Attorney General Becerra Co-Leads Amicus Brief in Defense of DACA

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today joined New York in leading a multistate group of 20 Attorneys General in filing an amicus brief in defense of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The Attorneys General filed the amicus brief in Texas v. United States, a case in which Texas and nine other States have argued that DACA is illegal.

“DACA recipients are leaders, teachers, friends, neighbors, business owners, and classmates. We will all lose out on their contributions if Texas has its way,” said Attorney General Becerra. “It is false for Texas and its partner states to mischaracterize DACA recipients as threats to the country. Any effort to end DACA is a misguided attempt to prevent people from continuing to make a positive impact for themselves, their families, and our States.”

If Texas were granted a preliminary injunction to end DACA, it would have a direct and negative impact on California, where DACA recipients significantly add to our communities and economy. State employees covered by DACA enhance our ability to provide health and safety services to our residents. Our public universities and colleges benefit enormously from students and faculty under DACA. DACA recipients are crucial employees at businesses of all sizes and in all sectors across the State. Indeed, many are entrepreneurs, whose small businesses create jobs and stimulate our economy. States could lose many millions of dollars in tax revenue and suffer significant economic harm if DACA were to end. Studies have concluded that without DACA, our nation’s Gross Domestic Product would fall $460.3 billion over the next decade, with Social Security and Medicare tax receipts dropping $24.6 billion.

In a separate lawsuit, Attorney General Becerra obtained the first nationwide injunction against the Trump Administration’s rescission of DACA. The preliminary injunction effectively reinstated DACA by requiring federal officials to honor prior DACA approvals and resume processing renewal applications until the court makes a final ruling.  As a result of the preliminary injunction, since January more than 102,000 Dreamers whose DACA approvals had expired, or would have expired, have been able to regain or keep their DACA protection. Other plaintiffs in the case led by Attorney General Becerra include the States of Maine, Maryland and Minnesota, as well as the University of California, individual Dreamers, and others.

A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.