Today, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program that declared the program illegal. The court has sent the case back to a lower court for further consideration. In response, Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen issued the following statement:

“2.2 million people across the country live in DACA households, and this decision continues to cruelly subject Dreamers and their families to the political whims of those in power. We cannot rely on the courts to protect Dreamers any longer. It’s up to Congress to urgently pass legislation to permanently protect DACA recipients and prevent their deportations. We stand in solidarity with our clients and partners impacted by this decision, and we call on anti-immigrant politicians to stop playing politics with the lives of DACA recipients and their families.”