Newhouse laments Congress’ inaction with passage of DACA deadline

Six months ago, when he announced he was ending the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, President Donald Trump identified March 5th as the deadline for Congress to work out a permanent solution for DACA recipients facing deportation. Federal courts have since intervened and allowed the renewal of existing DACA permits while the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals reviews the White House decision to wind down the program.

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released a statement on the passing of today’s deadline for the (DACA) program;

“I am disappointed that Congress has failed to implement a legislative solution for DACA recipients by the President’s deadline,” said Rep. Newhouse. “I advocated for Congress to act quickly so that DACA beneficiaries would not be left in uncertainty. Today’s deadline, marked by inaction, is a bitter disappointment to every DACA beneficiary who has worked and hoped for urgent action. 18,000 DACA recipients in Washington state find themselves in continuous legal limbo, and I urge my colleagues to come together to give them certainty. Just because federal courts are allowing existing permits to be renewed does not mean that Congress should continue to delay and be subjected to demands from the extremes in this debate. The only solution that can pass Congress – and be signed into law by the President – is one that balances legal certainty for DACA recipients with securing the border.”

The immigration battle in the courts

Two separate federal court injunctions have effectively halted the president’s rescission of the DACA program with the judges ordering the Department of Justice to maintain the current program as it was before Trump’s announcement last September.

In January, a federal judge in California issued a nationwide injunction that prompted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to begin taking DACA renewal applications again.

Since then, DACA policy for renewals has been operating on the Obama-era terms that were in place before it was rescinded.

And in February, a federal judge in New York issued another preliminary injunction that also blocked Trump’s efforts to end the program.

Currently, new applications are not being accepted but there were approximately 22,000 initial DACA grant requests pending as of January 31, 2018.