Many young undocumented immigrants were lawfully residing in the United States through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. However, the Trump administration has decided to end that program. This has made these young adults in Kentucky and elsewhere fear the very real possibility of deportation and removal.
In what is good news for “Dreamers” across the nation, a U.S. District Judge has ruled that the Trump administration did not provide adequate justification for deciding to do away with the DACA program. The judge stated that the policy to end DACA was unconstitutional. Therefore, the judge ruled that the DACA program must be reinstated. The government has until August 23 to appeal the decision.
This ruling is one of several stating that DACA must be reinstated. The young adults who fall under DACA were brought to the United States as children, and have no memory of their life outside the U.S. The program was instituted in 2012 by then-President Barack Obama. It was not enacted per an act of Congress, a point that has led to a great divide in our nation’s political system.
What is important to take away, though, is that those in the U.S. under DACA are in school or have graduated, have not committed any crimes and do not pose a threat to our nation. They should not be treated as criminals, particularly when they had no choice in the matter when they were brought into our nation unlawfully. But, while the DACA program remains in limbo, young adults who are concerned about deportation or removal will want to seek professional guidance in order to better understand their rights.
