On September 13, 2023, Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District of Texas ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is unlawful and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.

This decision aims to terminate the DACA program and will leave thousands of undocumented youth in legal limbo without the ability to apply for work authorization, drivers licenses, and other protections that the DACA program offers.  

The following statement is from Jorge Loweree, managing director of programs at the American Immigration Council: 

“This decision was a major blow to thousands of our friends, neighbors, and colleagues that benefit from DACA’s protections, and the families and communities who rely on them. While the decision won’t have an immediate impact on people who currently rely on the program to live and work in the U.S. without the constant threat of deportation, it will continue to sow fear and distrust across the country. If Congress continues to sit on its hands, waiting to be forced into action, the Republican-led state effort to kill DACA by a thousand cuts will succeed. The time to act is now.”

The American Immigration Council has a range of research and other resources on DACA, including policy experts available to speak on policies designed to protect Dreamers and what is at stake for over 650,000 DACA beneficiaries across the country. The Council also has data on demographic and economic contributions of DACA recipients in each U.S. state and nationwide.