The future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program remains uncertain as lawmakers continue to struggle to find consensus on legislation that would extend the program.

An effort by moderate Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to force votes on DACA legislation through a discharge petition fell short. House Republican leaders were able to stop the discharge effort by agreeing to bring up two immigration bills to the floor this week. While lawmakers will get an opportunity to vote on a conservative bill and a more moderate bill, the moderate bill does not appear to have the support of House Democrats nor a number of moderate House Republicans who supported the discharge petition. Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump has made conflicting statements about whether he would sign the more moderate bill even if it passed the House and Senate.

The Trump Administration is continuing to pursue its efforts to end DACA in the courts. Recently, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments on the continuation of the program. In addition, the U.S. Justice Department has filed a motion in the Texas courts arguing that the DACA program violates federal immigration law. It is unclear when the courts in both of these cases will make a ruling.

CASE strongly supports the DACA program and will continue advocating for legislation that upholds the protections it currently provides.

For the latest developments on DACA, please visit the CASE Advocacy Action Center. You can also join the CASE Advocacy Network.

This article is from the June 2018 BriefCASE issue.