Donald Trump faced yet another defeat in court this week after a federal judge ordered his administration to reinstate Jessica Colotl’s DACA status, finding federal immigration officials were “unable to provide the Court the actual reason for the decisions to terminate Plaintiff’s DACA status and deny her renewal application.”
Last month, immigration officials “suddenly and arbitrarily” revoked Colotl’s protection from deportation, claiming she had previously pled guilty to a felony conviction. But this was yet another lie from a blatantly dishonest administration—there was no guilty plea. Government attorneys were later forced to backtrack on their claim in court.
Additionally, U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen ordered federal immigration officials to reconsider Colotl’s application, which should never have been denied in the first place considering the Obama administration had twice accepted Colotl into the DACA program. Unlike most folks in the Trump regime, Dreamers undergo a vetting:
Colotl, who was brought to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 11, said she’s relieved by the judge’s ruling for herself, and for other young people brought into the country illegally as children who are often referred to as “dreamers.”
“It makes me happy to know that there is hope for many dreamers out there and that we can continue fighting together so we can live in the country that we've called home for so many years,” she said.
The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the judge’s ruling.
Colotl’s attorney said her case could set a strong precedent for other DACA cases, since Trump, his DHS Sec. John Kelly, and ICE are showing a disturbing pattern of targeting young immigrants with protection from deportation despite recent, empty claims they wouldn’t. Remember, Trump promised during his campaign to kill DACA on day one of his presidency, but now that he’s actually in office, he’s attacking Dreamers in ways that don’t force him to undo the program itself.
Colotl’s attorney said, “I believe this case actually sets the standard for [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services] going forward in, one, following its own rules, but also ensuring that other DACA recipients who may be treated unjustly like Jessica won’t be afraid to go to court and to exercise their rights under the law.” Advocates will be paying close attention—remember that while Colotl’s DACA is back, there’s no guarantee her renewal will be approved by federal immigration officials.
Nevertheless, she persists: “I’m so thankful that I’m getting my work permit back and, essentially, getting my life back to being normal.”