Did you know that Truthout is a nonprofit and independently funded by readers like you? If you value what we do, please support our work with a donation.
A federal judge said Saturday that Chad Wolf was not legally serving as acting homeland security chief when he issued a July memo limiting protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, so the memo is invalid.
“This is a victory for our courageous plaintiffs, DACA-eligible youth across the country, and all of our communities,” Trudy S. Rebert, staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, said in a statement.
BREAKING: In our litigation, federal court finds that Trump administration’s latest attempt to terminate #DACA was invalid because Chad Wolf was not lawfully appointed.
Make no mistake: DACA recipients’ #HomeisHere! @NILC @WiracYls pic.twitter.com/OIWQPF6zrM
— Make the Road NY 🦋 (@MaketheRoadNY) November 14, 2020
The July 28, 2020 memorandum, which included a bar on accepting new applications for DACA — which protects undocumented people in the U.S. who arrived in the country as children — by first-time applicants, “was not an exercise of legal authority,” Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York wrote.
From the Associated Press:
In Garaufis’ ruling Saturday, the judge wrote that DHS didn’t follow an order of succession established when then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned in April 2019. Kevin McAleenan, who succeeded Nielsen until he resigned in October 2019, also didn’t have statutory authority to hold the position, Garaufis wrote.
Karen Tumlin, one of the lawyers in the case and director of the Justice Action Center, broke down the ruling’s implications:
What does this mean for current #DACA recipients and those eligible to apply?
–The memo making DACA renewals only 1 years instead of 2 years is invalid
–The memo saying that new applicants cannot apply for DACA is invalid
–Advance parole should be restored to 2012 terms
2/— Karen Tumlin (@KarenTumlin) November 14, 2020
What does the class certification mean?
It means that the court’s order is NOT limited only to the named plaintiffs. Instead, the order applies to all people who are or will be eligible for DACA based on the terms of the program from 2012 (from the Obama Admin).
3/
— Karen Tumlin (@KarenTumlin) November 14, 2020
“The ruling is another defeat for the Trump administration, which is now unlikely to be able to address DACA and the fate of Dreamers,” CNN noted. The outlet added:
The administration tried ending the program in 2017, but the U.S. Supreme Court blocked their attempt in June. The memo invalidated on Saturday had sought to buy time while the administration decided its next steps.
Tumlin, in a statement, pointed to the unwavering determination of the Trump administration — which includes immigration hardliner Stephen Miller — to attack the Obama-era program.
“After the June Supreme Court victory, the Trump administration was bound to reset the DACA program to its original terms from 2012,” said Tumlin. “Rather than doing that, the Trump administration gutted the program again — locking out young people who had been waiting years to apply and severely curtailing the program for existing DACA recipients,” said Tumlin, adding that Congress must “pass permanent protections for these immigrant youth.”
Incredible news from @NILC! #DACA recipients win again. We look forward to having the full program reinstated. We also hope for it to be expanded by the Biden administration. More details on what this means for undocumented youth coming soon. For now, join us in celebration. 🎉 https://t.co/EasEPQZ6Th
— RAICES (@RAICESTEXAS) November 15, 2020
President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to protect so-called Dreamers, but immigrant rights groups still see much work ahead.
“As we look forward to a Biden administration, we know this victory is just the beginning,” said Javier. H. Valdés, co-executive director of Make the Road New York, an organizational plaintiff in the case.
“Not only must the new administration immediately protect DACA and [Temporary Protected Status] holders and reverse all of Trump’s nativist polices,” he said, “but also provide swift relief and a path to citizenship for the millions of undocumented families across this country.”
An urgent appeal for your support: 10 Days to raise $50,000
Truthout relies on individual donations to publish independent journalism, free from political and corporate influence. In fact, we’re almost entirely funded by readers like you.
Unfortunately, donations are down. At a moment when independent journalism is urgently needed, we are struggling to meet our operational costs due to increasing political censorship.
Truthout may end this month in the red without additional help, so we’ve launched a fundraiser. We have 10 days to hit our $50,000 goal. Please make a tax-deductible one-time or monthly donation if you can.