DACA ruled illegal by court, but current “Dreamers” still protected

SALT LAKE CITY — The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has delivered a blow to the recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, also known as “Dreamers.” The court has upheld a decision made by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas which found that the Obama administration regulation was illegal and failed to meet sections of the Administrative Procedures Act. 

As of now, current Dreamers are still protected by the law and can continue to renew their applications. But DACA is closed to any new applicants.

“What the Fifth Circuit said is that look, this was not something that should have been done by the administration. It should have been done by Congress,” said Greg Skordus, KSL NewsRadio’s Chief Legal Consultant. 

In a statement, President Joe Biden said that the court’s decision declaring DACA unlawful was disappointing.  

“And while we will use the tools we have to allow Dreamers to live and work in the only country they know as home, it is long past time for Congress to pass permanent protections for Dreamers, including a pathway to citizenship,” said President Biden.

As of June, nearly 600,000 Dreamers are living in the U.S., and almost 8,000 of them are in Utah. 

Former Dreamer, Heidi Chammaro, has since gotten her residency and is practicing law in Salt Lake City. She said she was saddened by the news. She also said this decision adds another layer of anxiety and uncertainty that many DACA recipients already face. 

“A lot of these individuals have lived here most of their lives like this is home for them. And they constantly feel like that’s going to be taken away from them,” said Chamorro.  

Aimee Cobabe contributed to this article

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