Some Faith Groups Applaud Supreme Court’s DACA Decision

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Faith groups are applauding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision temporarily halting the Trump administration’s efforts to rescind an Obama-era program granting legal protection to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country as children.

The 5-4 decision, written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and handed down on Thursday (June 18), blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to “wind down” the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which was created by President Barack Obama in 2012 to shield qualified young immigrants from deportation.

The decision hinged on a technicality: It did not prohibit the federal government from rescinding the program, but ruled that it did so improperly.

“We do not decide whether DACA or its rescission are sound policies,” Roberts wrote.

Even so, faith groups from across the religious spectrum hailed the ruling as a win for undocumented immigrants.

“This decision is an important victory in the fight for all immigrants and part of a larger movement that demands justice, equity, divestment from racist systems and institutions, and investments in Black communities and communities of color,” the Rev. John L. McCullough, president and CEO of Church World Service, said in a statement.

“Faith communities across the United States have made their voices heard in support of DACA recipients…