JCJ member and co-founder of JCJ’s Lawyers’ Committee Padraic Glaspy reflects on last week’s court decision on DACA.  Padraic is a partner at the law firm of Howarth and Smith.

We celebrate the recent ruling of a third federal judge that the administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was “arbitrary and capricious.”

The decision from Judge John D. Bates of Federal District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the administration’s decision to terminate DACA was based on the “virtually unexplained” grounds.  According to this ruling, unless the Department of Homeland Security can better explain its reasoning for attempting to cancel the program, it “must accept and process new as well as renewal DACA applications.”

While we celebrate these decision, they are not a permanent solution for DACA recipients. Therefore, in addition to supporting the efforts of the courts, we must continue to urge Congress to pass a law that will provide permanent statutory protection for DACA.