Federal Judge Orders DACA Restoration Since Its 2017 Closure
On December 4, Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis ordered the Trump Administration to restore DACA since its closure in 2017.
In 2012 the Obama Administration issued the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Qualifiers, also known as ‘Dreamers,’ had arrived in the United States before the age of 16 and lived here since June 15, 2007. However, in September of 2017, the Trump Administration put the program to an end, leaving many Dreamers wondering what would happen to them.
Now, Judge Garaufis of the United States District Court in Brooklyn ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to make a public announcement stating DACA will be accepting petitions from those currently not enrolled. According to a statement provided by Camilo Montoya-Galvez from CBS News, Garaufis also says that the DHS must “make clear that deferred action and employment authorization documents (EADs) granted for only one year are extended to two years.”
BREAKING — US Judge Nicholas Garaufis has ordered the Trump administration to fully restore DACA, instructing DHS to open the Obama-era program to new applicants for the first time since 2017.
— Camilo Montoya-Galvez (@camiloreports) December 4, 2020
Follow @CBSNews for more. pic.twitter.com/QpExWvY4WS
During his campaign, Joe Biden made it clear to Dreamers that he would be “reinstating the DACA program, and he will explore all legal options to protect their families from inhumane separation.” With Garaufis’ new order, it appears Dreamers will be able to alleviate some of the uncertainty they experienced during the Trump Administration.
A judge has ruled in our favor and ordered the Trump administration to fully restore #DACA, including opening up the program to new applicants for the first time since 2017.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) December 4, 2020
My office will always fight to protect immigrants and ensure DACA is #HereToStay. https://t.co/QwRtfLIAgs
As the news brings hope for many new applicants and current Dreamers, there is still a long way to go. According to CBS News, “Republican-led states are currently asking U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen to declare the program unlawful and terminate it.”
A federal judge has ordered that DACA — a program that protects migrants brought to the U.S. illegally, as children, from deportation — be restored.
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) December 4, 2020
The judge says the Department of Homeland Security must resume accepting requests for DACA status immediately. pic.twitter.com/8DhCDBHCHj
For many Dreamers, this land is the only home they know. The reality of many immigrant children, students, and employees is that they are dependant on the DACA program, which makes its reinstatement crucial.
