UnidosUS Calls on Congress to Act After Anticipated Appeals Court Ruling Against DACA

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Program Kept in Place For Now, Giving Congress Time to Preserve It

Washington, DC— The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy is “unlawful”—a decision that reaffirms the urgent need for Congress to act to provide permanent protections for DREAMers. The court’s decision to send the case back to U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen does allow DACA renewals to continue for now. Sonia M Pérez, Acting CEO of UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization, issued the following statement in response to the devastating ruling:

“The court decision was as expected as it is unfortunate. For the moment, DACA recipients have a small respite, but the ruling is a clear reminder that the fate of DACA hangs in the balance. Particularly through the pandemic, when we all became witnesses to the contributions of immigrants to help our country survive, it is imperative that Congress enact legislation to provide permanent protections for our immigrant communities and deliver a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers before the end of the year.

“The safety and future of hundreds of thousands of individuals who were raised in the U.S. and are valuable, contributing members of their local communities is at stake. These include more than 200,000 DACA recipients who worked tirelessly as frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and parents of a whole new generation of American children. It is estimated that each day, in the two years following the termination of DACA, 1,000 more U.S. citizen children and spouses will be at threat of family separation. Congressional action is needed to keep families together in the spirit of one of our nation’s most cherished values.”