Villazor writes: "President Trump is expected on Tuesday to rescind protections for young immigrants who arrived in the United States illegally as children, but with a six-month grace period to let Congress respond."
Dozens of immigration advocates and supporters attend a rally outside of Trump Tower along Fifth Avenue on August 15, 2017, in New York City. (photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
05 September 17
"At least two things are clear, however. First, the government must continue to treat current DACA recipients as people with deferred action, who should not be removed unless they violate the terms of DACA. The Department of Homeland Security has its own standard operating procedures that specify the process of how one’s particular DACA approval may be rescinded. The government must continue to comply with its own guidelines and not revoke a person’s deferral arbitrarily."
resident Trump is expected on Tuesday to rescind protections for young immigrants who arrived in the United States illegally as children, but with a six-month grace period to let Congress respond. The program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, grants those who qualify for the program a reprieve from deportation, which they must renew every two years.
The White House claims that DACA, which President Barack Obama announced in 2012 and which has broad bipartisan support, is illegal, but deferred action is a widely accepted legal principle. Over the last five years, DACA has become a core part of America’s immigration landscape: DACA has been granted to more than 800,000 immigrants, allowing them to attend school, work and contribute to their communities. Its repeal would upend the lives not only of these “Dreamers,” as participants are called, but also of their families, co-workers and employers.
Until the White House makes an official announcement, it’s unclear what ending DACA in six months means. Does it mean that individuals can continue applying for DACA in the next six months, and obtain permits that will expire two years afterward? Does it mean that all DACA permits that have been issued will expire in six months, regardless of when the government approved them? Is an employer required to fire a worker in six months because her DACA permit has expired?
