Tag: Dreamers

Federal judge blocks new applications to DACA

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A federal judge in Texas blocked new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in a ruling Friday, increasing pressure on Congress to find a legislative solution for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as minors.

Immigration advocates had been expecting the ruling for weeks, fearing Judge Andrew Hanen — a George W. Bush appointee who is known for his tough stance on immigration matters — could rule against the legality of the Obama-era program as a whole.

Hanen ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) “with the creation of DACA and its continued operation.” Continue reading.

‘Dreamers’ advocates turn up heat on Senate after Biden meeting

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House Democrats help in push on bill to help undocumented immigrants

House Democrats and immigrant advocates are ramping up calls for the Senate to pass legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

The measure, which passed the House in March, would grant permanent legal protections to around 3.4 million undocumented immigrants called “Dreamers,” as well as many Temporary Protected Status holders and Deferred Enforced Departure recipients. But the Senate has not indicated when, if at all, it plans to vote.

The bill would likely face steep odds in that chamber, where 10 Republican votes are needed for a filibuster-proof majority unless Democrats manage to weave immigration provisions into a possible budget reconciliation bill, an option many lawmakers are backing. Continue reading.

House passes bills providing citizenship path for Dreamers, farmworkers

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House Democrats passed a pair of bills Thursday that would create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and some migrant farm workers, taking a piecemeal approach as the fate of President Biden’s major immigration package looks increasingly uncertain. 

The Dream and Promise Act, which passed 228-197, would provide certainty to undocumented people brought to the U.S. as children whose ability to go to school, get work and even remain in the country has hung in the balance from administration to administration. 

Sponsor Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) called the bill “a major step in ending the veil of fear and uncertainty that has plagued the lives of our Dreamers for far too long.” Continue reading.

Judge orders Trump administration to restore DACA, accept new applicants

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A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to fully restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors from deportation, scoring a key win for immigrant advocacy groups.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis, a Clinton appointee, restores the Obama-era program and also mandates that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) post a public notice by Monday saying it is accepting new applicants.

It would mark the first time since 2017 that the government has admitted new immigrants into the program. Continue reading.

Trump admin must accept new DACA applications, court rules

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program protects undocumented immigrants brought to U.S. as children

The Trump administration must resume accepting new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and comply with a recent Supreme Court ruling, a federal judge ordered Friday.

U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm of the District of Maryland said his order “restores the DACA policy to its pre-September 5, 2017 status,” a reference to the day the Trump administration announced the president would rescind the program.

Grimm’s ruling comes nearly a month after the Supreme Court ruled that the White House’s effort to end the Obama-era program ran afoul of the Administrative Procedure Act. The high court pointed out that it was not ruling on whether DACA is a sound policy, only whether the government had a reasoned explanation for rescinding it. Continue reading.

Trump intends to renew effort to end DACA protections for young undocumented immigrants

Washington Post logoPresident Trump on Friday promised to renew his effort to end the Obama-era program that protects undocumented immigrants brought here as children from deportation, a day after the Supreme Court ruled to keep it in place.

In a morning tweet, Trump seized on the fact that the 5-4 decision did not address the merits of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA program, but rather said that the administration had not provided proper legal justification for ending it.

“The Supreme Court asked us to resubmit on DACA, nothing was lost or won. They ‘punted,’ much like in a football game (where hopefully they would stand for our great American Flag). We will be submitting enhanced papers shortly in order to properly fulfil the Supreme Court’s ruling & request of yesterday,” Trump wrote. Continue reading.

Supreme Court blocks Trump plan to end DACA program

The Hill logoThe Supreme Court ruled on Thursday to block the Trump administration from ending an Obama-era program that shields nearly 700,000 young undocumented immigrants from deportation, upending a key feature of President Trump’s immigration agenda.

In a 5-4 decision that largely fell along ideological lines, the justices said the administration failed to give an adequate justification for terminating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, as required by federal law.

“The dispute before the Court is not whether [Department of Homeland Security] may rescind DACA. All parties agree that it may. The dispute is instead primarily about the procedure the agency followed in doing so,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in a majority opinion that was joined by the court’s more liberal justices. Continue reading.

Supreme Court ruling on Dreamers sends a clear message to the White House: You have to tell the truth

When it came down to it, the fate of 700,000 immigrants brought to U.S. as children hung on a simple question: Does the White House have to tell the whole truth in justifying its move to deport them?

On June 18, the Supreme Court said “yes.”

In a 5-to-4 decision that came as a major blow to President Trump, the justices ruled that the administration could not proceed with plans to dismantle Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. The Obama-era provision halted the deportation of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. at an early age, often referred to as Dreamers. Its provisions allow for those young people to live and work in the U.S. although doesn’t provide a path to citizenship.

DACA will now stay in place…for the time being. Continue reading.

Pew: Three-quarters of Americans support permanent status for ‘Dreamers’

The Hill logoThree-quarters of all U.S. adults support granting permanent legal immigration status to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.

The fate of many so-called Dreamers is currently in the balance, as the Supreme Court is due to rule on President Trump‘s order to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which grants deferral from deportation as well as work permits to nearly 700,000 Dreamers.

According to Pew, majorities of all racial and ethnic groups surveyed — and majorities of both Democrats and Republicans — support granting permanent status to Dreamers. Continue reading.

‘Dreamers’ fear loss of legal status as USCIS offices stay closed

DACA recipients are required to submit biometric data in person to offices closed because of coronavirus

For tens of thousands of immigrants protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the coronavirus pandemic has created additional challenges to staying in the U.S. legally.

Adrian Escarate, a 31-year-old “Dreamer” from Chile, needs to renew his DACA status before it expires in June. After sending his application in February, he received a standard response with an appointment when he could provide his fingerprints and other biometric information to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service office near his San Francisco Bay Area home.

Then, on March 18, USCIS shut down all field offices amid the coronavirus crisis. Continue reading.