Texas Attorney General Applauds Deferred Action for Parents of Americans Rescinding

AUSTIN, TX — The Texas attorney general on Friday praised a White House decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program, an effort by the previous administration to grant lawful status to parents of American-born children in allowing them to apply for work permits.

Late Thursday, the Trump administration rescinded the immigration policy that would have protected millions of undocumented immigrants while leaving intact a separate measure tailored for juvenile immigrants. Known as DAPA, the deferred action for parents of America-born children never actually took effect after being blocked by courts amid pending litigation.

“I applaud President Trump for acknowledging what President Obama himself acknowledged over 20 times – the Obama Administration’s DAPA immigration edict was a violation of law and the separation of powers," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Friday. "I am proud to have led a 26-state coalition that went all the way to the Supreme Court to block this unlawful edict.”

The Department of Homeland Security rescinded the policy that would have granted protections to 5 million people, according to some estimates. But the DHS will continue to honor a sister policy, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, which protects roughly some 750,000 undocumented immigrants brought into the U.S. as children.

Paxton in 2015 led a 26-state coalition lawsuit against the Obama administration that succeeded in putting DAPA on hold as the case worked its way through the courts. To view the Department of Homeland Security’s recession of memorandum providing for DAPA, click here.

>>> Official photo of Ken Paxton via State of Texas.