President Donald Trump‘s administration is in the process of fighting a District Court decision that ordered them to continue allowing people covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to renew their benefits. Instead of going to the Circuit Court of Appeals in their opposition of the ruling, the administration hoped that the Supreme Court would step in now. In an order on Monday, the Supreme Court refused.
President Trump decided to end the DACA program — which began under President Barack Obama — last year, giving Congress a deadline of March 5 to pass legislation to take its place. The March 5 deadline wouldn’t be an end of DACA altogether, but it is meant to be the start of a winding down process. The District Court’s decision would force the administration to continue providing benefits. These benefits allow people who were brought into the United States illegally by their parents when they were children to remain in the country. President Trump himself had expressed a desire to continue offering such protection to these people prior to repealing DACA, and has since pressured Congress to pass legislation to take its place.
The Supreme Court’s order on Monday does not mean that they will never enter the DACA debate, it just means that it won’t happen just yet. Monday’s order simply says that the Trump administration must now take the usual step of appealing to the Circuit Court. Depending on how that goes, the case could still end up before the high court at a later date.
“The petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment is denied without prejudice,” the Court’s order said. “It is assumed that the Court of Appeals will proceed expeditiously to decide this case. ”
[Image via SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images]
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