This past Wednesday, Federal District Court Judge Andrew Hanen of Texas declared the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program unlawful.
He continued a prohibition of the government’s inability to receive new DACA applications but kept the program active for existing beneficiaries.
“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,” Hanen wrote in a 40-page ruling.
If this ruling is appealed, which is likely, it will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Diego Dulanto Falcon, a DACA recipient from Peru, expressed his concern about the Obama-era policy’s future.
“I am not hopeful at all,” said Falcon. “I think DACA will finally get cut.”