Supreme Court to review Trump’s decision to end DACA

In total, the court will hear three cases on the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program known as DACA which will be consolidated into one ruling when the justices return in October.

The Justice Department had previously appealed to the Supreme Court to fast-track its decision on DACA as part of the prolonged legal battle over President Trump’s decision to terminate the program. The administration referred to the program as an “unconstitutional” overreach of executive authority that caused great legal concern. But a string of lower courts didn’t agree with the Trump administration’s position, effectively blocking the White House from deporting young undocumented migrants who have only known the U.S. as their home.

Previously, under the 2012 program, individuals who demonstrated that they met the following criteria were eligible for DACA protections:

• Came to the United States before the age of 16;
• Have continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of the memorandum and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;
• Are currently in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
• Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety;
• Not above the age of 30

Several efforts to place young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers on a pathway to citizenship have failed for nearly two decades in Congress. Although Mr. Trump has expressed some sympathy for this group of immigrants, he has repeatedly opposed stand-alone bills to legalize DACA recipients.

While Mr. Trump said that he would extend protections for DACA for three years, the president had charged Congress with delivering on a final legislative fix to the outstanding immigration problem.