AUSTIN — A federal judge in Texas says DACA is here to stay, a new sign of relief for DREAMers living in limbo under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
There are currently more than 600,000 DREAMers across the nation currently under the DACA program. In Texas there are more than 110,000, and Austin has about 10,000.
For Estephanie De La Cruz, who was brought to the U.S. at eight years old, this ruling is vital to her future, her family and community.
"It had just been a year since my mom was recovering from breast cancer, so I was still supporting my family financially," De La Cruz said. "I thought about how I would be able to work if I lose my DACA status."
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The DACA program currently gives undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. at a young age a work permit, social security number and driver's license, only if they meet certain criteria and have a clean criminal record.
"To put it simple, the employment authorization lets me help my family financially," De La Cruz explained.
A federal Texas judge denied a lawsuit request last Friday, which would possibly end the Obama-era program.
"A lot of these attacks against DACA have come from our state of Texas," said Yuridia Loera, an organizer with United We Dream in Austin, whose mission is to advocate for immigrant rights.
The Texas DACA lawsuit is joined by attorney generals for the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina and West Virginia, also including the governors of Maine and Mississippi.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton waited too long to file the lawsuit.
The office of the attorney general says they're not backing down, saying the lawsuit is vital to restoring the rule of law to our nation's immigration system.
"It means a victory because, for now, we can help others renew their DACA permits," Loera explained.
President Trump agreed last September to phase out the DACA program by March 5 this year after Attorney General Paxton led a 10-state coalition requesting he do so or face a court challenge.
A U.S. district court in California blocked the Department of Homeland Security from ending the DACA program, in which similar decisions were issued by district courts in New York and Washington, D.C.
However, the latest decision by Judge Hanes leaves the long-term status of DACA vulnerable to further legal action.
"I will be able to renew for two years, but that goes by fast," De La Cruz explained.
She said she hopes this pushes Congress to find a more permanent solution by passing a bill to give those like her a pathway to citizenship.
View a copy of the ruling here.
View a copy of the lawsuit here.
View a copy of the motion seeking a nationwide injunction here.