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The DACA program is intended to protect "dreamers," which is slang for illegal immigrants who were brought into the U.S. as children, from deportation.

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Pro-DACA Program

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international relations and national security

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Fact check: Breaking down Trump's false claims about DACA and the Supreme Court's ruling | CNN Politics

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The Supreme Court ruled last week against President Donald Trump's attempt to terminate DACA, an Obama administration program that protects from deportation and gives work permits to some undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children.

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Anti-DACA Program

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DACA Is Not What Liberals Say It Is. Here Are the Facts.

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Some members of Congress are threatening to block government funding unless Congress provides amnesty to so-called Dreamers-the illegal aliens included in President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which President Donald Trump is ending. Responsible members of Congress should not give in.

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Objective view on the program limited to facts without opinions

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What Is DACA? And Where Does It Stand Now?

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Here’s what you need to know about a program that protected from deportation people brought into the United States as children.

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More geographically relevant take on the issue

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The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Thursday to keep a federal program in place brought relief to thousands of immigrants living in Maryland without permanent legal status.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program gives some 700,000 "Dreamers" the right to stay and work in this country. Many of them are young working professionals or students whose families brought them to the United States as children without legal authorization.

Baltimore resident María Perales Sanchez, one of the plaintiffs in the series of consolidated lawsuits before the Supreme Court, woke up nervous Thursday, knowing a decision could come. She said she was less hopeful for a positive outcome.

The DACA participant was working out of her childhood bedroom at her parent's home in Houston when she got the text from her boss.

"I was so shocked. I was at a loss for words," Sanchez said.

In 2017, while a student at Princeton University, Sanchez joined the university in filing a lawsuit in federal court against the Trump administration for ending the program. Lower courts blocked the plan, and the case wound all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

When Sanchez got the news Thursday, she immediately sent a message to her family's group chat. Her sisters called her in tears. As soon as she got off the phone she ran to her other siblings' room and woke them up with shouts of joy. Four of her siblings are also DACA recipients.

"For the time being, it does bring some sense of peace that I think is necessary right now with everything going on with COVID," Sanchez said. "I'm just sad that we ever had to go through this."

Jonathan Rodas, a 25-year-old nursing student and operating room assistant at a Towson hospital, said the decision will allow him to continue his education.

"This means hope," Rodas said. "This means that I can still have a future in the United States and that I can continue to fight and not be in fear."

Another DACA recipient, Missael Garcia, 30, said the outcome will allow him to continue working as a teaching assistant for English language learners at Lakeland Elementary/Middle school, where he's mentored students for two years.

"It's a light in between all the darkness around this," Garcia said. "I believe the decision has made us a lot stronger as a community. It gives me hope that one day I can become a U.S. citizen. It's a great feeling."

President Donald Trump called the decision "highly political," tweeting that it "gives the President of the United States far more power than EVER anticipated. Nevertheless, I will only act in the best interests of the United States of America!"

From a legal standpoint, experts say the justices' decision is particularly significant in the context of the Trump administration's continued attempts at reducing immigration, a major focus of his presidency.

During oral arguments in November, the U.S. Justice Department argued the government was within its right to end DACA because it was meant to be a "temporary stopgap measure" and the policy itself violated federal immigration law. The challengers argued that the government failed to provide a legally sound explanation for abruptly ending a government program that was implemented and supported for five years.

In the court's decision Thursday, Roberts wrote that the government failed to provide a reasoned explanation for ending the program and did not consider the implications of its decision.

The justices did not focus on the DACA program itself, said Elizabeth Keyes, an associate professor of law at the University of Baltimore. Instead what they're saying is when the administration decides to create or undo a policy, it has to do so with some degree of thoughtfulness.

"It signals loud and clear to the administration that they can't just issue these ramshackle rules and decisions without going through the proper level of process," Keyes said.

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Keyes said the administration could try again to end the program, though it's unlikely to happen before November's election. It could be revisited if Trump is elected to a second term.

In a statement Thursday, Maryland's Democratic U.S. senators, Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, who in April sent a letter urging Trump to automatically extend work authorizations for DACA recipients and other immigrants, said the decision was a crucial victory and it was now the responsibility of Congress to act and take permanent action.

CASA, an advocacy group for Latino and immigrant people in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, said this is a huge win, not just for those with DACA, but for immigrants in general.

"This is bigger than even just this DACA decision. This is fundamentally affirming the place of immigrants within our country, our society and our community," said Nicholas Katz, legal program manager at CASA who helps members through the application process.

While many were celebrating the announcement of the decision, they also were preparing for what's to come.

