WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2022—Today, the American Immigration Council responded to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in State of Texas v. USA, in which the Fifth Circuit found the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to be illegal but sent the government’s new DACA rule back to the trial court to determine whether it suffers from the same legal defects. While DACA will continue to temporarily remain in effect for renewals, the program is on tenuous ground as its legality is again tested before a Texas trial court hostile to immigrants.

The American Immigration Council strongly advocates for Congress to pass a permanent solution for undocumented youth across the United States, including those who participate in the DACA initiative. It has been more than 10 years since the creation of DACA, which offered an opportunity for undocumented youth who meet strict criteria to apply for temporary protection from deportation.

The following statement is from Jorge Loweree, managing director of programs at the American Immigration Council:

“While today’s decision provides a temporary reprieve to thousands of undocumented youth across the country, we should not be fooled. The case is headed back to Judge Hanen’s court in Texas where policies intended to protect immigrants from harsh enforcement have for years gone to die.

“DACA recipients across the nation work in our hospitals, teach our children, manage our businesses, and contribute every day to the American fabric. Doing the right thing for them reflects the values that make this country great. If we fail them, we fail our country. It’s time for Congress to finally deliver.”

The American Immigration Council has a range of research and other resources on DACA, including policy experts available to speak on policies designed to protect Dreamers and what is at stake for over 650,000 DACA beneficiaries across the country. The Council also has data on demographic and economic contributions of DACA recipients in each U.S. state and nationwide.  

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For more information, contact:

Brianna Dimas at the American Immigration Council, [email protected] or 202-507-7557.

The American Immigration Council works to strengthen America by shaping how America thinks about and acts towards immigrants and immigration and by working toward a more fair and just immigration system that opens its doors to those in need of protection and unleashes the energy and skills that immigrants bring. The Council brings together problem solvers and employs four coordinated approaches to advance change—litigation, research, legislative and administrative advocacy, and communications. In January 2022, the Council and New American Economy merged to combine a broad suite of advocacy tools to better expand and protect the rights of immigrants, more fully ensure immigrants’ ability to succeed economically, and help make the communities they settle in more welcoming. Follow the latest Council news and information on ImmigrationImpact.com and Twitter @immcouncil.