Federal judge again declares that DACA is illegal with issue likely to be decided by Supreme Court

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge has declared illegal a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. But the judge declined to order an immediate end to the program and the protections it offers to recipients. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen on Wednesday (Sept. 13, 2023) agreed with Texas and eight other states suing to stop the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. The ruling is ultimately expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, sending the program’s fate before the high court for a third time. Hanen had previously declared the 2012 Obama-era program illegal.