Eliana Fernandez is a named plaintiff in the case, Batalla Vidal v. Nielsen. She says, "The ruling gave hope and showed the Court respects our common humanity. I am a Dreamer and joined this fight for my family... I'm a wife, mother, homeowner, but Trump doesn't want to hear a story like mine." She says, "We still know we need a permanent solution."
The immigration rights group Make The Road New York applauds the decision. They tweeted "It’s HUGE WIN for #Dreamers in Federal Court! We and @NILC_org just won a preliminary injunction blocking #Trump’s racist decision to end #DACA. Renewals must continue nationwide. We will keep fighting in courts, in the streets, and in Congress for #DreamActNow."The Judge's order protects Dreamers currently enrolled in the DACA program but does not extend to new applicants. Karen Tumlin is the Legal Director for the National Immigration Law Center which challenged Trump’s DACA order. She says that the March 5th deadline is a Trump creation. The injunction now allows individuals to seek renewals regardless of the deadline. But she warns that turning in a renewal is not the same as having a renewal in hand. "Lapses can be life-altering for #DACA recipients." She says, "While courts have stepped in, what is needed is not stop-gap measures but a permanent solution by Congress."
Meanwhile, Department of Justice spokesperson Devin O’Malley says DACA was an “unlawful circumvention of Congress.” He says the Justice Department is looking forward to the next stage of litigation. All eyes in the struggle are on Washington to see if Congress can get past divisions and pass a Clean Dream Act.
