US appeals court says Trump cannot end DACA

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - A federal appeals court on Thursday sustained a ruling that blocked U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to end a program which protects undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children from being deported.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California kept in place an attempt by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end the program, first introduced under former President Barack Obama in 2012.

The three-judge panel said the Trump administration's reasons for ending the program were flawed and had "failure to state a claim."

The court said "the rescission of DACA—at least as justified on this record—is arbitrary, capricious, or otherwise not in accordance with law."

Last year, Trump ended the program and offered a six-month period in which Congress can pass a DACA replacement before the administration stops issuing new permits.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program provided benefits and protections to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children.

The program not only protected undocumented child immigrants from deportation, but allowed them a work permit so they can legally seek employment in the U.S.

It has protected nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants in the five years since it was introduced.