President trying again to end DACA
PHOENIX — President Trump said Friday he will renew his effort to end legal protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the United States as children.
Trump denounced a Supreme Court ruling Thursday that the administration improperly ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2017. Splitting with Trump and judicial conservatives, Chief Justice John Roberts joined the four liberal justices in the 54 vote.
Through executive action, Trump could still take away the ability of 650,000 young immigrants to live and work legally in the U.S. And with no legislative answer in sight in Congress, uncertainty continues for many immigrants who know no other home except America.
In a tweet Friday, Trump said, “The Supreme Court asked us to resubmit on DACA, nothing was lost or won. They ‘punted,’ much like in a football game (where hopefully they would stand for our great American Flag). We will be submitting enhanced papers shortly.”
In a 54 opinion with a stark rebuke from liberal justices, the high court found that Trump was well within his authority over immigration and the responsibility for keeping the nation safe.
Groups that support DACA said they will remain on guard against further action by Trump.
“What’s important to note: NOTHING has changed since yesterday and won’t change unless SCOTUS decides otherwise,” the immigration legal services provider and advocacy group RAICES, based in Texas, wrote on Twitter.
The Trump administration says it’s moving forward against DACA, even though experts say there isn’t enough time to knock down the program before the November election.
“We’re going to move as quickly as we can to put options in front of the president,” Ken Cuccinelli, acting head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, told “Fox & Friends.”
Activists are vowing to keep fighting for a longterm solution for young immigrants whose parents brought them to the United States when they were children. They not only face a White House that’s prioritized immigration restrictions but also a divided Congress that is not expected to pass legislation providing a path to citizenship anytime soon.