POLITICO: New Jersey seeks to intervene in lawsuit that aims to end DACA

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Gurbir Grewal is pictured. | AP Photo
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said New Jersey should be permitted to intervene in the case because ending DACA would harm the state and its residents. | AP Photo

New Jersey to the Rescue

New Jersey seeks to intervene in lawsuit that aims to end DACA
By LINH TAT 05/21/2018 05:47 PM EDT
TRENTON — New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal is seeking to intervene in a multistate lawsuit that aims to end legal protections for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children.

Grewal said Monday his office filed a brief to be named a defendant in a lawsuit, led by Texas, to terminate the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that allows certain undocumented immigrants to live and work in the country.

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The state will do all it can to protect DACA recipients, or so-called DREAMers, Grewal said in a statement, indicating the Trump administration could not be counted on to protect DREAMers.

“Unfortunately, the State of Texas has brought a lawsuit to force the federal government to end protections for Dreamers, an action that would put 17,000 New Jersey residents at risk of deportation,” Grewal said in the statement. “Typically, the U.S. Department of Justice would be responsible for defending DACA from this type of Texas-led lawsuit, but given everything going on in Washington these days, it’s clear that New Jersey needs to step in to protect the interests of Dreamers in our state and across the country.”

The Trump administration had planned to end DACA, but was enjoined by several courts from doing so.

As a result, Texas and six other states filed a lawsuit, claiming DACA was created without congressional approval and therefore is illegal. The plaintiffs want an injunction to stop future DACA permits from being issued and a court order for the federal government to terminate the program.

In a brief filed in federal court in Texas, Grewal said New Jersey should be permitted to intervene in the case because ending DACA would harm the state and its residents. New Jersey, Grewal argues, has a strong interest in supporting DACA recipients, who contribute to the state economy, including through state and local taxes.

The state would lose about $19 million per year in tax revenues if the DACA program ended, according to the brief.

In all, the state has about 53,000 DACA-eligible residents and 17,400 individuals with current DACA permits, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Additionally, about 15,900 DACA recipients work in the state and 7,800 are in school, with 5,600 pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s or professional degree.

If these individuals aren’t allowed to work, many DACA students may drop out of school before completing their degrees, costing public educational institutions in the state hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost tuition revenue, the brief states.

“Dreamers are entrepreneurs, wage earners and taxpayers,” Grewal stated. “They have careers, own homes and cars, and have U.S. citizen children, siblings and spouses. We are on the side of right in this matter, because DACA is lawful, and we can point to a multitude of ways in which ending the program will cause the State significant harm.”

Robert Barchi, president of Rutgers University, the largest public university in New Jersey, along with several DREAMers, filed declarations supporting the attorney general’s motion this week, Grewal’s office said.

Monday’s action by the attorney general is not the first time the state has taken steps to protect undocumented immigrants.

In January, the state joined another multistate lawsuit, led by New York, to protect DACA recipients.

And earlier this month, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill allowing certain undocumented students to qualify for state financial aid.

https://www.politico.com/states/new-...nd-daca-430598

TLDR but sounds like good news !!

Yea I didn't read this either, too many words, not enough action. Poor writer is bad and should feel bad.

and no pictures.

Whats with all the nerd words? I'm sorry I thought I was in AMERICA.

Lib states need to join on like asap

God bless New Jersey!

"In a brief filed in federal court in Texas, Grewal said New Jersey should be permitted to intervene in the case because ending DACA would harm the state and its residents. New Jersey, Grewal argues, has a strong interest in supporting DACA recipients, who contribute to the state economy, including through state and local taxes.

The state would lose about $19 million per year in tax revenues if the DACA program ended, according to the brief."

This is exactly the case with me, though my deferred action is not Daca, as I am responsible for multiple programs that affect thousands of patients.

Why didn't they use the harm to individual states argument with Dapa to prevent that case from setting precedent, not to mention to protect so many individuals??

What is the status of the discharge petition?

Same as it was last week... everyone is on break in DC due to Memorial Day weekend

The armpit of America...to the rescue!
I love me some Italian hunks

Thank you, New Jersey.

Wish I wasn't from a shitty state that wants to see me deported.