House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Monday that the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear a Trump administration challenge on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program shows that rescinding it was “legally questionable.”
The high court declined earlier in the day to take up an administration challenge to a lower court ruling temporarily blocking President Trump from ending DACA. The decision means that the program will stay in place while the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals conducts a full review.
“Today’s Supreme Court action shows that rescinding DACA was not only legally questionable, but also unjust and cruel,” Pelosi said in a statement.
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She stressed that Congress needs to find a legislative solution for the “Dreamers” that DACA shielded from deportation.
“The court’s action is welcome news, but only Congress can provide the permanent protection our Dreamers need and deserve,” she said.
President Trump had set a March 5 deadline for Congress to come up with an immigration deal that could replace or fix the Obama-era program. So far, lawmakers have been unable to agree on a solution.
The Senate is reportedly considering a short-term fix for Dreamers that would tie a three-year extension of protections with more than $7 billion in funding for border security.
However, the Supreme Court’s decision is likely to ease pressure on Congress to come up with new immigration legislation.
Pelosi said Republicans need to allow a vote for a bipartisan Dream Act.
“Democrats will continue to fight to protect Dreamers, who are the pride of our nation,” she said.
Earlier this month, the minority leader set a House record for longest speech on the floor when she spent just over seven hours pleading the Dreamers’ case.