A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on Tuesday, declaring that the Department of Homeland Security’s “decision to rescind DACA was based on a flawed legal premise.”
U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled the Obama-era program must remain in place while litigation plays out. Alsup, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, also said the program should continue, allowing those already approved for the program to renew their DACA protections and work permits. New applications will not be allowed to be submitted under the ruling, however.
“Dreamers’ lives were thrown into chaos when the Trump Administration tried to terminate the DACA program without obeying the law,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “Today’s ruling is a huge step in the right direction.”
“America is and has been home to Dreamers who courageously came forward, applied for DACA and did everything the federal government asked of them,” he added. “They followed DACA’s rules, they succeeded in school, at work and in business, and they have contributed in building a better America. We will fight at every turn for their rights and opportunities so they may continue to contribute to America.” But the Department of Justice said the ruling doesn’t change the facts about the program.
“DACA was implemented unilaterally after Congress declined to extend these benefits to this same group of illegal aliens. As such, it was an unlawful circumvention of Congress, and was susceptible to the same legal challenges that effectively ended DAPA,” the DOJ said in a statement. During Tuesday’s bipartisan immigration meeting, President Trump said he would support a plan those in the room came up with, adding that he’d be open to taking on his political base in order to support a bipartisan agreement. “I’ll take the heat off both the Democrats and the Republicans,” he said.
