On June 23, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its much-anticipated decision in U.S. v. Texas, essentially declining to reverse lower court decisions that had halted implementation of the Executive Actions that President Obama announced in November 2014. As a result, the government is precluded from implementing Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (“DAPA”) and an expanded version of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”), which would have enabled certain undocumented immigrants to obtain work permits and three-year reprieves from deportation.
Supporters of comprehensive immigration reform may seek to encourage Congress to pass laws permitting DAPA and expanded DACA, or seek an appeal after the case is completed at the Federal District Court level. The lawsuit has no effect on the original DACA initiated in 2012, for which USCIS still accepts first-time and renewal applications