post via Getty Images
A federal district judge in Texas has ruled against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, striking a blow to the Obama-era policy that has protected more than 800,000 young undocumented immigrants from deportation since 2012.
The largely expected decision leaves the fate of thousands of the program s beneficiaries, known as DREAMers, in the hands of Congress, the Biden administration and a Supreme Court where conservatives hold a 6-3 majority.
A blaring siren for Democrats after ruling halts DACA
ASTRID GALVAN, Associated Press
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1of5FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2017, file photo, demonstrators hold up balloons during an immigration rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Temporary Protected Status (TPS), programs, near the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Casting a cloud over already tenuous negotiations, President Donald Trump said Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, that DACA, a program that protects immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and live here illegally, is “probably dead” and blamed Democrats, days before some government functions would start shutting down unless a deal is reached.Jose Luis Magana/APShow MoreShow Less
A US federal judge in Texas has blocked new applications to a programme that protects immigrants who were brought to the United States as children from deportation but said the hundreds of thousands of people already enrolled would not be affected until further court rulings.
US District Judge Andrew Hanen on Friday sided with a group of states suing to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, arguing it was illegally created by former President Barack Obama in 2012.
Hanen found the programme violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) when it was created but said that since there were so many people currently enrolled in the programme – nearly 650,000 – his ruling would be temporarily stayed for their cases until further court rulings in the case.
The ruling prevented new applicants, saying the plan was illegally created by former President Obama.
U.S. Commonwealth judge Texas blocked a new application for a program to protect immigrants brought to the United States as children from deportation, but said the hundreds of thousands of people already registered would not be affected until further court rulings.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen supported a group of states suing to terminate the deferred return of child entry (DACA) program, saying that the program was illegally formulated by former President Barack Obama in 2012.
Hanen found that the plan was in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) when it was created, but said that because there are currently too many people participating in the plan nearly 650,000 people his ruling will be put on hold until the court decides on the case Further ruling.