Credit: Funcrunch Photo In one of the most anticipated cases of the term, the Supreme Court ruled against efforts by the Trump administration to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA.
In a 5-4 decision, the court said the Trump administration’s actions in rescinding the program were “arbitrary and capricious”.
Last November, the court examined three separate appellate court rulings that blocked President Donald Trump’s 2017 executive order to end DACA, a programme that started in 2012 by executive order under the Obama administration. It has enabled about 700,000 qualifying young people, described as ‘Dreamers’, to work, go to college, get health insurance, a driver’s license and not face deportation. These young adults were brought to the US as children by their parents without legal documentation.
“We welcome the US Supreme Court’s decision noting that the Trump administration did not follow proper administrative procedures required to repeal the DACA programme,” said a statement by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“To DACA youth, through today’s decision and beyond, we will continue to accompany you and your families. You are a vital part of our Church and our community of faith. We are with you,” said the statement by Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Washington Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration.
The bishops urged the president to “strongly reconsider terminating DACA”, noting that “immigrant communities are really hurting now amidst Covid-19 and moving forward with this action needlessly places many families into further anxiety and chaos”.
They also urged US senators to “immediately pass legislation that provides a path to citizenship for ‘Dreamers’. Permanent legislative protection that overcomes partisanship and puts the human dignity and future of ‘Dreamers’ first is long overdue.”