What’s Happening:

One of the most controversial topics in the nation today is illegal immigration and how the federal government should be handling the issue. This has been a hot topic in the mainstream news media for decades.

Adding fuel to the controversy was a 2012 policy by former President Barak Obama known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program prevented the deportation of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. DACA was challenged in federal court and ruled illegal in July, 2021.

DACA supporters sued again and faced more bad news from federal court. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen again ruled on Wednesday that DACA was illegal. The court in Texas vacated the DACA program which stops all U.S. departments and personnel from granting new DACA applications and administering the program.

From Fox News:

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is enjoined from implementing Final Rule DACA until a further order of the Court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, or the Supreme Court of the United States,” Hanen wrote.

Hanen’s decision then was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and Wednesday, reaffirmed by him. His decision did allow for certain DACA applications in progress or renewals to continue. He also said DHS can continue to accept initial applications but “may not grant any.”

The judge also advised that DHS was to post a public notice of the injunction on its website and websites of all relevant agencies involved in DACA administration or processing. Hanen wrote that his ruling is not a final judgment in the case and there may be related matters that could be addressed by an appellate court.

The Obama-era DACA program was challenged in court by the states of Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, West Virginia, Kansas and Mississippi. In his 2021 ruling, Hanen declared DACA illegal and said the nine states had standing to file their lawsuit because they had been harmed by the program. He stated that the program was illegal because it did not follow public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act.

There were 580,310 people enrolled in DACA at the end of December, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In court filings, the nine states claimed they incur hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education, and other costs when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally.

The White House, which directed the defense of DACA in court, issued a statement expressing disappointment with the latest decision.

Key Takeaways:

• Prize immigration program of liberals takes big hit after court ruling.
• Nine states sued to stop harm caused by Obama-era program.
• Federal judge once again declares immigrant program is illegal.

Source: Fox News