The following is a statement from CLINIC Executive Director Anna Gallagher:

“Judge Hanen’s July 16 decision to block new DACA applications — including the tens of thousands of initial cases mired in limbo due to crisis-level processing delays at USCIS — is mean-spirited and plain wrong. The decision underscores yet again the urgency for Congress and the Biden administration to prioritize, protect and respect the human rights and dignity of undocumented immigrants in this country. Those directly impacted, their loved ones, and the country have spoken again and again that DACA recipients, Temporary Protected Status holders and other undocumented immigrants need permanent stability, security and a pathway to citizenship. Their lives, dreams and contributions to our collective society are not temporary — our laws and policy must reflect that, now.

Last week, CLINIC and partners launched a new campaign, Ready to Stay, with a mission to build capacity and coordination for effective implementation of a large-scale immigration legalization program. To those in power, we’re calling on you to make this a watershed moment, to do what must be done for the good of individuals, families, and the country as a whole. We are all ready and we are all home.”

Anna Gallagher, CLINIC Executive Director