Today, by a ruling of 5-4, the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In a major win for the immigrant rights movement, the ruling will allow almost 700,000 “Dreamers” who were brought to the U.S. as children to remain in the country they call home.
“The Supreme Court has reinforced what we have known from the beginning of this fight: this country is the home of the Dreamers,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation.
“The uncertainty and fear the Dreamers and their families have been living with as this case made its’ way through the courts is unconscionable. DACA recipients are a vital part of the fabric of our communities and deserve a life free from the fear of deportation. We celebrate this decision and demand that the Senate pass the DREAM Act, which has already been passed by the House, to make this temporary win permanent. We need to establish a clear path to citizenship for the Dreamers and all undocumented people.”
The Court’s decision, written by Chief Justice Roberts, was based on the Procedural Administrative Act, a federal law requiring that regulations issued by federal agencies must have a sufficient reason for their actions. The court ruled that the administration “did not provide a reasoned explanation for its action” in phasing out DACA.
In public opinion polls, 74 percent of registered voters support protections for undocumented people who came to the U.S. as children, with 69 percent of those who voted for Trump in favor of those protections.
“Whether it is the more than 25,000 Dreamers who are health care workers keeping us safe during the pandemic, or the Dreamers marching in solidarity for justice to protest anti-Black racism, DACA recipients are here to stay,” stated Vanita Gupta, president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
