WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Trump administration decided to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
DACA gives work and school permits to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children and protects them from deportation.
Hundreds gathered outside of the U.S. Supreme Court and cheered for the group of young people who sued to stop the Trump administration from ending DACA.
One of the plaintiffs — Eliana Fernandez — is a DACA recipient and mother of children who are citizens of the United States.
“My children deserve to stay with their mother in the place they call home,” she said. “I hope that the justices can see our humanity.”
Inside of the courtroom, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the Trump administration is required to give more than 6 months’ notice before taking actions she said destroy lives.
“There’s a right way and a wrong way to do things. The federal government tried to terminate the DACA program the wrong way,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
Becerra said the Trump administration didn’t provide reasons as legally required when ending a program like DACA.
However, the government argues they provided multiple reasons why and says even if those reasons aren’t good enough, the Trump administration is arguing that DACA itself is illegal.
Justices Neil Gorsuch and Stephen Breyer both said they’re struggling with how much power the courts have to review government decisions. The justices are expected to reach a decision by June.