Seven Civil Rights Organizations Led by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law File Amicus Brief In the Ninth Circuit In Support Of Nationwide Injunction Preserving DACA Program

A coalition of seven civil rights and social justice organizations led by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed an amicus brief in Regents of the University of California v. DHS before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, urging the Court to affirm the district court's nationwide injunction preventing the Trump administration's rollback of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

This case is on appeal from the Northern District of California, where on January 9, 2018, Judge William Alsup issued a nationwide injunction, ordering the Department of Homeland Security to continue processing renewal applications for current DACA recipients. In response, the Justice Department requested the Supreme Court immediately review the lower court's decision and overturn the injunction to permit the Administration to continue its complete phase out of the DACA program. The Supreme Court denied the Justice Department's request.

In its amicus brief, the civil rights coalition focuses on the administration's violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by arbitrarily and capriciously reversing DACA without considering the substantial reliance interests engendered by the program. The brief highlights significant reliance interests ignored by the administration, including the interests of educational institutions, employers, and most importantly DACA enrollees themselves who have invested in their education and job training, purchased homes and enlisted in the military.

"Thousands of young people have lived in this country for most of their lives and dream of being recognized as the Americans that they are," said Dariely Rodriguez, Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law's Economic Justice Project. "The administration's arbitrary decision to terminate DACA was cruel and harms families, communities and our economy. We will continue to stand up for Dreamers by challenging this Administration's discriminatory policies in the courts."

In addition to the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the brief is joined by: Anti-Defamation League, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Mississippi Center for Justice, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. Venable LLP served as counsel to amici curiae.

A link to the brief can be found here.