Washington, Oregon among states suing Trump over ending DACA

daca

Washington and Oregon are among fifteen states and the District of Columbia which have filed a lawsuit in New York challenging President Donald Trump’s plan to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation.

The suit was first announced by Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who called Trump’s act – “a dark time for our country.”

On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the program, known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, will end in six months to give Congress time to find a legislative solution for the immigrants.

The program was established in 2012 by President Barack Obama to protect people brought into the U.S. illegally as children.  DACA gives renewable two-year work permits to qualifying undocumented immigrants.  Nationwide, the program offers protection from deportation to 800,000 young people.

In Washington state, nearly 18,000 people have been approved as of March.

With DACA set to be dismantled, the Department of Homeland Security will accept no new permit applications, but those with work permits expiring before March 5th can apply to renew them.

Trump has offered no replacement proposal, but is pushing Congress to find a legislative solution.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Washington, Oregon, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.  (AP, Seattle Times)