A split decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last week voided an executive order that would have granted work authorization and protection from deportation for undocumented immigrants, deflating the hopes of thousands in Santa Barbara County.
The program, called Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), addressed immigration advocates’ concerns that deportations could separate children from their parents. DAPA would allow the undocumented parents of U.S. citizens to live and work in the United States.
The Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) estimates 39,000 undocumented immigrants are living in Santa Barbara County, many of whom would have found relief in the DAPA program, CAUSE Policy Director Lucas Zucker told the Sun.
“What it’s essentially doing is redirecting the resources of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) away from certain groups of people,” Zucker said. “It sets a clear priority and program where parents of U.S. citizen children would be able to stay and live and work here, and immigration enforcement resources would be redirected away from those individuals.”
The program also included an expansion for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which gives deportation protection and work authorization to undocumented immigrants who arrived to the U.S. as children. Currently, DACA is only in effect until the individual turns 30. President Obama’s executive order would have removed that age cap.
However, the Supreme Court was split 4-4 on the executive order—a tie vote made possible because Congress has yet to approve a justice to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died earlier this year. When the Supreme Court fails to rule, the lower court’s decision stands—which in this case means DAPA is on hold indefinitely, as ordered by the 5th Circuit court in Texas.
The fate of DAPA rests in the hands of our next president, Zucker said, as well as Scalia’s successor.
“But for now, this program is essentially dead until the next election,” he said.
This article appears in Jun 30 – Jul 7, 2016.
