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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 16 december 2020

Obama-era program for immigrants faces new court challenge

By NOMAAN MERCHANT dismissed the state's elec- ger after being brought
Associated Press tion challenge. into the country without
HOUSTON (AP) — A federal "This case is an attack on permission or overstaying
court next week is expect- the underlying legality of visas. Many have become
ed to consider whether to DACA itself," said Nina Pe- doctors, nurses, and other
invalidate a program that rales, a lawyer for MALDEF. front-line workers during the
shields from deportation "This case seeks a ruling pandemic. The liberal Cen-
immigrants brought to the that DACA is unlawful that ter for American Progress
United States as children, would bind any future ad- says that roughly 254,000
potentially creating com- ministration." children have at least one
plications for the incoming Biden repeatedly pledged parent relying on DACA.
administration of President- during his campaign to re- Some recipients are grand-
elect Joe Biden. instate the program, part of parents. Recipients must
The challenge scheduled a series of immigration-re- pass a background check.
to be heard Dec. 22 in In this June 18, 2020, file photo, Deferred Action for Childhood lated actions he has prom- The program does not con-
Houston concerns Presi- Arrivals (DACA) students gather in front of the Supreme Court in ised that includes a mora- fer legal status.
Washington.
dent Barack Obama's origi- Associated Press torium on deportations and Opponents of the program
nal memorandum creating a halt to border wall con- argue that Obama illegally
Deferred Action for Child- renewals of two-year work ton, who frequently brings struction. Advocates are circumvented Congress
hood Arrivals, which cur- permits and general pro- conservative legal chal- calling for Congress to pass months before his 2012 re-
rently covers about 650,000 tections from deportation. lenges, including the case permanent protections for election and that he failed
people. But the Houston case di- seeking to subvert Trump's immigrants brought to the to follow federal procedure
Federal courts have al- rectly targets DACA's origi- election loss that was dis- U.S. as youths. in establishing the program.
ready turned away Presi- nal terms, not Trump's effort missed by the U.S. Supreme MALDEF President Thomas U.S. District Judge Andrew
dent Donald Trump's efforts to end the program. Texas Court. Saenz, speaking to report- Hanen will hear the case.
to end DACA. Under the or- and eight other states sued Arguing in favor of the pro- ers, said that the Houston Hanen in 2015 invalidated
der of a judge in New York, to end DACA, arguing it gram is a coalition of DACA case could affect what- an Obama effort to expand
the Trump administration drains state educational recipients, represented ever immigration policies DACA and extend protec-
in December restored the and healthcare resources by the Mexican American Biden introduces for DACA tions to immigrant parents.
program to its original terms and violates federal law. Legal Defense and Edu- recipients, even if that pro- In the case currently pend-
under Obama, accepting Leading the lawsuit is Texas cational Fund. Both sides gram were to have differ- ing, he refused two years
new applications and full Attorney General Ken Pax- have requested an order ent eligibility requirements ago to issue an injunction
of summary judgment to or even a new name. against DACA sought by
FBI won’t ‘sidestep’ sexual end the case in their favor. While DACA is often de- Texas, saying that while he
MALDEF argues that Texas scribed as a program for questioned the program's
misconduct claims, director says and the other states lack young immigrants, many legality, more harm than
standing, the ground on recipients have lived in the good would be done from
which the Supreme Court U.S. for a decade or lon- ending the program. q

In this Sept. 24, 2020 file photo, FBI Director Christopher Wray,
testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee hearing on "Threats to the Homeland" on
Capitol Hill in Washington.
Associated Press
By JIM MUSTIAN five years, with allegations
Associated Press ranging from unwanted
FBI Director Christopher touching and sexual ad-
Wray is seeking to reassure vances to coercion.
agents that the bureau The AP found that none of
won't tolerate sexual mis- the FBI officials it identified
conduct in the workplace, was disciplined and several
promising more resources were quietly transferred or
for victims and full investi- retired, keeping their full
gations into claims brought pensions and benefits even
against FBI officials — "re- when probes substantiated
gardless of rank or title." the sexual misconduct ac-
Wray sent a lengthy state- cusations against them.
ment to staff late last In his statement, Wray re-
week following an Associ- iterated the FBI's "zero tol-
ated Press investigation erance" policy towards
that found at least six se- sexual misconduct but also
nior FBI officials, includ- acknowledged "there are
ing an assistant director, some that haven't always
were accused of sexual lived up to those stan-
misconduct over the past dards." q