Federal Judge Rules DACA Unlawful, Orders Government to Block New Applicants By Claire Hansen A federal judge in Texas ruled on Friday that the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was illegally created, and he ordered the government to stop approving new applications for the program, which grants children brought to the U.S. illegally work permits and protection from deportation. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen, however, stayed his order for those already in the program, known as DACA, stopping short of shutting the program down entirely and yanking protections from the more than 600,000 young immigrants who are part of it. The government may continue to process DACA renewals, the judge said, as it tries to "remedy the legal defects" of the program. Remainder of the article is here.