Joe Biden announced he would appeal the decision blocking the program for “Dreamers”, undocumented migrants who came to the United States as children

The American President, Joe Biden, judged this Saturday “deeply disappointing” the decision of a federal judge to stop the program which protects undocumented migrants who arrived in the country when they were children.

In a White House statement, Biden said that The Justice Department will appeal the ruling of Texas Judge Andrew Hanen, adding that “Only Congress can guarantee a permanent solution by providing a path to citizenship for Dreamers.”

Established by former President Barack Obama in 2012, The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program concerns some 700,000 people called “Dreamers.””. For many, the United States is the only country they have ever known.

Those protected by DACA received temporary relief in June 2020 when the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration failed to provide sufficient justification for its attempts to end the program.

By clarifying that it ruled primarily on procedural matters, the High Court left open the possibility of further challenges.

In his ruling, Federal District Court Judge Hanen in Houston said Obama overstepped his authority when he instituted the DACA by executive order, calling it “illegal.” He ruled that the government should stop accepting people into the program, even though it could still receive applications.

Hanen said his decision does not oblige the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Justice “to take immigration, deportation or criminal action against any DACA beneficiary, applicant or other person that they do not take. not otherwise “.

The decision also did not immediately affect the situation of people who had already been accepted into the program.

To apply for DACA protection, which also allows the right to work, applicants must have arrived in the United States before the age of 16. They must also attend school or have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent, or have been honorably discharged from the military and have no criminal record.

In 2017, then President Donald Trump attempted to dismantle DACA on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, sparking a lengthy legal battle that ended in the Supreme Court. DACA survived and was reinstated last December.

Around the Congress

Since taking office, Biden has sought to strengthen the program and initiate broader immigration reform.

In a tweet on Saturday, Obama echoed Biden’s call to Congress to find a permanent solution for the “Dreamers.” “For over nine years, the DREAMers have watched the courts and politicians debate whether they would be allowed to stay in the one country many of them have known. It is time for Congress to act and give them the protection and certainty they deserve, “he wrote on the social network.

Following Friday’s ruling, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “Democrats call on Republicans in Congress to join us in defending the will of the American people and the law, to ensure that dreamers have a permanent path to citizenship ”.

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