In a huge legal defeat for President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court Thursday rejected a bid to end legal protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
DACA has allowed nearly 800,000 young people, known as "Dreamers," to avoid deportation and remain in the U.S.
The program was launched under President Barack Obama. In September 2017, the Trump administration announced it would end DACA protections, but lower federal courts have stepped in to keep the program alive.
Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán, 2nd Vice-Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, made the following statement:
“DACA recipients can breathe a sigh of relief this morning, as the Supreme Court ruled they are safe for now.
“But this fight is not over. We know the Trump Administration will try again to end this important program.
“Congress MUST fix this and protect Dreamers. We must pass H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act.
“Today is a welcome moment of relief for so many young immigrants amidst a time of tragedy and uncertainty in Latino and immigrant communities. The Supreme Court’s decision in this case temporarily upholds the ability of more than 700,000 residents to live and work in the only country many of them have ever known. For now, more than 8,000 neighbors, friends, and community members in my district will now have the ability to continue to work and live openly in these troubling times.
“This also means that the 29,000 DACA recipients that are healthcare workers will be able to stay on the job and help our nation fight back against COVID-19. For that, we should all be very grateful. But make no mistake, the Court’s decision does not give Dreamers the full protections and certainty that they need.\
“Despite the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant policies, rhetoric and their repeated attempts to frighten and marginalize America’s immigrant community, this challenge has made us more organized and stronger than ever.
“Today is a proud day for our country, but the fight is not over. This decision does not create long-term certainty in order to truly protect DACA recipients.
“We must provide certainty by making sure the American Dream and Promise Act becomes law. I will keep up the fight to get this law enacted and I will continue to be a fierce advocate for immigrant and human rights in Washington.”
Last November, in Los Angeles thousands of students rallied in downtown LA in support of DACA and in December of last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a former DACA recipient while she was at work at a West Covina Marriot.
According to CBS News, Apple CEO, Tim Cook, and senior vice president Deirdre O'Brien urged the Supreme Court last year to prevent the Trump administration from terminating an Obama-era program.
"Our interest in this case is simple: We are distressed at the prospect of ripping our DACA colleagues from the fabric of our company," Cook and O'Brien wrote in their brief, which was also filed on behalf of Apple. "This issue is a moral one: Our country made a deal with a highly vulnerable population interested in a bright future, and we should keep that deal."
Noting their company currently employs 443 DACA recipients across 36 states, Cook and O'Brien said "Dreamers" have been instrumental in the company's "ability to thrive."
"We did not hire them out of kindness or charity," they wrote in their filing. "We did it because Dreamers embody Apple's innovation strategy. They come from diverse backgrounds and display a wide range of skills and experiences that equip them to tackle problems from different perspectives."