DACA Immigration Vote Expected in the Spring

Immigration issues are of special interest to the cleaning industry, as it employs many immigrant workers and is often seeking additional workers due to the low unemployment rate. A U.S. Supreme Court decision expected this spring may limit the number of available immigrant workers.

On Tuesday, supreme court justices conducted an oral argument on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program inside a packed courtroom, USA Today reports. The justices were asked to decide if the current administration’s decision to wind down the program— under the reasoning that DACA was illegal from the start—was accurate and sufficient.

U.S. President Barack Obama created the DACA program in 2012 to protect children who were brought to the United States by undocumented immigrants from deportation. To qualify, DACA participants generally must be students, high school graduates, or be enrolled or honorably discharged from the military. They cannot have been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or more than three minor crimes.

During Tuesday’s oral arguments, justices debated the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to rescind the DACA program. Some justices believe the Department has provided sufficient reason to end DACA. Others contend that the decision to end DACA should be based on whether the program is determined to be illegal.

The court is not expected to make a ruling on the program until next spring. Nearly every federal judge to hear the dispute up to now has sided with the DREAMers, the program participants, leaving the program intact.

If the current supreme court justices refuse to overrule the DHS’s discretionary decision, the next president could easily renew the program. If they agree with the Justice Department that it’s unlawful, Congress would have to step in to make the final decision.

Read about ISSA’s suggestions for immigration policy reform, which include protecting the safety of America while also promoting the nation’s economic growth.