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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in United States v. Texas, which reviewed two Obama administration programs – expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). The Supreme Court issued a deadlocked 4-4 decision. In its order, the Court stated that, “the judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court.” Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee) issued the following statement:

“Without the protections that would have been afforded to families by expanded DACA and DAPA, undocumented parents face deportation and separation from their children,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The outcome of this case renders undocumented people targets for unscrupulous employers, wage theft and other abuses in the workplace, and weakens the economic well-being of their families, including their citizen spouses, siblings and offspring. This was one of the many critical cases heard by  the Court this term. Without nine justices, the Court deadlocked on this decision, leaving millions of undocumented persons vulnerable to deportation and leaving many families in limbo. This case stands as another reminder of why we need a full complement of nine justices on our nation’s highest Court.”

DACA was fully implemented in June 2012, allowing undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. before they turned 16-years-old and arrived before June 2007. Through DACA, 700,000 undocumented persons have been approved, allowing them to access driver’s licenses, become eligible for work permits and ensure that they have the tools necessary to become productive members of our society. DAPA and expanded DACA was challenged by 26 states, hoping to overturn these programs. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction, blocking President Obama’s executive action to protect nearly five million undocumented immigrants from being deported.

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