Undocumented youth in California and across the nation celebrated after learning of a Supreme Court decision to sustain the program for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The report affects more than 600,000 young people who have yet to gain citizenship but are protected from deportation by the DACA program. There are also hundreds of thousands more young, undocumented immigrants who are eligible for relief through the program.
The judgment written against the actions of the Trump Administration characterized the effort taken to rescind DACA as “arbitrary and capricious.” The president addressed the matter on Twitter by saying he and his administration are making preparations to initiate the process of DACA repeal “all over again.” A short time later, the president said that he was planning an executive order to allow a merit-based path to citizenship for DACA recipients. Trump did not reveal any details regarding the program.
The situation for individuals who qualify for DACA but have been unable to apply while awaiting the three years of litigation has been left a bit unclear by the Supreme Court’s decision. The lack of clarity stems from the fact the Supreme Court ruled against the steps taken by the Homeland Security department to rescind DACA. The Court did not rule against the Department’s right to eliminate the program. The ruling leaves the door open for Trump and his administration to continue their fight to end DACA.
The constantly changing nature of immigration law in America can make the process difficult for immigrants and their families to navigate. Individuals with questions about obtaining citizenship or another procedure may consult an experienced immigration attorney on the matter.