"This is just a temporary thing. What we want is something permanent," Rodas said. "The fight is not over. The fight is just getting started."

Recommended on Baltimore Sun

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Baltimore DACA recipients breathe a sigh of relief after Supreme Court rules in their favor

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The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Thursday to keep a federal program in place brought relief to thousands of immigrants living in Maryland without permanent legal status. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program gives some 700,000 "Dreamers" the right to stay and work in this country.

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Paper on DACA

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Events from inception of DACA to political litigation of the program

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Atlanta Immigration Lawyers, Employment Immigration Attorneys, Green Cards, Kuck Baxter Law

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What is the DACA Program? The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivers program (commonly called by its acronym "DACA") is an immigration program that grants temporary protection for qualified individuals who entered the U.S. illegally as children-it provides administrative relief from deportation, protecting the recipients from deportation from the U.S. for two years, subject to renewal. DACA also typically gives the approved individuals temporary work authorization. President Trump has rallied against DACA since the first day of his presidential campaign. The status of DACA recipients in this country has always been somewhat precarious, but now it is completely up in the air with DACA in possible queue for the chopping block.

With twists and turns, firings and hirings, and rapid-fire reversals of Obama-era policies, the Trump Administration is worryingly resembling a "Lost Season" of a fictional, political television show such as The West Wing or House of Cards. With DACA's status constantly teetering, it's hard to get your bearings. To help you get oriented and make sense of the winding path of DACA since its 2012 inception, here's a timeline with key dates:

August 15, 2012: President Obama directed the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") to exercise discretion to grant deferred action to qualified immigrant youth. Following this directive, on August 15, 2015 DHS announced that U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Service ("USICS") has begun accepting applications for DACA.

June 16, 2015: Trump launches his presidential campaign. In his campaign speech on this day, Trump says "I will immediately terminate President Obama's illegal executive order on immigration, immediately."

August 31, 2016: Trump gives a campaign speech in Arizona, stating that part of his plan if elected president is to "immediately terminate President Obama's two illegal executive amnesties, in which he defied federal law and the constitution to give amnesty to approximately 5 million illegal immigrants."[1]

Sept 15, 2017: Trump administration rescinds DACA; the then-acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke announced on September 15, 2017 that DACA would be phased out for current recipients and that no new requests for temporary protection from deportation under DACA would be granted.

January 9, 2018: A federal judge in California issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on Trump's rescission of the DACA program-"The preliminary injunction on Trump's cancellation of DACA requires the Department of Homeland Security to maintain the DACA program on a nationwide basis on the same terms and conditions as were in effect before the rescission on September 5, 2017, including allowing those who already benefit from DACA to apply to renew their status."[2]

January 13, 2018: Due to the January 9, 2018 federal court order for preliminary injunction, USICS announced on January 13, 2018 that the agency, "has resumed accepting requests to renew a grant of deferred action under DACA. Until further notice, and unless otherwise provided in this guidance, the DACA policy will be operated on the terms in place before it was rescinded on Sept. 5, 2017."[3]

January 16, 2018: The U.S. Justice Department officially appeals to the Supreme Court, appealing the Supreme Court's earlier ruling that allowed Dreamers[4] to extend their work permits. This appeal fulfills the promise Trump made earlier in January to challenge the ruling. This appeal adds fuel to the fire, further fracturing the government and causing increasing hostility and partisan tensions.

January 20, 2018: After much infighting, the government officially shuts down. DACA is a major point of contention in the arguments between Democrats and Republicans who are unable to reach an agreement on the issue.

January 23, 2018: After a contentious 69 hour U.S. government shutdown, the shutdown finally ends. The breakthrough in the impasse finally came after Defendants reluctantly voted to provide temporary pay for resumed government operations through February 8, 2018. Democrats relented on this issue in return for Republican leaders promises to soon address the issues of the currents struggle of Dreamers and other hot-button issues. Congress has until February 8, 2018 to find a solution to these issues or the government will shut down again.

Now What? Stay tuned to the blog. We will be closely monitoring the situation and after the February 8th deadline occurs, we will immediately recap any news about DACA and changes go any immigration laws, policies, or programs in a new blog post.

The recent, rapid fire immigration law changes and uncertainties will undoubtedly put many parties in life-changing, difficult positions. If you are an individual who was granted temporary protection from deportation under DACA and DACA is revoked without the government implementing a replacement immigration policy offering similar protections, you could be prime for serious repercussions such as deportation and losing your temporary work permit authorizations.

