SCOTUS to Hear Arguments About Trump Administration Decision to End DACA
The Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral arguments Tuesday on the Trump Administration’s decision to end DACA.
What is DACA?
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program or DACA was first introduced during the Obama administration in 2012 as a way to stop the deportation of those who were brought here as children.
This program does not offer a pathway to citizenship. The status is renewable and lasts two years at a time.
The recipients can receive work permits which then allows them to possibly obtain health benefits through employers, and pay for their basic needs. In some states it has also opened up access to in-state tuition and state-funded grants and loans.
Who can be a recipient of DACA?
Often referred to as Dreamers, after a previously filed piece of legislation called the Dream Act, these individuals now range from the ages 25 to 37 years old. The status of DACA has been issued roughly to 800,000 people.
Most DACA holders came from Mexico, though others have also come from Central and South America, Asia and the Caribbean.
Recipients must be enrolled in high school or already had a diploma or G.E.D. to qualify. Anyone with a serious criminal history is not eligible.
Where does DACA stand in the Trump Administration?
The Trump Administration ended the program in September 2017 after he was threatened with a lawsuit from nine conservative state attorney generals. Their argument was that the program represented an overreach of presidential power.
Since then no new applications have been accepted.
What does SCOTUS have to decide?
The nine justices will hear arguments about the Trump Administration’s decision to end DACA and decide whether or not it was unconstitutional.
To make this decision they will take into account what the program is, what the program does, and the oral arguments they hear in court.
