The Trump administration is formally revoking an Obama-era initiative that was intended to protect undocumented immigrant parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents from deportation but was never actually implemented after being tied up in federal court.
The Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program was announced by the Obama administration in 2014 but was blocked by a federal judge after 26 states, including Florida, challenged the program's legality. Thursday was the judge's deadline for the parties to set a timetable to resolve the case.
Instead, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly rescinded the memo, saying there was "no credible path forward" in court. Kelly added, however, that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which helps the children of undocumented immigrants, would not change.
The Florida Immigrant Coalition has said that more than 250,000 people in Florida would have benefitted from DAPA protection if the program had gone into effect.
The reversal happened on the fifth anniversary of the DACA program beginning. Nearly 800,000 people have been accepted into the program, which only takes applicants who have not committed any serious crimes and meet other criteria.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
(Photo credit: Joe Raedle)