Federal judge rules DACA program for childhood undocumented ‘Dreamers’ is illegal

A federal judge in Texas has again ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as youngsters, is illegal.

Judge Andrew Hanen, of the Southern District of Texas, ruled that DACA violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which sets out how agencies make regulations.

The ruling does not impact anyone currently protected under DACA.

“To be clear, neither this order nor the accompanying supplemental injunction requires the (Department of Homeland Security) or the Department of Justice to take any immigration, deportation, or criminal action against any DACA recipient, applicant, or any other individual that would otherwise not be taken,” Judge Hanen wrote.

Texas and eight other states had sued to end the Obama-era DACA program and the ruling is now expected to be appealed to the US Supreme Court for a third time.