Federal government to accept new DACA applications
The Justice Department said in a recent court filing that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has prepared to accept and process initial DACA applications to comply with litigation over the program, but implementation will follow an order from U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen; the 5th Circuit’s earlier decision narrows the ruling’s geographic effect so applicants approved outside Texas would receive both deportation protections and work authorization, while approvals for Texas residents would be limited to deportation deferrals without work permits.
Politics
Legal
Immigration
🔍 Key Facts
- DOJ disclosed in a court filing (Monday) that USCIS has plans to accept and process initial DACA applications pending Judge Andrew Hanen’s order.
- More than 525,000 people are currently enrolled in DACA, with nearly 88,000 living in Texas.
- Under the 5th Circuit and Hanen rulings, approvals outside Texas would include work authorization and lawful‑presence recognition; Texas‑resident approvals would grant only deportation deferrals and no work permits.
📍 Contextual Background
- New York City has sanctuary city status.
- The Rapid Response Legal Collaborative had funding of $500,000 (as reported in the article).
- The New York Immigrant Family Unit Program had funding of $16,000,000 (as reported in the article).
- The Immigrant Opportunity Initiative had funding of $20,000,000 (as reported in the article).
- Video footage captured an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer pushing a visibly upset Ecuadoran woman to the ground outside an immigration court at the 26 Federal Plaza building in Manhattan.
- The Department of Homeland Security released a statement saying the officer was being relieved of current duties while a full investigation was conducted and denouncing the officer's conduct as unacceptable.
- The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, allowing enforcement of state abortion bans.