Federal judge in Texas blocks new DACA applications cnn.com

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A U.S federal judge in Texas, Andrew Hanen, ruled on Friday July 16, 2021, that DACA program is illegal. He blocked new applications.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival is Obama-era program shielding certain undocumented immigrants from deportation. It is one of the only signs of potential relief for undocumented immigrants looking to remain and work in the US.

Created in 2012, the program was intended to provide temporary reprieve to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children — a group often described as “Dreamers” — many of whom are now adults.

The ruling by Judge Andrew Hanen has now stopped it. The ruling does not immediately cancel current permits for hundreds of thousands of people, but it leaves them in devastating legal limbo and is a reminder of the uncertainty they face. The ruling would bar future applications.

President Joe Biden on Saturday called the ruling “deeply disappointing” and said the US Department of Justice intends to appeal the decision.

“Yesterday’s Federal court ruling is deeply disappointing. While the court’s order does not now affect current DACA recipients, this decision nonetheless relegates hundreds of thousands of young immigrants to an uncertain future,” Biden said in statement.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said Saturday that his department will “engage the public in a rulemaking process to preserve and fortify DACA,” as well as “continue processing DACA renewal requests, consistent with the ruling,” but he called on members of Congress to act.

“I urge Congress to act swiftly to enact legislation through the reconciliation process to provide permanent protection that the American people want and Dreamers have earned,” he said in a statement.

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