On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court started hearing arguments to decide on the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court judges seemed divided over the legality of President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind the program which protected 700,000 immigrants from deportation.
Under DACA, the students who arrive undocumented in the United States as children are allowed to work and study and obtain protection from deportation. They are often called DREAMers.
According to CNN, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh at many instances accepted the arguments put forth by the government to terminate the program, however, the four liberal justices Elena Kagan, Steven Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor accused Trump administration of not following proper procedures that are required by the law.
In recent years many colleges and universities, national security experts, members of the congress among others have supported the continuation of the DACA program.
“America is a beacon of justice and opportunity and today we stood up for the young immigrants who seek both,” University of California President Janet Napolitano said following the court hearing. UC is one of the plaintiffs in the case.
“Our suit demands that the Trump administration abide by the law and abandon its attempts to upend the lives of young people who have been living with uncertainty and fear in the country they call home. This case is not just a matter of what is legal — it is about what is right,” Napolitano added.
Last month, more than nineteen higher education institutions across the nation filed amicus, or “friend of the court,” briefs in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
National Immigration Law Center anticipates court to deliver verdict anywhere between January and June 2020.
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