Supreme Court Ruling Upholds DACA Program

On June 18, 2020, a narrowly divided Supreme Court of the United States held that the Court can review the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and that the Trump administration's decision to terminate the program was arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the 5-4 decision in Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of University of California. DACA grants undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children permission to live and work lawfully. Those who had come to rely on DACA are known as "Dreamers."

The Court found that the administration did not follow procedures required by law and did not properly weigh how ending the program would affect those who had come to rely on its protections against deportation and the ability to work legally. The Court indicated that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has flexibility in addressing reliance interests by Dreamers