NEW YORK, United States (CMC) — New York Attorney General Letitia James has scored another major court victory for hundreds of thousands of Caribbean and other “Dreamers” across the United States who are eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and who were at risk of deportation by the Trump administration.
DACA is an Obama administration programme that protected about 700,000 young Caribbean and other immigrants, known as “Dreamers”, from deportation.
Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of the US District Court in Brooklyn, on Friday issued a remedial order granting James’ request for partial summary judgment.
He ordered the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reopen the DACA programme to first-time applicants; restore protections to a two-year period, instead of one year; and make Advanced Parole available to DACA recipients again without restrictions.
In response, James told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) “justice prevailed, not just for ‘Dreamers’ but for all Americans.
“Every time the outgoing administration tried to use young immigrants as political scapegoats, they defiled the values of our nation. The court’s order makes clear that fairness, inclusion and compassion matter.
“America is where these young people have gone to school, where they have worked, where they have paid taxes, where they have raised families, and where they have continued to be vital members of our communities. We are proud to fight for them and grateful to deliver them the justice they are due,” James added.
She noted that “Dreamers” are foreign-born young people who came to the United States at a young age and now identify as Americans.
