US Supreme Court blocks Trump from ending DACA, protects 649,000 illegal immigrants

In a major reprieve to immigrants across the United States, the Supreme Court on Thursday, has ruled against the Trump administration's plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, as per international news reports. The program protected immigrants who entered the United States illegally as children i.e 'Dreamers', from deportation. The nine-judge bench voted 5:4 in favour of a lower court's ruling which had stated Trump’s 2017 move to rescind the program as unlawful, stated the Supreme Court.

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US Supreme Court: 'Ending DACA unlawful'

The Supreme Court ruling which was split between four liberal judges -Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor voting against the Trump administration and four conservative judges - Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh voting for Trump, was broken by Chief Justice John Roberts voting against 'ending DACA'.  He ruled that the administration's actions were “arbitrary and capricious” under a federal law called the Administrative Procedure Act, as per reports. While Trump may be able to attempt to end DACA again, it is highly unlikely before the presidential elections on November 3, 2020.

The ruling has reportedly protected roughly 649,000 immigrants, currently enrolled in DACA. Not only will they be protected from deportation, but they will also be able to obtain renewable two-year work permits, as the US faces the greatest unemployment crisis since the 'Great Depression'. The Supreme Court had begun hearing oral arguments on the legality of the DACA program in 2019 and has now ruled against ending the program.

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Trump ends DACA 

In September 2017, the Trump administration made an official announcement it is rescinding DACA. President Trump issued a statement, saying, "I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents. But we must also recognize that we are a nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws." Former President Barack Obama - who had introduced DACA in 2012, had called the decision "cruel" and "self-defeating".

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What is DACA?

The DACA program, which is not a law, but an administrative program provides relief from deportation to immigrant youth who entered the US illegally when they were children. DACA not only protects immigrants from deportation but also gives them a two-year work permit and allows to be renewed. Reports state that most of those covered under DACA are young Hispanic adults born in Mexico and other Latin American countries, fleeing from the native countries due to violent coups and wars.

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