A federal judge’s ruling on the future of DACA could open the door for tens of thousands of undocumented high-school-age students to be protected from deportation.
Handed down last week, the ruling is the third that ensures the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will remain in effect for recipients after a March 5 deadline originally set by the Trump administration. While the previous two rulings required the federal Department of Homeland Security to accept renewal applications, this latest one would require the government to accept new applications, potentially opening the program to a new wave of young immigrants.
The Migration Policy Institute estimates that over the next four years about 120,000 immigrant youths would become eligible for DACA.
U.S. District Judge John Bates, however, imposed a 90-day delay on his ruling to give the administration a chance to reargue its case.
