Trump decides to not deport DREAMers

DREAMERs and their parents pray at a Mexican border fence.
(Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

President Trump will not deport undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, known as "DREAMers" (after the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act), a reversal of his campaign pledge, The New York Times reports. Trump claimed during the campaign the program "defied federal law and the Constitution."

The Department of Homeland Security made the announcement, which affects about 800,000 people, Thursday night. The decision to keep the Obama-era policy is "a tribute to the strength of the DREAMer movement and an acknowledgment — at least in part — by [the DHS] that it should not be targeting undocumented immigrants who have strong ties to their communities and have abided by the law," said immigration lawyer David Leopold.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.