February 26, 2018
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Efforts to End DACA
Today, protections for nearly 700,000 young immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” were extended under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program thanks to a decision by the United States Supreme Court. DACA recipients are granted temporary protection against deportation and are eligible for work permits in the United States. The Court rejected an appeal from the Trump Administration, seeking to overturn the decisions of two federal judges who ruled that Trump’s efforts to end the DACA program were illegal.
However, the long-term fate of the program is still uncertain.
In September of last year, President Trump announced that he would end all DACA protections on March 5 and said that the government would stop accepting applications for renewals. Two federal judges later blocked the Administration’s efforts to end the program. Those judges decided that Trump’s decision was legally flawed.
Today’s ruling, while offering welcome relief for DACA recipients, is only temporary. The appeal requested by the Trump Administration was highly unusual, and the Court simply decided that the case needs to be argued in front of an appeals court before it can get a hearing in the Supreme Court. Next, it is likely that an appeals court in New York or California will decide the legality of Trump’s decision to end the program. But for the time being, it appears that DACA protections will continue until at least the end of 2018.
For updates on DACA’s fate, visit the United We Dream info page here in Spanish and here in English.