WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today issued the following statement after a federal district court judge in Texas temporarily enjoined implementation of expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA).  Today, the Department of Homeland Security had planned to begin accepting requests for expanded DACA, one of the executive actions on immigration that the President announced last November.

“Like the ten Presidents before him, President Obama turned to administrative actions to help shape immigration policy after a bipartisan, Senate-passed immigration bill that I supported was blocked and ignored by House Republicans for well over a year.

“The Department of Homeland Security was set to begin accepting requests for expanded DACA today.  Unfortunately, on Monday, a Texas federal district court judge put a temporary hold on expanded DACA and DAPA, adding additional uncertainty and delays for families and individuals who are already here in the United States, and who have become part of our communities and our economy.  It is important to remember that there are families on the other end of the legal processes that are now playing out in the courts.  It is my hope that the courts will expeditiously and favorably sort out the challenges to the President’s immigration actions, so affected individuals in Rhode Island and across the country can have some clarity on their status and these families can move forward.

“However, I remain convinced that the best way to fix our broken immigration system for the long-term is through comprehensive, bipartisan legislation in Congress.”

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