Feature

Supreme Court declines to hear DACA case

Publish date: February 27, 2018

 


Jirayut New Latthivongskorn, a co-plaintiff in the case and a medical student with DACA status at the University of California, San Francisco, said the Supreme Court made the right decision. Mr. Latthivongskorn, who came to the United States from Thailand when he was 9 years old, is cofounder of Pre-Health Dreamers, a network of undocumented students who plan to pursue medical careers. He is in his third year at UCSF and is slated to graduate in 2019 after completing the university’s Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved.

Jirayut New Latthivongskorn became the first undocumented medical student at the University of California, San Francisco, in 2014. He is cofounder of Pre-Health Dreamers, an advocacy group and network of undocumented youth pursuing medical careers. Courtesy Abhinav Janghala

Jirayut New Latthivongskorn became the first undocumented medical student at the University of California, San Francisco, in 2014. He is cofounder of Pre-Health Dreamers, an advocacy group and network of undocumented youth pursuing medical careers.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to deny the government’s request to hear the lawsuit case, [which would have skipped] the normal process of going through the appeals court, is a hopeful reminder that America’s system of checks and balances is still in place,” Mr. Latthivongskorn said in an interview. “It also shows that the Trump administration should not have ended DACA in the first place, as they are having trouble providing evidence and rationale for their actions. As an undocumented immigrant, I am thrilled about this decision because it means that DACA renewals will be accepted and considered for many more months to come, thereby allowing thousands of lives to continue with DACA. That was my original hope for becoming a plaintiff in the lawsuit, and that is what we are seeing.”

The Department of Justice expressed disappointment at the Supreme Court’s decision not to take up the case and said it will continue to strongly defend the case.


“While we were hopeful for a different outcome, the Supreme Court very rarely grants certiorari before judgment, though in our view it was warranted for the extraordinary injunction requiring the Department of Homeland Security to maintain DACA,” DOJ spokesman Devin O’Malley said in a statement. “We will continue to defend DHS’ lawful authority to wind down DACA in an orderly manner.”

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