Washington, D.C. — Today, a federal judge in Texas ruled to partially end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in a lawsuit led by Attorney General Ken Paxton and Republican officials from eight other states. Judge Andrew Hanen’s decision to “vacate” a memo from the Department of Homeland Security that established DACA, means that as of today, no new DACA applications will be approved. USCIS can continue to process renewal applications for the time being.
The Home Is Here Coalition remains steadfast in our commitment to defend DACA and fight for citizenship and freedom for all immigrant families and communities.
The Home Is Here Coalition — representing 100+ organizations across the country — released the following statement:
“From court ruling to court ruling, we have fought to protect DACA and the nearly 650,000 immigrant young people who benefited from the program, their families and their communities. While initial DACA applicants will be most impacted by Judge Hanen’s cruel and malicious ruling today, this decision is a reminder that DACA has never been enough to protect immigrant communities who continue to be at risk of deportation.
The only way to protect immigrant youth and millions more, including TPS holders, farm workers and other essential workers, is for President Biden and Democrats in Congress to deliver citizenship this year. The Republicans who led this case to end DACA are part of a deeper white nationalist agenda that defines our country’s immigration system built to put millions on a path to deportation. Unfortunately, as long as protections are temporary, our communities will continue to face this risk and remain vulnerable to further attacks like these.
There is no time to waste in ensuring that all immigrants are protected from deportation. President Biden and Democrats in Congress, your time to deliver citizenship for millions of undocumented people is now!”