When you are dealing with complex, constantly changing issues whose outcome may have a significant effect on your life, it is prudent and strongly recommended that you don't go at it alone but rather have an expert at your side. If you are facing an immigration law issue, we urge you to consult with an immigration attorney/DACA attorney about the potential impact of upcoming changes to immigration law and policies and to find out the best options for dealing with any present or anticipated immigration law issues. It is better to prepare now and get all your ducks in a row than be blind sighted by a change to an existing immigration law or policy, such as the repeal of DACA.

At Kuck | Baxter, we are proud to bring only the best and most experienced immigration lawyers. Our lawyers always stand by their clients' sides, zealously advocating on their behalves and going above and beyond to ensure that their clients receive the most favorable outcome possible.

Kuck | Baxter immigration partners provides outstanding legal representation to clients in variety of immigration law matters, with a focus on business immigration and family-based representation. Check out the "What We Do" section of our firm's website for a more specific list of our firm's practice areas and legal services provided.

To learn more about Kuck | Baxter immigration partners or to schedule your consultation, contact us using our website's online contact form or call us at (404) 816-8611.

[1] https://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/donald-trump-immigration-address-transcript-227614

[2] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-administration-ordered-daca-in-place_us_5a55931fe4b0b117f880754d?utm_hp_ref=daca

[3] https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-response-january-2018-preliminary-injunction

[4] Recipients of deferred action under DACA are often called Dreamers

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A Timeline: The Status of DACA from its 2012 Inception to Present Date | Kuck Baxter

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What is the DACA Program? The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivers program (commonly called by its acronym "DACA") is an immigration program that grants temporary protection for qualified individuals who entered the U.S. illegally as children-it provides administrative relief from deportation, protecting the recipients from deportation from the U.S.

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Benefits of DACA program

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What ‘Dreamers’ Gained From DACA, and Stand to Lose

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I just got a letter in the mail today (10/27) informing me that I'm failing this class, and after checking my grades I saw that you never received my first News Story Investigation. I'm so sorry, leaving this note here to let you know I'm trying to find it and email it to you immediately.

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Widespread opposition to Trump administration's attempt to end DACA

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Protesters marched against the decision across the country.

— -- Dozens of protesters were arrested in front of Trump Tower in New York in one of many nationwide protests after Tuesday's announcement that the Trump administration is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA) program, five years after it was introduced.

A total of 34 people have been arrested, according to the New York Police Department. No injuries to protesters or police officers have been reported, and the crowd has thinned since it started.

If protesters were cooperative and turned over their personal information to police, including name, address and date of birth, they were given a special ticket and were not fingerprinted, officials said; those who refused to turn over their personal information were fingerprinted.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged DACA beneficiaries to be cautious about protesting.

"Obviously if someone, now with this new information that we are getting out of Washington today, is a DACA recipient, I would urge them to be very careful about anything like civil disobedience. There are many other people who can undertake the civil disobedience. I wouldn't advise the DACA recipients to do it. In this city, there has been an approach that it is mindful," de Blasio said.

A number of the chants at Trump Tower today directly called out DACA, with some protesters shouting "When DACA is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!"

The demonstrations started shortly after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced this morning that DACA is being rescinded. The program protects young people who were brought to the United States illegally as children from deportation.

Since the program's initiation in 2012 by the Obama administration, nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children have been granted protection under DACA.

In other cities:

Washington, D.C.

Protesters also gathered in Washington, D.C. The demonstrations started as a rally outside the White House, then shortly after 11 a.m. protestors marched down 15th Street, then south on Pennsylvania Avenue. No arrests have been reported there.

Chicago

Hundreds of Chicagoans marched through the Loop before congregating at a rally in Federal Plaza on Tuesday afternoon, where DACA recipients spoke to the assembled crowd. The marchers also took to ICE headquarters in downtown on West Congress Parkway. Police said there were no arrests.

Los Angeles

Southern Californians held a rally outside of Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration -- the city's seat of government -- on Tuesday to protest the repeal of DACA. ABC affiliate KABC in Los Angeles said about 150 protesters gathered at the event along with public officials, including Mayor Eric Garcetti. Garcetti called the decision by Trump "cruel" and urged Congress to pass the DREAM Act "once and for all -- right now."

California is home to about 220,000 DACA recipients, according to KABC, the most of any state.
ABC News' Aaron Katersky, Chris Donato, Dominick Proto and Janet Weinstein contributed to this report.

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DACA announcement sparks protests nationwide, dozens arrested at Trump Tower

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Protesters marched against the decision across the country. - -- Dozens of protesters were arrested in front of Trump Tower in New York in one of many nationwide protests after Tuesday's announcement that the Trump administration is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA) program, five years after it was introduced.

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