National Immigration Law Center (NILC) announced today that the private information of certain individuals who received three-year work permits under the 2012 DACA program will remain confidential, for now.
Last week NILC, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the ACLU of Texas filed a lawsuit on behalf of four individuals whose personal information was at risk of being disclosed. The individuals were concerned with a new order from U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in the US v Texas immigration case. The case currently awaits resolution at the Supreme Court.
Petitioners in the NILC-ACLU-ACLU of Texas case include Angelica Villalobos, a leader with United We Dream Affiliate Dream Act Oklahoma, and Juan Escalante, Digital Campaigns Manager for America’s Voice, as well as two unnamed individuals.
According to NILC today: “U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen has stayed his May 19 order requiring the federal government to turn over the personal data of tens of thousands of immigrant youth who received three-year work authorizations through the Obama administration’s 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. Hanen issued an order today that stays his May 19 order “pending the outcome of” a hearing he set for Aug. 22, after the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in United States v. Texas, the lawsuit challenging the administration’s 2014 immigration executive actions.”
Juan Escalante, Digital Campaigns Manager for America’s Voice, said: “I had the reasonable expectation that the information attached to my DACA application would remain confidential. Judge Hanen’s stay is certainly good news, but it only provides temporary relief for those of us who are worried about our private information getting into the wrong hands. The fact still remains that I should have control over my personal information, as I have a right to privacy.”
According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice: “Today was an important moment, as brave people and talented lawyers worked together to stand up and fight back against a clear moral wrong. I’m so proud of Juan, Angelica, and the others who had the courage to challenge a federal judge in order to protect the privacy of thousands of people. They stood up for American ideals, and for now those ideals have won. Now it’s up to the Supreme Court to do the same, and unfreeze DAPA and DACA expansion of DACA can that these important policies can finally move forward.”
