In May 2015, President Obama’s proposed deportation relief program, known as Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, or DAPA, suffered a major setback, as a divided Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decided to uphold a lower court ruling that imposed an injunction, blocking the implementation of the President’s executive action. Some months ago, 26 states brought suit against the proposed executive actions, specifically targeting the President’s plans to extend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) and to launch a similar deferred action program for the parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. As part of the lawsuit, the Plaintiffs asked the District Court for an injunction to stop implementation of the program and that injunction was granted, staying the effective date of the DAPA program. On appeal, the Court of Appeals upheld the injunction, stopping the program from taking effect and dashing the hopes of millions of undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
The case is not over but advocates are losing hope that the objections raised in the Courts can be overcome. With the Obama Administration in its last 18 months, there is concern that the implementation of the program will not be possible. The issue will undoubtedly have an impact on the long Presidential primary season and the 2016 Presidential Race, as candidates stake out their positions regarding the future of the undocumented population in America.
For more information about Obama’s proposed deportation relief program, click here. For more information about visas for the President’s Executive Action, DAPA and the status of the injunction, contact us.