(LOS ANGELES, CA – 6/18/2020) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today joined with its National office to welcome a
a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision to block President Trump’s attempt to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which safeguards from deportation more than 600,000 undocumented young people — known as “dreamers” — brought to the United States as children.
CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is also calling on Congress to pass the DREAM Act to fully-protect Dreamers.
SEE: NBC News: Supreme Court blocks Trump from ending DACA in big win for ‘Dreamers’
In statement CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“CAIR welcomes the Supreme Court’s outright rejection of Trump’s illegal attempt to terminate DACA – which protects from deportation more than 600,000 undocumented young people who were brought to our nation as children.
“As with the Muslim and Africa Ban, Trump’s attempt to terminate DACA is fueled by a hated for people of color and driven by the demands of anti-immigrant extremists.
“CAIR urges the court to stand firm against any future attempt by the Trump administration to harm Dreamers, some of the most dynamic and success-oriented members of our society.
“All Americans must reaffirm their commitment to protecting Dreamers and reject Trump’s attempts to use them as an election issue or bargaining chip to extract immigration concessions from Congress.
“Because the Supreme Court’s ruling is only a temporary solution, Congress must now act to permanently protect DACA by passing the Dream and Promise Act of 2019.”
In a statement, CAIR-LA Policy & Advocacy Manager Fayaz Nawabi said:
“The Supreme Court repudiated Trump’s cruel and unlawful attempt to demonize and disenfranchise Dreamers who call America their home. Brick by brick, the president’s hate-filled and xenophobic immigration policy is being dismantled by courts.
“So many of the 700,000 Dreamers serve as teachers, doctors and first responders. And while we celebrate the moment’s victory, we continue the movement for Congress to permanently fix our broken immigration system and secure a pathway to citizenship.”
In a major legal defeat for President Trump, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in his decision wrote in part: “We conclude that the acting secretary did violate the [Administrative Procedure Act],” and that the decision to rescind DACA “must be vacated,” adding the Trump Administration’s “total rescission” of DACA was “arbitrary and capricious.”
The decision however did not rule that it was unconstitutional for the Trump administration to terminate DACA – only the way in which it went about doing so.
Roberts instructed: “The appropriate recourse is therefore to remand to DHS so that it may reconsider the problem anew.”
Because of this, there is the prospect that the Trump administration will again attempt to terminate DACA.
BACKGROUND
On November 12, 2019, the Supreme Court head 80 minutes of oral arguments between Trump administration Solicitor General of the U.S. Noel Francisco and California Solicitor General Michael Mongan, who represents state and local government’s challenging Trump’s attempt to dismantle DACA.
The day of the hearing, CAIR called on the Supreme Court to support Dreamers and reject the Trump Administration’s attempt to terminate DACA.
In 2018, CAIR welcomed the Supreme Court issuing a temporary nationwide injunction denying the Trump administration’s attempt end DACA in response to the University of California’s legal challenge.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Manager Eugene W. Fields, 714-851-4851 or efields@cair.com