DENVER — If Dreamers were dreaming of a victory, they might have gotten one Monday.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled they will not hear the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program case immediately, which means the program will continue accepting renewals as the case winds its way through appeals courts.
“This is really good news for people like me,” said Ana Rodriguez, a DACA recipient and activist with COPA.
Rodriguez said this will allow her to file her paperwork this summer, potentially extending her status in the U.S. until 2021.
“That gives me a huge peace of mind just knowing I may have the opportunity to maintain my protections,” Rodriguez said.
In September, President Donald Trump ordered the DACA program shut down next week unless Congress acts.
Federal judges, however, ruled the program should continue to accept renewals.
Lawyers for Trump had hoped the Supreme Court would hear the case as an emergency but on Monday the high court declined.
Colorado immigration attorney Hans Meyer said this should encourage Colorado’s 17,000 Dreamers to renew.
“For individual people with DACA, this is an opportunity to renew their status while the court addresses legal issues,” Meyer said.
Trump expressed frustration with the DACA decision by judges Monday but was optimistic he would win in the end.
The Supreme Court rarely hears a case before a lower appeals court has considered it. The fight over whether President Richard Nixon had to turn over the Watergate tapes is one such example.
Rodriguez still hopes for a permanent fix by Congress, which has been debating legislation for weeks but has failed to pass anything substantive.
“At the end of the day I need something permanent,” Rodriguez said.