On Thursday, the US court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled against the Trump administration’s efforts to end DACA, a two-year program protecting young immigrants who entered the United States as minors, from deportation. The 3-judge panel unanimously concluded that DACA was not illegal but rather a “permissible exercise of executive discretion.” Moreover, the court found that the then-acting Homeland Secretary Elaine Duke was incorrect when she claimed that DACA should end because it was illegal.
Speaking on behalf of the court, Judge Kim Wardlaw stated that the Obama administration was within its powers to enact DACA because “it had to make a choice about how to direct limited resources in deporting undocumented immigrants.” As a result, they decided to protect immigrants who came as children, did not committed crimes, are students, and are in the military.
The court’s decision upholds an injunction from the lower courts, allowing DACA recipients to renew their application. More than 187,000 people have renewed or extended their DACA protections since the initial injunction.
Immigrant rights activists say that DACA has improved the lives of thousands of immigrants. Approximately 800,000 undocumented immigrants, who are commonly referred to as “Dreamers,” have been issued worked visas, received a college education or deferred deportation because of DACA, allowing them to stay independently and safely within their communities.
Newswire sources: The Washington Post 11/08/18; Buzzfeed News 11/08/18; Feminist Newswire 8/31/17
