The City of West Hollywood applauds the United States Supreme Court ruling today that blocks the Trump Administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has safeguarded and benefitted as many as 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. The Trump Administration is not barred from attempting to rescind DACA in the future.
The City of West Hollywood participated in the amicus brief in this case along with 104 other cities, counties, and other municipalities, as well as the National League of Cities, the US Conference of Mayors, the International Municipal Lawyers Association, and the International City/County Management Association.
The Supreme Court ruling was 5-to-4 in the case, Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. writing the majority opinion. He was joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. The Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) failed to consider two separate but important issues in acting to rescind DACA: The first was whether to retain forbearance from removal (separate and apart from the work authorization and any other “benefits” that came with the program) and the second, which is what the City of West Hollywood’s amicus brief focused upon, was the reliance interests of DACA-recipients and non-recipients alike, including cities and counties, and what if anything to do about the resulting hardships that rescission would create.
The City of West Hollywood is a safe space, regardless of nationality or immigration status, and the City has a commitment to promoting social justice and equal rights for all people nationwide and globally. The City of West Hollywood has affirmed its commitment as a Sanctuary City. In August 2017, when the Trump Administration ended the DACA program, the City of West Hollywood re-affirmed its support of DACA and joined with cities and mayors from across the nation as part of the Mayors’ National DACA Day of Action to raise community awareness and advocate for support from legislators in Washington D.C. to safeguard undocumented immigrants.
The City of West Hollywood remains in a declared local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. While Los Angeles County is allowing for a phased reopening of some businesses and activities, coronavirus transmission and COVID-19 disease remain a serious risk. West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to in-person transactions, but City Hall services remain accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org. City of West Hollywood coronavirus information is available at www.weho.org/coronavirus.
For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s Legislative Affairs efforts, please contact Hernán Molina, the City of West Hollywood’s Governmental Affairs Liaison, at (323) 848-6364 or at [email protected].
