Federal Judge’s Ruling Awaited as DACA Recipients and Advocates Seek Clarity on Program’s Legality

Recently, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen presided over oral arguments in a case presented by a coalition of Republican governors.

A federal judge’s ruling on the legality of DACA is eagerly awaited by DACA recipients and immigrant rights organizations

The alliance seeks to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) within two years. In 2021, Hanen deemed DACA illegal, claiming that the Obama administration had not followed federal administrative regulations during its implementation. Consequently, approval for initial DACA applications has been halted.

Since 2012, DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children to reside and work without fearing deportation.

Damaris Gonzalez, a community organizer with the Texas Organizing Project (TOP), is one of nearly 600,000 DACA recipients whose future in the U.S. remains uncertain. Reflecting on her family’s experiences, Gonzalez recounted her father’s struggle to support the family in Mexico, which ultimately led him to seek employment opportunities in Texas. Gonzalez herself migrated to Texas at the age of 10.

Gonzalez highlighted the challenges she faced as an undocumented immigrant, particularly during her teenage years

She described how DACA transformed her life, offering her employment opportunities and a sense of identity. Despite ongoing fears of deportation, Gonzalez, TOP, and other immigrant rights groups persist in advocating for a more permanent solution that safeguards immigrants throughout the United States.

According to Gonzalez, while DACA provided temporary relief, it was never intended as a long-term solution. She emphasized the need for DACA to continue while also establishing a pathway to permanent security for both individuals and their families.

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