Texas and six other states have filed a lawsuit in Federal court demanding an end to an Obama-era program that granted temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands who came to the country illegally as children.
The Trump administration has sought to end the program, called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The administration believes the program is unlawful.
However, attempts to end various Federal judges have blocked the program. According to Fox News, about 800,000 receive protection from deportation under the plan.
The lawsuit asks to rescind all current DACA permits and that the government refrains from issuing new ones. The lawsuit challenges the legality of the program.
Last week, a judge in Washington ordered the program to continue. The judge claimed the that the Trump administration failed to explain why the program was unlawful.
“Our lawsuit is about the rule of law, not the wisdom of any particular immigration policy,” Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton said in a statement to Fox News. “Texas has argued for years that the federal executive branch lacks the power to unilaterally grant unlawfully present aliens lawful presence and work authorization.”
He continued, “Left intact, DACA sets a dangerous precedent by giving the executive branch sweeping authority to ignore the laws enacted by Congress and change our nation’s immigration laws to suit a president’s own policy preferences.”
Texas successfully led a lawsuit against another Obama-era amnesty program, DAPA. The Trump administration ended the program after the U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on the case.
The other states joining Texas in the lawsuit are Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
The Department of Homeland Security and its Secretary, Kirstjen Nielson and acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan are among those listed as defendants in the suit. The U.S. is also a defendant.
The DACA program was created by Barack Obama in 2012. It granted protection from immediate deportation to certain illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. It allowed them to request “consideration of deferred action” for two years, subject to renewal.
AAN Staff
The staff at American Action News are consummate professionals, who when not producing original, hard-hitting content, are scouring the internet to bring you the unfiltered news that matters to you! Our mission is to maximize your experience on our website. If we can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to let us know!
