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Sec. Kelly: Court Challenges Could Threaten DACA

Homeland Security Today: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) in a closed-door meeting last week that the Differed Actions for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protects young immigrants from deportation may not survive if challenged in court.

Kelly’s notice follows a letter sent to Attorney General Jeff Sessions by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and officials from 10 other states in late June threatening to sue the federal government if it does not repeal DACA—an Obama-era initiative that grants roughly 800,000 immigrants protection from deportation and work permit—by September 5.

They argued that if the expansion of DACA and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), which protects unauthorized parents of Americans or lawful permanent residents, was successfully challenged in a Texas district court, continuation of DACA is also unlawful.

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