DACA/DAPA

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) offer certain immigrants protection from immediate deportation and other benefits. Learn more about these policies, how they affect America, and our work to strengthen them below.

Administration Seeks to Protect DACA Recipients from Judge Hanen's Unusual Order in Immigration Case

Administration Seeks to Protect DACA Recipients from Judge Hanen’s Unusual Order in Immigration Case

This week, the Obama administration filed a stay motion, a request to halt Judge Hanen’s highly extraordinary order in May telling the Department of Justice (DOJ) to turn over personal information of about 50,000 or so individuals who have received three-year reprieves from deportation and three-year work permits… Read More

Judge Hanen’s Recent Unwarranted Order in United States v. Texas

Judge Hanen’s Recent Unwarranted Order in United States v. Texas

Last week, District Court Judge Andrew Hanen issued a highly extraordinary order telling the Department of Justice (DOJ) to turn over personal information of about 108,000 or so individuals who have received three-year reprieves from deportation and three-year work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. This court order serves as yet another reminder that the suit brought by 26 states to block the implementation of expanded DACA and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) is highly politicized and unprecedented. Although there are reasons to believe that Judge Hanen’s order may be successfully appealed, it nonetheless is an unusual twist in a lawsuit that now is in the hands of eight Supreme Court Justices. Read More

Texas’ Distorted View of the Legal Basis for DAPA and Expanded DACA

Texas’ Distorted View of the Legal Basis for DAPA and Expanded DACA

On April 18, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Texas, a case brought by 26 states to challenge President Obama’s deferred action initiatives, known as expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (expanded DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent… Read More

What Are the Next Steps at the Supreme Court in U.S. v. Texas?

What Are the Next Steps at the Supreme Court in U.S. v. Texas?

The oral arguments in U.S. v. Texas are now complete and dozens of news articles and analyses have attempted to predict what the Court will decide. However, all that truly matters is the final decision rendered by the eight sitting Justices. This begs the questions of when and… Read More

Understanding Justice Kennedy’s “Upside Down” Argument in U.S. v. Texas

Understanding Justice Kennedy’s “Upside Down” Argument in U.S. v. Texas

On April 18, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Texas, a case brought by 26 states to challenge President Obama’s frozen deferred action programs, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Plus (expanded DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and… Read More

Digesting the Argument in U.S. v. Texas: What Is Lawful Presence and Why Does It Not Mean What It Sounds Like?

Digesting the Argument in U.S. v. Texas: What Is Lawful Presence and Why Does It Not Mean What It Sounds Like?

The oral argument in United States v. Texas shined a light on the confusion between the term “lawful presence” and what it means to have a legal immigration status in the United States. Early in the argument, Chief Justice Roberts noted that in its brief, the United States asserted… Read More

Supreme Court Considers President’s Executive Actions on Immigration While Thousands Rally Outside

Supreme Court Considers President’s Executive Actions on Immigration While Thousands Rally Outside

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Texas. While lawyers presented their arguments before the eight Justices inside, on the outside families, advocates, immigrants, faith groups, and a wide range of civil rights and community organizations gathered to demonstrate support for the President’s initiatives. The… Read More

What You Need to Know About the DAPA and Expanded DACA Case Before the Supreme Court

What You Need to Know About the DAPA and Expanded DACA Case Before the Supreme Court

In the spring of 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider United States v. Texas, a politically charged lawsuit about the legality of some of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. The oral argument will take place on Monday, April 18 before the eight sitting justices. The initiatives in… Read More

Defending DAPA and Expanded DACA Before the Supreme Court

Defending DAPA and Expanded DACA Before the Supreme Court

This guide provides brief answers to common questions about United States v. Texas, including what is at stake in the case, how the litigation began, what the contested issues are, and the impact the case may have on our country. Read More

Response to DHS’s notice of revisions to Form I‐131, Application for Travel Document and accompanying instructions (submitted Dec. 31, 2012)

Response to DHS’s notice of revisions to Form I‐131, Application for Travel Document and accompanying instructions (submitted Dec. 31, 2012)

The American Immigration Council, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. jointly submitted comments addressing numerous aspects of the Form I-131 instructions including revisions to the instructions that provide guidance to DACA recipients on their eligibility for Advance Parole. Read More

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