DOJ Precedent Decision Weakens DACA Protections, Hundreds of Thousands Face Deportation Risk

goodinfo.net — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0800

DOJ Precedent Decision Weakens DACA Protections, Hundreds of Thousands Face Deportation Risk

The Justice Department’s Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) published a precedent decision on April 25 ruling that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status alone is not sufficient grounds to provide relief from deportation. The ruling marks a systematic effort by the Trump administration to weaken legal protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who arrived in the United States as children.

The decision stems from the case of Catalina “Xóchitl” Santiago, a DACA recipient who was detained by Customs and Border Protection officers while boarding a domestic flight at the El Paso airport in August 2025. She was subsequently placed in immigration removal proceedings. Immigration Judge Michael Pleters had previously terminated her removal proceedings, but the Department of Homeland Security appealed that decision to the BIA.

A three-judge panel of appellate immigration judges unanimously sided with DHS, overturning the immigration judge’s ruling. While the decision does not mean Santiago will be immediately deported, it establishes a new precedent that could significantly weaken deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of other DACA recipients.

The DACA program was established in 2012 under the Obama administration to protect approximately 600,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children from deportation. In recent years, the program has faced ongoing legal challenges and political pressure.

Source: NPR - Justice Department makes it easier to deport those with DACA status

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DOJ Precedent Decision Weakens DACA Protections, Hundreds of Thousands Face Deportation Risk

DOJ Precedent Decision Weakens DACA Protections, Hundreds of Thousands Face Deportation Risk