Federal Judge’s Decision On DACA Brings Relief & Hope

Immigration attorney in Austin, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, appeared with Telemundo Austin to discuss recent updates regarding DACA. Thanks to Fidel Campuzano for joining us and to Telemundo Austin for the news segment.

by Yomara Lopez
Wednesday, April 25th, 2018

In a 60-page ruling, Judge John Bates on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to reactivate the Deferred Action program, or DACA, giving them a deadline to justify their decision to cancel this immigration protection.

A previous decision kept the program in effect, but this time there is a difference.
“This means that the administration will have to start accepting DACA renewals, but also applications from first-time applicants,” said immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch.

The announcement brought relief to many undocumented young people in central Texas like Fidel Campuzano.
“It’s a hope because it means that others who couldn’t apply and were left out of the program will now be able to do so,” said Campuzano.

Although the attorney considers the decision an important step to preserve this immigration protection, the White House still needs to respond, as its lawyers describe Deferred Action as unconstitutional. “They have 90 days to make an argument for why they want to cancel the program. We’ll see if they have a good argument.”

During a press conference, the White House spokesperson commented on the issue: “We believe the judge’s decision is extremely broad and legally incorrect. Worse, it creates an incentive for more young undocumented immigrants to come and expect similar protections. This decision is good news for smuggling organizations and criminal networks and terrible news for our national security. It’s time for Congress to do what the president has asked.”

Immigration attorneys advise young people who meet the requirements of this protection to wait for the outcome of the litigation before applying for permission.

Source: Telemundo Austin