Trump admin ends Obama-era protection of undocumented immigrant parents

The Trump administration on Thursday night ended an Obama-era policy that protected undocumented immigrants with children who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, known as DAPA, or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, according to multiple news reports.

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly sent a memo to agents Thursday telling them not to follow the Obama-era rule, which was enacted by his predecessor, Jeh Johnson, in November 2014.

{mosads}In a press release, the Department of Homeland Security said that it was ending the DAPA program because there was “no credible path forward to litigate the currently enjoined policy.”

The Trump admin just rescinded DAPA, which would have given legal status to undocumented parents with US children pic.twitter.com/9KzSaLbfAZ

— Marcelo Rochabrún (@mrochabrun) June 16, 2017

DAPA has been embroiled in legal battles since 2015, when it was put on hold. Texas and 25 other states filed a lawsuit to block President Obama’s policy, which would have granted deferred deportation to nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants.