DACA’s future uncertain after Texas Vs. U.S. DACA case
LACCD continues to encourage DACA students to enroll or stay enrolled in their district despite the Fifth circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirming that DACA is illegal.
DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a relief program that allows eligible immigrants who came to the U.S. when they were children to avoid deportation. The Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals’ decision comes on the heels of the Texas V. United States DACA case that ruled DACA unlawful. The Biden Administration appealed the decision to the Fifth Circuit. In July 2022, oral argument took place at the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the case. As the case was still processing, the Biden Administration published their final rule on DACA, to maintain it, on Aug. 2022 but will take effect Oct. 31 2022. Finally finishing the case on Oct. 5, the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals published the decision on the case affirming that DACA is illegal.
“LACCD has a dedicated history of advocating for the rights of our undocumented community,” said Francisco C. Rodriguez, LACCD Chancellor. “Our longstanding advocacy shows a fierce defense of supporting our DACA and undocumented students. We will always stand with our students and with the most vulnerable populations — our support remains unwavering.”
According to the Rodriguez, LACCD’s nine colleges educate more undocumented students than anywhere in the country and will use all available resources to protect the over 10,000 undocumented students enrolled.
Where it stands, the federal government is accepting applications from first-time applicants and anyone whose DACA expired more than a year ago however is not currently granting or even processing the applications yet. The case is currently sent back down to the Texas district court to determine the lawfulness of the Biden Administration's new rule on DACA.
-- Kevin Zuniga, Staff Writer