(CNN) A federal judge in Texas on Friday ruled that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama-era program shielding certain undocumented immigrants from deportation, is illegal and blocked new applicants. The ruling from Judge Andrew Hanen would bar future applications. DACA, created in 2012, was intended to provide temporary reprieve to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children -- a group often described as "Dreamers" -- many of whom are now adults. But almost a decade since the program was established, DACA is still one of the only signs of potential relief for undocumented immigrants looking to remain and work in the US. Hanen, an appointee of President George W. Bush, ruled that Congress had not granted the Department of Homeland Security the authority to create DACA and that it prevented immigration officials from enforcing removal provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Source: CNN July 16, 2021 21:32 UTC