Biden Says Not Giving Up On 'Dreamers' Program After Judge Blocks New Applications

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd July, 2021) US President Joe Biden during a CNN town hall said he is not giving up on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which shields some young undocumented immigrants from deportation, after a judge issued an order temporarily blocking the government from accepting new applications from the so-called Dreamers.

Last week, a US Federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security to stop approving new applications for the DACA program.

"I'm not letting this go... they [Dreamers] should be able to stay in the United States of America," Biden said on Wednesday.

Judge Andrew Hanen said the DACA program violates federal law because a US president does not have legislative power to declare that a certain category of undocumented migrants is in the United States lawfully.

DACA was launched by the Obama administration in 2012. It permits children of illegal immigrants, who were brought to the United States under the age of 16, to remain in the country, provided they had arrived by 2007. The program does not currently provide permanent lawful status to its recipients but has protected some 700,000 young people from deportation.

Former President Donald Trump tried to end the program but the US Supreme Court blocked his administration's effort. After taking office in January, President Joe Biden promised to preserve the program.