(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is hopeful that Congress will pass legislation this year to give hundreds of thousands of so-called “Dreamers” more certainty about their immigration status.
“We are deeply disappointed, though not necessarily surprised, by this judge’s ruling,” Fred Tsao, senior policy counsel, said Friday.
A federal judge in Texas declared the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program illegal and barred the government from approving any new applications, but left the program intact for existing recipients.
Said Tsao: “One of the few good things I can say about this judge’s ruling is that he does recognize that the hundreds of thousands of people who currently have DACA rely heavily on their DACA protections, in particular their work permits.”
They may stay in DACA and continue to renew, he said.
“That said though, anybody currently who does not have DACA is stuck.”
Tsao says there are about 40,000 immigrants enrolled in DACA in Illinois.
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