Federal Court Rules Trump Must Continue DACA

The Washington Post reports:

A D.C. federal judge has delivered the toughest blow yet to Trump administration efforts to end deportation protections for undocumented immigrants known as “dreamers,” ordering the government to continue the Obama-era program and — for the first time — to accept new applicants.

U.S. District Judge John D. Bates called the government’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program “virtually unexplained” and therefore “unlawful.” However, he stayed his ruling for 90 days to allow the Department of Homeland Security a chance to provide more solid reasoning for ending the program.

Bates is the third judge to rule against Trump administration attempts to rescind DACA, which provides work permits and deportation protections for about 690,000 undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children.

Politico reports:

Bates, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, is the first Republican appointee to rule against President Donald Trump’s move to wind down DACA. Two district court judges appointed by President Bill Clinton — one in San Francisco and one in Brooklyn — previously came to similar conclusions. They also entered injunctions requiring the administration to continue accepting renewals while litigation continued.

A Justice Department spokesman, Devin O’Malley, said the administration remained convinced that its actions were lawful. “Today’s order doesn’t change the Department of Justice’s position on the facts: DACA was implemented unilaterally after Congress declined to extend benefits to this same group of illegal aliens. As such, it was an unlawful circumvention of Congress,” O’Malley said.

“The Department of Homeland Security therefore acted within its lawful authority in deciding to wind down DACA in an orderly manner. … The Justice Department will continue to vigorously defend this position, and looks forward to vindicating its position in further litigation.”