John Baackes Says Ruling is Welcome, but Repeats his Call on Congress to Act
A federal appeals court ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration must continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. The Obama-era program protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children — immigrants who have come to be known as "Dreamers."
It was more than a year ago that John Baackes, the CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest health plan in the country, issued a statement urging Congress to pass legislation that would make DACA permanent.
This court ruling is welcome, but it doesn't end the legal fight for these young people who are living in limbo. If Congress doesn't act, the next court could rule against them.
--John Baackes
CEO, L.A. Care
Legislative efforts to extend protections for DACA recipients and provide them a path to citizenship failed in Congress this year. The Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to review a district court injunction.
For now, the decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco shields "Dreamers" from deportation and allows them work permits. The court rejected the Trump Administration's claim that its decision to end DACA was not reviewable by the courts. The three judge panel also said plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the claim that ending DACA was "arbitrary, capricious, or otherwise not in accordance with law."