WASHINGTON, DC – FWD.us President Todd Schulte and DACA recipients on FWD.us staff issued the following statements today after U.S. Southern District of Texas Judge Hanen ruled against Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA):

“As expected, Judge Hanen once again wrongly ruled the DACA policy is illegal. While this terrible ruling has no impact on DACA recipients’ current protections or their ability to continue to renew them, this is another cruel and disheartening indication that the courts plan to terminate this vital lifeline for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants and their families. We are deeply sorry for the hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients and their loved ones who once again have to deal with this terrible news, but we want to be clear that the status quo continues as this case moves on to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“To be clear, this ruling was as predictable as it was avoidable. This moment offers yet another powerful insight into the brokenness of our immigration system, whereby the vast majority of the American public support protecting immigrants and DACA recipients but our elected leaders can’t seem to muster the courage to do the right thing.

“As some presidential candidates fight over who can propose the most anti-immigrant agendas, the future of DACA is now on track to end up in the hands of the Supreme Court. While Congress should have acted long ago and must ultimately give permanent status to all DACA recipients, there are actions the Biden administration can and must do to begin implementing a comprehensive Dreamer Protection Plan before it’s too late,” said FWD.us President Todd Schulte.

DACA recipients on FWD.us staff added, “Today’s ruling is yet another devastating blow to us, all Dreamers, and our families. We are tired of waiting for Congress to finally decide enough is enough–a sentiment we’ve been echoing for over a decade –and pass permanent protections for ourselves and our families. We stand united with all DACA recipients and Dreamers across the country, who continue to make valuable contributions to their families and communities even while dealing with daily uncertainty of their own status. We will continue to fight for the President to provide additional protections and for Congress to enact the legislative solution that all Dreamers deserve. In the meantime, it’s important current DACA recipients know that DACA renewals and programs like Advance Parole remain in place and we strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to utilize these resources.”