Advocates are Confident that a Ruling by a Texas Federal District Court Will Not Stand – Individuals are Urged to Be Ready to Apply!
February 17, 2015
Contact:
Paloma Zuleta
202-812-4477
Washington, D.C.—Early this morning, a U.S. District Court Judge in the Southern District of Texas issued a temporary injunction blocking the implementation of the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) as well as the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) program. The Obama Administration is appealing the ruling.
The application process for DACA was scheduled to begin tomorrow. Approximately 230,000 individuals were prepared to apply for relief under the program. The Court’s Order delays implementation of the DACA program, and thus, those individuals are left waiting for relief until the matter is resolved. The ruling also temporarily affects 3.7 million undocumented parents of US citizens or legal permanent residents. The guidelines for DAPA were expected to be released in the spring, but now under the ruling may be postponed.
LULAC National Executive Director, Brent Wilkes, issued the following response.
“It is disappointing, that after years of promises from Republican leaders claiming to support bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform their only response has been to block efforts that would bring relief to millions. We have heard from our Republican allies who say they have a moral obligation to vote against a position they believe to be unconstitutional. This position ignores the fact that Administrative action was only necessary because of the Republican failure to act on pending bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform. Attempts by anti-immigrant proponents to block the implementation of the DACA and DAPA programs only fuel our resolve to assist the millions of undocumented individuals who could benefit from the President’s Executive Orders. We are confident that the President’s action will ultimately be found by the Court to be constitutional and cleared for implementation. In the meantime, LULAC will educate and assist families in preparing for the application process. LULAC is encouraged by the fact that the programs enjoy overwhelming support by the American people and looks forward to the day when millions of undocumented individuals can come out of the shadows and live productive lives. “
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The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org.