US federal judge reaffirms ruling that DACA must resume

In this photo, taken Aug. 15, 2017, a woman holds up a signs in support of the Obama administration program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, during an immigration reform rally at the White House in Washington. (Photo by JACQUELYN MARTIN / AP)

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has reaffirmed his ruling that the Trump administration must resume a program that has shielded hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation.

The ruling has no immediate effect because US District Judge John D. Bates in Washington gave the administration 20 days to decide if it would want to appeal and ask that it be put on hold while trying to get it overturned.

In April, the judge gave the government 90 days to restate its argument to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. In a 25-page ruling on Friday, he said the administration failed to change his mind.

Two nationwide injunctions earlier this year applied only to renewal requests for DACA recipients, commonly referred to as “Dreamers.” The Washington case also covers first-time applicants. /atm